How to Pause Updates in Windows 11

What Are Windows Updates?

Windows Updates are important downloads from Microsoft that fix problems and add new features to your PC. These updates keep your computer safe and running well. While you can’t completely turn off Windows updates, you can pause them for up to 35 days to prevent new software versions from downloading or installing automatically.

Why Would You Pause Windows Updates?

How to Pause Windows Updates for Up to 20 Years

Follow these simple steps to pause Windows updates for a very long time:

Step 1Open the Windows Registry Editor

1. Press Windows key + R.
2. Type regedit and press Enter.
3. [ADMIN REQUIRED] If prompted by a security warning, click Yes to continue. (If you want a detailed guide, see How to Open Registry Editor in Windows 11)

Step 2Go to the Registry Folder

1. Navigate to this folder in Registry Editor: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Update\UX\Settings

Step 3Find or Create the Pause Setting

1. Look for an item named FlightSettingsMaxPauseDays on the right side.
2. If it’s there, double-click it.
3. If it’s not there, 🖱️ right-click on an empty space, choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it FlightSettingsMaxPauseDays.

Step 4Change the Value

1. Set the value to 00001c84 using the Hexadecimal option.
2. This number tells Windows to pause updates for 20 years (7300 days).

After you do this, close the Registry Editor and follow these next steps:

Step 5Pause Updates Using ⚙️ Windows Settings

1. ⚙️ Open Settings by pressing Windows key + I.
2. Click on 🔃 Windows Update in the left menu.
3. Click the Pause updates for 1 week button.
4. Use the drop-down menu to select a longer pause period. Thanks to the registry change, you can now pause updates for many years (up to 20!).

You can pause Windows 11 updates easily through ⚙️ the Settings app. First, open Settings by pressing the Windows key and the letter I on your keyboard. Then, click on ‘🔃 Windows Update’ in the left-hand menu. You’ll see a ‘Pause updates for 1 week’ button, and a drop-down menu lets you choose a longer pause period, even up to 20 years.

That’s it! Your Windows 11 will stop ⬇️ downloading and 💿 installing updates until the date you chose.

Summary

• You can pause Windows updates for a very long time. This gives you control over when updates happen.
• This can help avoid problems with updates, save internet data, and prevent interruptions.
• If you want to start updates again, just go back to 🔃 Windows Update settings and click Resume updates.

Pausing Windows updates gives you control over when your computer installs new software. You can pause them for a very long time, which helps avoid update problems, saves internet data, and prevents interruptions. If you decide to start updates again, simply go back to the 🔃 Windows Update settings and click ‘Resume updates’ to let your PC catch up.