Windows 11 updates come with vulnerabilities and bugs fix, improve the overall performance, and add new features to the operating system. By default, Windows 11 continues to download and install various updates automatically. Sometimes you need to restart your devices to apply the changes. It interrupts your workflow, which is very annoying. To stop uncertain restarts on your Windows 11, you can turn off automatic updates in Windows.
There might be several reasons for you to disable automatic updates. Here are a few – Windows updates can be large, consuming a significant amount of your internet data. Sometimes, these updates can slow down your computer’s performance, which is common with low-end hardware. Whatever the reason may be, here are a few ways to disable automatic updates in Windows 11.
How to Turn Off Automatic Updates in Windows 11
There’s no doubt that updates come with important security patches and bug fixes, and we should update our Windows operating system regularly.
However, if we turn off automatic updates in Windows 11, it will no longer update automatically. You can update Windows 11 manually at your convenience.
Here are a few ways to turn off automatic updates in Windows 11:
1. Pause Auto-updates in Windows 11
One of the easiest ways to prevent automatic Windows updates is to use the Pause updates option. However, as you can tell from the name, this is not a permanent solution, as it will only pause auto-updates for 1, 2, or 3 weeks and not stop them altogether.
Still, it can be handy in certain situations. Here’s how to pause Windows 11 updates:
1. Click on the Windows icon to open the Start Menu and click on the Settings icon to open it.
2. It will bring up the settings window. Click on the Windows Update tab and select the Pause for a Week option from the drop-down menu to pause the Windows 11 update.
3. If you want to pause for more than a week, you can select a time frame from the drop-down menu.
This is how you can pause your Windows 11 update for some time. Your computer will no longer download updates automatically. If you want, you can manually update your PC at your convenience.
2. Set Up a Metered Connection
Another way to turn off automatic updates in Windows is by setting up a metered connection. Windows 11 does not automatically download and install updates over metered connections, which means you can restrict automatic updates on your system in this way.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Press the Win + I keyboard shortcut to open the Windows Settings.
2. Click on Network & Internet in the left sidebar. You will see options for Wi-Fi and Ethernet. Choose the option that is currently connected to your PC.
3. Click the Properties option for your current connection and turn on the Metered Connection toggle. This will designate the network as a metered connection, and some apps may reduce data usage, including the Windows Update service.
4. By default, Windows does not automatically download and install updates over metered connections. To ensure this, go to Settings > Windows Update > Advanced Options.
5. And, check that the ‘Download updates over metered connections‘ option is turned off.
You can set multiple networks in Windows 11 as metered connections. Now, Windows 11 will refrain from automatically downloading and installing updates. However, you can always manually download and install updates over metered connections.
Although some critical security patches and bug fixes may still be downloaded over metered connections, these updates are essential to install as soon as possible to keep your system secure.
3. Disable Windows Update Service
If you want to completely disable Windows Update, you can disable the Windows Update Service. This service is responsible for all Windows updates; disabling it will stop all updates.
Here’s how you can do so:
1. Press Win + R to open the Run prompt.
2. In the text field, type services.msc, and click the OK button.
3. It will open the Service window. Here, scroll down to the bottom and double-click on Windows Update. This will open the Windows Update properties window.
4. Click the General tab in the Windows Update Properties window. After that, select Disabled from the drop-down menu next to the Startup type.
5. Finally, click Apply and OK to save the update settings.
Conclusion
That’s it! This will permanently disable automatic updates in Windows 11. Now, when you try to update your system, you may encounter Windows Update errors.
If you ever want to re-enable automatic updates on your Windows 11 PC, simply visit the Windows Update Properties window and select Automatic from the Startup type drop-down menu. This will resolve the issue.