How to Pause and Resume Updates for Windows 11

Pausing Windows 11 updates lets you control when new software gets installed on your PC. This feature is built into Windows 11 and allows you to temporarily stop automatic downloads and installations.

You can use this to avoid interruptions when you’re in the middle of an important task or if you’re concerned about a new update causing problems. For example, you can pause updates for up to 5 weeks.

Resuming updates is just as simple, ensuring your computer gets important security fixes when you’re ready. This guide shows you how to manage update pauses and resumes in Windows 11.

Why pause updates?

Pausing updates is helpful if you’re working on an important project, have a slow internet connection, or want to avoid an unexpected restart.

What happens when you pause?

Pausing Windows 11 updates stops your PC from downloading new software for a set time. This means your computer won’t get feature updates or non-security updates for the duration you choose. Don’t worry, important security updates, like those for Microsoft Defender, will still install automatically to keep your PC safe.

Reference: Pause updates in Windows – Microsoft Support

Option 1Pause Updates in Settings

Pausing Windows 11 updates is a breeze from the PC’s ⚙️ Settings app. Open Settings, navigate to the 🔃 Windows Update section, and select your desired pause duration. This is the most direct way to prevent new updates from ⬇️ downloading for a set time.

1. Open Settings Settings by pressing the Windows key + I on your keyboard.
2. Click on 🔃 Windows Update on the left side of the window.  Open 🔃 Windows Update Settings
3. Find the Pause updates section on the right. You can choose to pause for one week, or use the drop-down menu to pick a longer time. If you have already paused, you can click Extend to add more time.

Option 2Resume Updates in Settings

If you need to get updates again before your pause period ends, you can manually resume them in Windows 11 Settings. Clicking ‘Resume updates’ prompts your computer to immediately check for and download any available updates, including crucial security fixes. This ensures your PC stays protected against new threats.

1. Open Settings and click on 🔃 Windows Update.  Open 🔃 Windows Update Settings
2. Click the Resume updates button on the right.

Your computer will now immediately check for any available updates.

Option 3Resume Updates using Registry

If you’re comfortable with advanced settings, you can resume Windows 11 updates using the Windows Terminal (a command-line interface). Open Windows Terminal as an administrator and type in specific commands to turn off the update pausing. This method allows you to manually 🔄 restart the update process if ⚙️ the Settings option isn’t working for you.

Open Windows Terminal as an administrator and run the following commands:

reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate\UpdatePolicy\Settings" /v PausedFeatureStatus /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate\UpdatePolicy\Settings" /v PausedQualityStatus /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate\UX\Settings" /v PauseFeatureUpdatesStartTime /f
reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate\UX\Settings" /v PauseFeatureUpdatesEndTime /f
reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate\UX\Settings" /v PauseQualityUpdatesStartTime /f
reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate\UX\Settings" /v PauseQualityUpdatesEndTime /f
reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate\UX\Settings" /v PauseUpdatesStartTime /f
reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate\UX\Settings" /v PauseUpdatesExpiryTime /f

Summary

You can pause Windows 11 updates for up to 5 weeks to avoid interruptions. This can be easily managed through the 🔃 Windows Update section in Settings. Remember that security updates are vital, so always resume them when you have a free moment to keep your system protected.