How to Enable or Disable Pause Updates Feature in Windows 11

Option 1Managing Pause Updates with the Local Group Policy Editor

The Local Group Policy Editor is the safer way to manage the “Pause Updates” feature, if your edition has it. Group Policy is a set of advanced settings that control how Windows behaves. The editor is only available on Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise and Education.

Windows 11 Home does not include it, so Home users should skip to the Registry Editor method further down.

Microsoft’s release notes for the Windows 11 2026 Update say that version 26H2 continues the annual feature update cadence. Each new Windows 11 feature update arrives in the second half of the calendar year. The notes do not mention any change to Pause updates, so the steps below stay as written.

Step 1Open the Local Group Policy Editor

The Local Group Policy Editor manages advanced system settings, and you open it from the Run box. Sign in with an administrator account first, because standard accounts cannot change these policies.

1. Press Win+R. A small window called the Run box opens in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
2. Type gpedit.msc into the box. Then press Enter or click OK.
3. Click Yes if User Account Control (UAC) asks to allow changes. This message asks whether you want to let the app make changes to your device.

The Local Group Policy Editor window should now be open, with a folder tree on the left and settings on the right. If Windows says it cannot find the file, you are most likely on Windows 11 Home. Use the registry method instead.

Step 2Find the Windows Update Settings

The pause setting sits several levels deep in the folder tree on the left. Expand each folder in turn, in the order below. The numbering continues from the steps above.

4. Double-click Computer Configuration in the left pane. The folder expands to show more items beneath it.
5. Double-click Administrative Templates.
6. Double-click Windows Components.
7. Scroll down and double-click Windows Update 🔃.
8. Click Manage end user experience. Do not double-click it, because it has no further folders to open.

The right pane now shows a list of settings. Look for the one named Remove access to “Pause updates” feature. If the list is hard to read, widen the Setting column or click the column header to sort it by name.

Step 3Configure the “Pause Updates” Setting

That one policy controls the feature. Not Configured lets users pause updates, and Enabled removes the pause option. The two sections below cover each choice, and both continue from step 8.

To Enable the “Pause Updates” Feature (Allow Users to Pause):

These steps let users pause updates for a convenient time in Windows 11 by making the Pause updates button work in Windows Settings. Follow them to undo an earlier block as well.

9. Double-click Remove access to “Pause updates” feature in the right-hand list. A settings window opens.
10. Select Not Configured. This is the default, and Windows then works normally and lets users pause updates.
11. Click Apply, then click OK. The window closes and the policy is saved.

Disabled has the same practical effect as Not Configured. Not Configured is cleaner, though, because it leaves no policy behind.

If the policy was previously set to Enabled, you will see that choice selected when the window opens. Changing it back to Not Configured is all it takes to restore the pause option.

To Disable the “Pause Updates” Feature (Prevent Users from Pausing):

These steps turn off Pause updates in Windows 11 by removing the option completely. This is useful when users should receive updates on schedule.

9. Double-click Remove access to “Pause updates” feature in the right-hand list. A settings window opens.
10. Select Enabled.
11. Click Apply, then click OK. The window closes and the policy is saved.

The setting name is a little confusing. Enabled means the policy is active, and what it does is remove the pause feature.

To bring it back, set the policy to Not Configured as described above.

Step 4Close the Editor

You can now close the Local Group Policy Editor window. Policy changes to Windows 11 update settings usually take effect right away. If the Settings app still shows the old behavior, close it and reopen it. If it still looks wrong, restart your computer so the change fully applies.

Option 2Managing Pause Updates with the Registry Editor

If your version of Windows does not include the Local Group Policy Editor, you can make the same change in the Registry Editor. The registry is the database where Windows stores its system settings. This method works on all editions, including Home. It needs more care, because a wrong change can cause system problems.

Important Warning: Editing the registry incorrectly can cause serious system problems or even prevent Windows from starting. Always back up your registry or create a System Restore point before making changes.

Step 1Open the Registry Editor

Start by opening the Registry Editor. An administrator account is required.

1. Press Win+R to open the Run box.
2. Type regedit into the box. Then press Enter or click OK.
3. Click Yes if a User Account Control (UAC) message appears.

The Registry Editor window opens, showing a tree of keys on the left and values on the right.

Step 2Go to the Correct Registry Location

Typing the key path into the address bar at the top of the window takes you to the right location. It saves clicking through every folder. The numbering continues from the steps above.

4. Click the address bar at the top of the Registry Editor window.
5. Type the following path exactly as shown:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate

6. Press Enter. The left pane jumps to that key and selects it.

This is common on a PC that has never had update policies applied. Right-click the Windows key, select New › Key, and name it WindowsUpdate. Then select the new key and continue.

Step 3Create or Change the Value to Control Pause Updates

The setting you are changing is a value on the right side of the Registry Editor window. Its presence, and its data, decide whether the pause feature is available. You either delete it or create it, depending on what you want. The next two sections cover each case, and both continue from step 6.

To Enable the "Pause Updates" Feature (Allow Users to Pause):

These steps let users pause updates again by removing the registry value that hides the feature. Windows Update then works normally.

7. Look at the right side with the WindowsUpdate key selected on the left. The values stored in that key are listed there.
8. Find a value named SetDisablePauseUXAccess.
9. Right-click the value and select Delete. Click Yes to confirm.
10. Skip the deletion if the SetDisablePauseUXAccess value does not exist. The pause feature is already available, because that is the default state.

Explanation: The presence of the SetDisablePauseUXAccess value tells Windows to turn off the pause feature. Deleting it removes that instruction. To be cautious, right-click the key first and choose Export to save a backup before you delete anything.

To Disable the "Pause Updates" Feature (Prevent Users from Pausing):

These steps turn off Pause updates in Windows 11 by creating the value, or changing it if it already exists, and setting it to 1.

7. Right-click an empty space on the right side with the WindowsUpdate key selected on the left. A short menu appears.
8. Select New › DWORD (32-bit) Value. A new value appears with its name highlighted for editing.
9. Name the new value exactly: SetDisablePauseUXAccess
10. Press Enter. The name is saved.
11. Double-click the new SetDisablePauseUXAccess value. An Edit DWORD (32-bit) Value window opens.
12. Enter 1 in the Value data box.
13. Click OK. The value now shows 1 in the right pane.

Explanation: Setting the SetDisablePauseUXAccess value to 1 (a DWORD value, which is a 32-bit number) tells Windows to hide the option to pause updates. The name must match exactly, or Windows will ignore it. To reverse this later, delete the value as described in the previous section.

Step 4Close the Registry Editor and Restart

You can now close the Registry Editor. For registry changes to fully apply, restart your computer. Save your work first.

After restarting, check your Windows Update settings. If you enabled the feature, you should see the "Pause updates" option. If you disabled it, the option should be gone.

Checking Your Pause Updates Status

To check the current status, open the Settings app and look at the Windows Update page. It shows whether the change worked and whether updates are paused.

1. Press Windows key + I. The Settings app opens.
2. Click Windows Update in the left menu. The update page opens on the right.
3. Look at the Pause updates section on the right.

If the feature is enabled, you will see the option to pause updates and a menu to choose how long to pause them. If you disabled the feature, this section might be missing, or the "Pause updates" button may be grayed out and unusable.

If nothing has changed, restart the PC and check again. Also make sure you made the change on the same PC and in the right key or policy.

Summary

Managing when Windows updates install gives you better control over your system. Use the Local Group Policy Editor (on Pro, Enterprise or Education versions of Windows 11) or the Registry Editor (on all versions) to enable or disable the "Pause Updates" feature.

Whichever you choose, you can undo the change at any time. Set the policy back to Not Configured or delete the registry value.