How to Disable Check for Updates in Windows 11

Method 1Using the Group Policy Editor (For Windows Pro and Enterprise Users)

The Group Policy Editor is designed for this kind of system-level configuration, which typically applies to Pro, Enterprise, or Education editions.

Step 1Open the Group Policy Editor

To open the Local Group Policy Editor (a tool for managing system settings), right-click the Start button ⊞ and select Run. Type gpedit.msc into the Run box and press Enter or click OK. This launches the editor where you can adjust system-wide policies on Windows 11.

Close any open Settings windows. Right-click the Start button ⊞ and select Run.

1. Right-click on 🖱️ the Start button.
2. Select Run from the menu that appears.
3. In the Run box, type gpedit.msc and press Enter or click OK.

This opens the Local Group Policy Editor.

Step 2Navigate to the Windows Update Settings

To find the Windows Update settings in the Group Policy Editor, use the left-hand pane to expand Computer Configuration, then Administrative Templates, and then Windows Components. Scroll down and click on Windows Update to view the available policies in the right-hand pane.

• In the left-hand pane of the Group Policy Editor, expand Computer Configuration.
• Then, expand Administrative Templates.
• Next, expand Windows Components.
• Scroll down and select Windows Update.
• In the right-hand pane, look for a section related to "Manage end user experience" or similar. You'll then find the specific setting there.

Note for Windows 10 users: The path might differ slightly. After expanding Windows Components, you might find Windows Update directly and access the setting within it.

Step 3Configure the "Remove access to use all Windows Update features" Setting

The policy named Remove access to use all Windows Update features controls whether users can check for updates. Double-click this policy in the right pane, set it to Enabled to turn off the check for updates feature, and click Apply followed by OK to save your changes.

1. Double-click on this policy setting.
2. A new window will pop up. To disable the "Check for updates" button, you need to set this policy to Enabled.
3. Click Apply and then OK to save your change.

Step 4Apply the Changes

To apply group policy changes immediately without restarting your computer, open the Start menu, search for cmd, and select Run as administrator. Type gpupdate /force into the Command Prompt window and press Enter to update your system policies right away.

• Option A (Recommended): Open Command Prompt as an administrator. To do this, search for "cmd" in the Start menu, right-click on Command Prompt, and select "Run as administrator." Then, type gpupdate /force and press Enter.
• Option B: Simply restart your computer. This will also ensure the new policy settings are loaded.

Once applied, open your Windows Settings app, and you will notice the "Check for updates" button is gone from the Windows Update section.

How to Re-enable the "Check for Updates" Button

To restore the check for updates button, open the Local Group Policy Editor and navigate back to the Windows Update policy. Double-click the Remove access to use all Windows Update features setting, change it to Not configured or Disabled, and run the gpupdate /force command in an administrator Command Prompt.

1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor again (gpedit.msc).
2. Navigate back to the "Remove access to use all Windows Update features" policy.
3. Double-click it, and then set the policy to either Not configured (which is the default) or Disabled.
4. Click Apply, then OK.
5. Run gpupdate /force in an administrator Command Prompt or restart your PC.

Method 2Using the Registry Editor (For Windows Home Users)

Windows Home users can disable the check for updates button by using the Registry Editor (a database for storing system settings). Be very careful when making changes here, as incorrect edits can cause serious system problems that require a reinstall.

Important Warning: Editing the registry incorrectly causes serious problems with your Windows installation. Back up your registry before proceeding. Open the Registry Editor, go to File › Export, and save a copy of the entire registry.

Step 1Open the Registry Editor

Close any open Settings windows first.

1. Right-click on the Start button.
2. Select Run.
3. Type regedit and press Enter or click OK.
4. You might see a User Account Control (UAC) prompt; click Yes to allow it to open.

Step 2Navigate to the Correct Registry Key

To find the correct registry location, open the Registry Editor and paste HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate into the address bar at the top. If the WindowsUpdate key does not exist, right-click the Windows key, select New, and click Key to create it.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate

If you don't see a key named WindowsUpdate under \Windows, create it. Right-click on the Windows key, select New > Key, and name it WindowsUpdate.

Step 3Create or Modify the Value to Disable Updates

To disable update checks through the registry, select the WindowsUpdate key, right-click an empty space in the right pane, and choose New followed by DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name this new value SetDisableUXWUAccess, double-click it, and change its value data to 1.

1. With the WindowsUpdate key selected in the left pane, right-click in the empty space in the right pane.
2. Select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
3. Name this new value exactly: SetDisableUXWUAccess
4. Double-click on the newly created SetDisableUXWUAccess value.
5. In the "Value data" field, enter 1.
6. Make sure the "Base" is set to Hexadecimal.
7. Click OK.

Setting this value to 1 tells Windows to disable the user interface for Windows Update features, effectively hiding the "Check for updates" button.

Step 4Apply the Changes

Registry changes usually take effect after you restart your computer. Save your work, close the Registry Editor, and restart your PC. When you return to Windows Settings › Windows Update, the "Check for updates" button will be gone.

How to Re-enable the "Check for Updates" Button Using the Registry

To restore the check for updates button using the registry, open regedit and navigate back to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate. Right-click the SetDisableUXWUAccess value in the right pane, select Delete, confirm the deletion, and restart your computer.

1. Open the Registry Editor (regedit).
2. Navigate back to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate.
3. In the right pane, find the SetDisableUXWUAccess value.
4. Right-click on it and select Delete.
5. Confirm the deletion when prompted.
6. Restart your computer.

Once your PC restarts, the "Check for updates" button reappears in your Windows Update settings.

Conclusion

Hiding the 'Check for updates' button gives you more control over your computer's update schedule. Windows Pro and Enterprise users can use the Group Policy Editor, while Windows Home users can achieve the same result by editing the Registry.