Hi, has anybody been able to PERMANENTLY stop Windows 10 from updating?
Thank you.
How to Permanently Prevent Windows 10 from Updating
Comments
No they don’t. Most of them are AI regurgitations of out of date information.
To entertain this response, the final major Windows 10 release was in November 2022. Even the companitively old 3.5-turbo has a cutoff at April 2023. Also, not every result is an AI-generated article.
The fact OP wasn't able to find / follow these, is a big reason why they shouldn't be doing this
Keep the computer off.
Unplug the ethernet cable and disconnect the wifi.
JV?
Updating security patches or updating to Win11?
If the latter, look online, if the former, you're being silly.
Buy a Mac…
Apple is annoying me for upgrading as well.
hehe, don't think people liked that. My Macbook Pro never asks me to update, I know people who haven't restarted them in months, nor updated. They just work with no nags.
I suggest installing Linux. I use it and works great, again, no nags nor updates unless you want to.
Wait till October?
I’m not so naïve to think the won’t stop nagging even after the end of official support. Apple don’t.
In that case..Kubuntu?
What did you call me??
If you are talking about upgrading to Windows 11, here's how I did it. I went into the BIOS and made a change to something that Windows 11 sets as a pre-requisite. The obvious one is the TPM. I just disabled it. With the TPM disabled Windows can't use it. Its still there to be turned back on if you change you mind.
If you are talking about Windows 10 updates, damned if I know.
According to Microsoft you can install Windows 11 on a PC that doesn't meet the pre-requisites, like a disabled TPM, but it doesn't get updates. I have such a PC. It is getting Windows 11 updates anyway. But it is only getting updates to the original version of Windows 11 installed on it, 22H2. It is not getting upgraded to the current version of Windows 11.
The short answer is no. Every method that has worked in the past seems to have been patched out somewhere along the line. You’d probably have to find an old version of Windows 10 but then you may have software that won’t run at all because windows is not as backwards comparable as people think it is.
It is absurd because Windows is supposed to support blocking of updates through group policy but eventually it will just install the update anyway.
Oh well…if you use 3rd party Antivirus then you will be fine….
..can't make this stuff up…Though in reality there is very little attacking Windows 7 these days - not enough machines left to care about.
This is absolutely not the case. Windows 7 is nowhere near old enough to fall into that category and is vulnerable to all sorts of vulnerabilities that would be present in Windows 10 and 11 through its common roots to those OS and having not have any updates for years.
That's a nightmare waiting to happen. Windows 7 support ended in 2020. Even with 3rd party antivirus, you're rolling the dice.
What you really want to be doing if you want to be raw dogging the internet is roll back to Windows XP…
Raw dogging makes scents. Cheers
Windows 11 makes rants, cheers!
Wet dogging makes scents.
That's very foolish. Either go Win11 or get a Mac.
Or Linux?
Linux is great, but OP is struggling with the slight inconvenience of Windows Update, so Linux is definitely not the right option for them.
Same here/ Everything in th ehousr id Windows 7 SP1 except a notebook Windows 8 SP1. Never used Microsoft support ever.
I sue Excel and Outlook and I have some sort of antivirus, but as @idroiD says "here is very little attacking Windows 7 these days - not enough machines left to care about." Question is why are banks etc trying to get more and more personal information, when they are th eprimary targets for hacking? does not make sense
Yesterday I tried to install Python. It would not instell, so out came the Windows 8. Done
Disable windows update in the gpedit.msc group policy editor. Always worked perfectly for me if you have windows 10 pro or above
this feature is worth getting pro versions of windows for
No, I’ve done all that. Eventually it will sneak in an update regardless and when it does it will undo any setting preventing updates and you’ll have to try to do it again. I’ve tried various group policy edits and registry edits over the years and eventually windows just decides to ignore it all and the last time I went through the list of options none of them worked anymore.
Why don't you want to update to Windows 11? My computer doesn't seem to have this problem, it's just staying on windows 10. I wouldn't mind Windows 11 if I can get it for free. I got Windows 10 for free, but it has the watermark in the corner and a few limitations.
Why is a good question, maybe OP got the hacked version of windows
my win11 compatible version is fine….it asks, I say no….. still on win 10…..
Just wait till October and it will stop on its own haha
Support for Windows 10 will end in October 2025. After 14 October 2025, Microsoft will no longer provide free software updates from Windows Update, technical assistance, or security fixes for Windows 10.
no longer provide free software updates
So they will start charging for them ???
Yes, they are quite expensive, can't remember how much but shouldn't be hard to find online.
I guess I'll need to switch to non OEM updates then.
My win10 laptop cannot upgrade to Win11 because of the cpu, does it mean i'll be stuck in 10 forever ?
There are some workarounds to get incompatible PCs upgraded to windows 11.
Not relevant.
OP could move to another solar system. However, the heat death of the universe could be a problem.
Workarounds are documented everywhere
https://www.tomshardware.com/how-to/bypass-windows-11-tpm-re…But it's possible that you will not receive any major updates to your Windows installation — Microsoft will know your hardware isn't officially supported anyway so you will always be behind in terms of features or security, meaning you might need to manually install those.
If it is just CPU you can do fresh install with windows 11 boot USB. TPM 2.0 is the only serious requirement
Member Since
3 hours 43 min agoSomeone bored? Slow bargain day?
Yes! EASY - air gapped permanently ;)
This is the only secure answer.
I've been doing this on various machines with varying success since 2014, using the Group Policy Editor or the Registry Editor.
The problem is that Windows will try to self-repair if you disable updates, and overcome your changes.
I've found that Method 2: Using Registry Editor is effective in this link (if you are comfortable editing the registry):
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/1351413/…
But I found an easier method using some software called Windows Update Blocker v1.8
https://www.sordum.org/9470/windows-update-blocker-v1-8/
I've been using this on a Windows 10 laptop for nearly a year and it is very effective.
PS I'm using an old Windows 7 laptop as a print server, as it doesn't get updated. Works well, without getting "improved" by Microsoft every few weeks.I just set the connection to metered, it doesn’t seem to download then until I choose when or if to download.
^ This
Put all the IP used by the update in a hosts file and point to 0.0.0.0
Which ever group policy hack I put in years ago is still working. Updates don't download or install until I say so.
Man win11 is getting close. I'll have to update my bios (enables TPM 2.0) and let Microsoft have it's filthy way with my PC.
How to Permanently Prevent Windows 10 from Updating
Install windows 11
Did you mean google.com.au?
Um, why?
You should always want to install updates unless you've got a machine not connected to a network/internet.
i can't imagine why you would not want to update, but nevertheless
if you can get your hands on any Windows labelled "LTSC", it would SHOULD only update once every 10 years…. maybe less hahaWould be curious to know why as this poses both a security and stability risk.
Chris Titus WinUtil.
Press the Windows key.
Type "PowerShell" or "Terminal" (for Windows 11).
Right-click and choose "Run as administrator" to launch it with administrator privileges.
Type command below:
irm "https://christitus.com/win" | iexSecond this, this script is amazing. OP, would definitely recommend! Credit to Chris and all contributors <3
Why ? I upgraded to Windows 11 and can't hardly notice the difference. It ended up that inconsequential I can't even really remember a transition. Set the taskbar to left align if it bothers you in the centre and carry on.
Upgrades fix security patches.I'm honestly surprised no one’s brought up one of the best privacy websites out there https://www.privacytools.io/windows. It not only helps you block Windows updates, but also gives you tools to block almost everything. If you’re familiar with Portmaster, you can take control and block pretty much all tracking.
I even keep breaking bank websites with my rules because their spyware just can’t get through! 😄
I thought that the trick was to set your (and every/any other) wifi connection as a metered connection. It then stopped doing the updates so that you didn't get a big service bill. I haven't tried that again for quite a while.
Please don't do this, it's very important for security to regularly update your device. Some sources from the smart people even:
https://www.cyber.gov.au/learn-basics/explore-basics/update-…
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/device-security-guidance/…
https://www.ownyouronline.govt.nz/personal/get-protected/gui…
https://www.cyber.gov.au/resources-business-and-government/m…I would never install the bloated ad-riddled garbage that Microsoft ships as their default Windows 10 or 11. Microsoft ship an LTSC version that removes most of the bloat, but I prefer these distros that allow you to disable automatic feature updates - https://windowsxlite.com/
I know it looks like a virus but its made with MSMG Toolkit like every other windows distroInteresting.
There's also AtlasOS — https://atlasos.net/
A modification of Windows, designed for enthusiasts.
We are an open-source project, licensed under GPL-3.0 and our GitHub repository has many stargazers.Yes AtlasOS is another great distro.
Why not just use arch?
Change busy status and pause updates, it's a temp fix but needs to be actioned every week.
What's the use case?
If you're hosting services, like plex for example that don't run as a service and only run under a user account I'd recommend migrating to a Linux Distro where it can run as a service or install Server OS, otherwise you can do the regedit hack which will likely reset on a reboot anyway or edit the gpo.
If it's a home computer and you're scared of going to 11 because you don't like the way Microsoft is operating either go to 11 or go to Linux (which means no Kernal level anti cheat).Something something massgravel get it on a domain linked to wsus, sccm, intune etc and don't push out security patches.
For people wondering why someone might want to stay with Windows 10, there are some software applications that are not approved for Windows 11 use. Think machine control and medical software. I had to deal with this issue at work, and Microsoft's incessant demands that everyone MUST upgrade to Win11 because Microsoft knows what's good for you better than yourself.
I would recommend StopUpdates10.
https://greatis.com/stopupdates10/
Distro wise, I would recommend Ghost Spectre (Win 10/Win 11)
https://tech-latest.com/ghost-spectre-windows-10-superlite-v…
https://tech-latest.com/ghost-spectre-windows-11/
Time to jump onto the Linux bandwagon. Seriously good distros available compared to 5-10 years ago.
If you're that interested in privacy and controlling updates, Linux is what you're after.
Do the 49 gazillion results that appear in a Google search for this question not work?