Disabling Windows 10 updates forever sounds tempting if you’ve been annoyed by unexpected reboots or weird compatibility issues. The idea is to stop Windows from grabbing updates automatically so you can control when and how your machine updates. But of course, doing this isn’t a magic fix — it’s kind of a dance between keeping your system safe and avoiding surprises. If not careful, you might miss out on important security patches or performance fixes, so it’s good to know what you’re doing and keep manual checks in place.
Here’s a rundown of the steps that usually work. Be warned, some of these involve tinkering with system services or group policies, which can be a little tricky if you’re new to this. Sometimes, on certain editions of Windows 10, especially Home, you can’t access the Group Policy Editor, so you might have to rely on stopping the service manually. In any case, just follow along and remember — Windows has a habit of undoing these tweaks after some updates, so you might need to redo them later.
How to Disable Windows 10 Update Permanently
Open Services to stop the update service
This is kinda the first step — stopping the service that handles updates. On Windows, that’s the Windows Update service. If you wanna block updates, you’ve gotta stop this service and disable it from restarting.
- Hit Windows key + R to open the Run dialog.
- Type
services.mscand hit Enter or OK. This opens the Services window, showing all the background stuff running on your machine. - Scroll down until you find Windows Update. It might be called wuauserv in the description.
Stop the Windows Update Service and disable it
This helps to halt the current updates and prevent it from kicking back in automatically, which is kinda essential if you want to keep your machine the way it is.
- Right-click on Windows Update and choose Stop — some times it takes a second, but this should freeze the update process temporarily.
- Now, to make sure it doesn’t start again, right-click again and pick Properties.
- In the window that pops up, find the option labeled Startup type and set it to Disabled. This really lays down the law and stops Windows from starting it on its own.
- Click Apply then OK. Done—at least until the next big update or tweak.
Adjust Group Policy to block updates more permanently
This is where it gets a little more… official. The Group Policy Editor is a neat tool designed for advanced tweaks. It’s not available on the Home edition by default, but for Pro or Enterprise users, this is the way to go.
- Press Windows key + R again, type
gpedit.mscand press Enter. This opens the Group Policy Editor. - Navigate through the menu: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update.
- Look for Configure Automatic Updates. Double-click on it to open the settings window.
- Set it to Disabled. This stops Windows from trying to update automatically, no matter what.
- Click Apply and OK. That’s basically it — now Windows should ignore auto-updates.
Just a heads up: because of Windows’ sneaky updates, sometimes, even with these settings in place, updates can slip through after some patches or major upgrades. You might need to revisit these steps every once in a while. Also, on some setups, the Group Policy edit refuses to work, especially on Home editions — then you’re stuck with just stopping the service manually.
Extra tips for the brave
If you want to go even further, there are some third-party tools—or registry hacks—that can help block updates more aggressively. But beware: messing with the registry without backing up first can cause other headaches. Also, stopping updates forever isn’t recommended for everyone. Just keep in mind that without updates, your system might miss important security patches or bug fixes, which could be risky in the long run.
In my experience, stopping the Windows Update service and setting Group Policy disables most automatic updates—at least until you reboot or Windows enforces its own rules. Sometimes, Windows re-enables stuff after major updates, so you may need to double-check these tweaks routinely. It’s kind of annoying, but as long as you’re aware of the risks, this method gives you a decent handle on your update schedule.