How to Disable the “Check for Updates” Button in Windows 11

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

For Windows 11 or Windows 10 users with the Group Policy Editor, this method is the most recommended way to manage this setting. 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 manage Windows Update 🔃 settings, you first need to open the Local Group Policy Editor. Close any open Windows Settings ⚙️ windows, then right-click the Start button ⊞ and select ‘Run’ from the menu. Type ‘gpedit.msc’ into the Run box and press Enter to open the editor.

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 will open the Local Group Policy Editor.

Step 2Navigate to the Windows Update Settings

Once the Local Group Policy Editor is open, you need to find the specific settings for Windows Update. In the left pane, expand 'Computer Configuration', then 'Administrative Templates', followed by 'Windows Components'. Scroll down to select 'Windows Update' to see the relevant policies in the right 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 be slightly different. After expanding Windows Components, you might directly find Windows Update and then the setting within that.

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

The 'Remove access to use all Windows Update features' setting controls the 'Check for updates' button. Double-click this policy to open its settings. To disable the 'Check for updates' button, you must set this policy to 'Enabled', then click 'Apply' and 'OK' to save the change.

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

After changing Group Policy settings, Windows might not recognize them right away. To make sure the changes are applied, you can either open Command Prompt as an administrator, type 'gpupdate /force', and press Enter, or simply restart your computer.

• 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, head to your Windows Settings app, and you'll notice the "Check for updates" button is gone from the Windows Update section.

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

To re-enable the 'Check for updates' button, open the Local Group Policy Editor again by typing 'gpedit.msc'. Navigate back to the 'Remove access to use all Windows Update features' policy, double-click it, and set it to 'Not configured' or 'Disabled'. Click 'Apply', then 'OK', and run 'gpupdate /force' 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)

Step 1Open the Registry Editor

Just like with Group Policy, 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 make the necessary registry change, navigate to a specific location within the Registry Editor. Paste or type the following path into the address bar: 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate'. If the 'WindowsUpdate' key isn't there, you may need to create it by right-clicking on 'Windows' and selecting 'New' > 'Key'.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate

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

Step 3Create or Modify the Value to Disable Updates

With the 'WindowsUpdate' key selected, right-click in the empty space in the right pane and choose 'New' > 'DWORD (32-bit) Value'. Name this new value exactly 'SetDisableUXWUAccess'. Double-click on it and enter '1' in the 'Value data' field to disable the update features.

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. So, save your work, close the Registry Editor, and restart your PC. When you go back to Windows Settings > Windows Update, the "Check for updates" button should be gone.

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

To re-enable the 'Check for updates' button using the Registry Editor, open 'regedit' and go back to 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate'. Find the 'SetDisableUXWUAccess' value in the right pane, right-click on it, and select 'Delete'. Confirm the deletion and then 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 will reappear 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 carefully editing the Registry, offering flexibility for different user needs.