Welcome to our guide on how to stop a Windows 10 update. Updating your PC is an important part of maintaining its overall health and wellbeing. Windows 10 updates often contain fixes for critical problems, and setting them up can keep your PC running efficiently.

But there are times when you might not wish to install an update. A frequently used program of yours might not be suitable for the most recent update; in that case, you might want to defer the update until you will find an appropriate alternative.

So how do you stop a Windows 10 update? While you can't stop it installing forever, there are ways to delay it for a while. In this guide, we'll show you how it's done.

1. Pause automatic updates

Click the Start menu, then the Settings cog. Now visit 'Update & Security', click 'Windows Update' on the left-hand side, then click 'Advanced options'. Under 'Pause Updates', toggle the switch to 'On'. This will pause Windows updates for 35 days, but you'll need to download the most recent updates once the period is over if you want to pause further updates.

You may also choose to defer feature updates by as much as 365 days and quality updates (that have important security fixes) by up to Thirty days. Once these periods are up, you'll need to download updates before you can defer them again.

2. Meter your network connection

This is another simple aspect to try. Click Start, then click the Settings cog. From here, click 'Network & Internet', then click 'Wi-Fi' within the left-hand column, then the name of the Wi-Fi connection. Scroll down to the 'Metered connection' section and toggle the 'Set as metered connection' switch to 'On'.

This tells Windows 10 that you're on a limited data plan, with the result that it won't automatically push updates to you (even though you can continue to manually install them). However, if you're with an Ethernet connection this method won't work, so you'll need to try one of the other methods in this guide.

3. Prevent a downloaded update from installing

Once an update has begun installing, you shouldn't stop it ¡§C doing so could be very damaging for the PC. However, if Windows 10 has downloaded an update but hasn't started setting it up yet, you may still stop it.

In the Windows 10 search bar, type 'Security and Maintenance', then click on the first result to bring up the control panel window. Click the 'Maintenance' title to grow it, then scroll to the 'Automatic Maintenance' section. Click 'Stop maintenance' to halt the update.

If you change your mind and want to restart the update, just click 'Start maintenance'.

4. Disable the Windows Update startup service

In the Windows 10 search bar, type 'Services'. Right-click the top result and choose 'Run as administrator'. Scroll on the list until you reach the Windows Update entry. If the 'Status' column says "Running", right-click the Windows Update entry and click 'Stop'.

Now, right-click it again and click 'Properties'. Within the resulting menu, under 'Startup type', choose 'Disabled', then click 'OK'.

This can prevent Windows Update from automatically installing updates. If you still want to prevent automatic updates but want to have the chance to install updates manually, select 'Manual' in the drop-down menu instead.

5. Disable updates using Group Policy

This involves a getting your hands just a little dirty, but is easy enough. Type 'gpedit.msc' in to the Windows 10 search bar and click on the very first result. Now navigate to the following path while using left-hand pane: 'Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update.' Within the right-hand window, double-click 'Configure Automatic Updates'.

This can open a brand new window. Within the top-left corner, click 'Disabled', then click 'Apply' and 'OK'. This can prevent Windows 10 from automatically downloading and installing updates, even though you can continue to manually look for updates by opening Windows Update.

6. Limit updates using Group Policy

Alternatively, you are able to choose to limit Windows updates rather than disabling them. As in step five, open gpedit.msc, navigate to 'Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update' and double-click 'Configure Automatic Updates'. This time around, rather than 'Disabled', click 'Enabled'.

Within the 'Options' box around the left-hand side, click the top drop-down box and select in one from the following four options:

Notify for download and auto install
Auto download and notify for install
Auto download and schedule the install
Allow local admin to choose setting

The 'Notify for download and auto install' option is the nearest to disabling automatic downloads.

7. Disable updates while using Registry

Before dabbling within the Registry, create a backup of anything important, as making a mistake may cause trouble for your computer.

Now, type 'regedit' into the Windows 10 search bar and click the top result. Navigate to the following path in the left-hand column: 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > Software > Policies > Microsoft > Windows'.

Right-click around the Windows folder and click on 'New > Key'. Name it 'WindowsUpdate' and press 'Enter'.

Right-click within this and click 'New > Key', then name this entry AU and press 'Enter'. Around the right-hand side of the entry, right-click and click 'New > DWORD (32-bit) Value)'. Name this entry 'NoAutoUpdate' and press 'Enter'.

Once you've created this, double-click the new entry and change the 0 to some 1 within the 'Value data' box. Click 'OK' and restart your computer.

8. Limit updates using the Registry

You are able to limit Windows updates instead of disabling them within the Registry. To do so, follow step six above up to the stage where you've created the AU entry.

Right-click the blank space on the right and click on 'New > DWORD (32-bit) Value'. This time around, name the entry AUOptions (rather than NoAutoUpdate) and press 'Enter'.

Double-click the entry; within the "Value data" box, delete the 0 and replace it with either 2, 3, Four to five.

These match the numbers in step five, meaning you'll get the following results:

2 - Notify for download and auto install
3 - Auto download and notify for install
4 - Auto download and schedule the install
5 - Allow local admin to select settin