Stopping Windows update downloads

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Several times I have switched on my computer to make urgent use of the internet only to find that Windows updates start downloading. I get the message that there is no internet connection when I try to open a page in Chrome – my download speed is below 4 Mbps .There is a way to delay the installation of updates but that does not help – is there a way to delay their download, as there was in Windows 7.

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If you’re using a Wi-Fi connection, you can set it as metered; otherwise, no: Metered connections in Windows 10

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The best control I have found for updates using a wired ethernet connection is through the Group Policy Editor

Run the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc from the run prompt):

In the left panel navigate to:

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update

In the right panel select “Configure Automatic Updates“, right click and choose Edit.

First select the button “Enabled“. Then in the edit area below, find the top highlight box, click on the drop down arrow and choose:

2. Notify for download and notify for install

Then click on OK at the bottom of the window.

Now when a new update is found, the Windows Update window in Settings will display a box
that says something like “Ready to Download” and will wait for you to click the box when you
are ready to start the install.

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But that only works for Pro, not Home, right?

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Yes. The OS must have the Group Policy Editor installed; as in Pro or Enterprise.

Some search may uncover which registry edits in Home will accomplish the same effect.

Edit:

Some search found more information at TenForums

Shawn mentions that the registry edits for the PRO version will NOT work in the HOME version.

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An effective way to turn off Windows Update is simply to disable the service. The display name is “Windows Update”, and the actual service name is wuauserv. You can leave it disabled most of the time, and only re-enable it when you want to receive updates, for example on or soon after Patch Tuesday. So long as the service is disabled, you will not get any updates. You can issue these commands from an admin level command prompt:

To stop and disable: net stop wuauserv
sc config wuauserv start= disabled

To enable and start: sc config wuauserv start= auto
net start wuauserv

The same commands can also be used in a batch file. Note that in the sc config commands, there is no space before the =, but there is a space after. The syntax is “start= auto” .

You can also control updates via the “show or hide” tool – see here for more information: https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/kb/3183922. Running this will show you what updates, if any, are currently available, but will not download them, with the option to hide any that you don’t want when Windows Update runs. Of course, the WU service must be enabled when you run it.

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