How to pause Patch Tuesday updates in Windows 11 and 10

Using a modern PC with Windows Update turned off is not a good idea these days, but sometimes, pausing or deferring Windows updates is not only warranted but also necessary. Like any other company, Microsoft could slip and ship a botched update that could cause all sorts of troubles. While Microsoft usually patches things quite fast, it is still important to know how to defer Windows updates on Windows 10 and 11.

Pause Windows Updates on Windows 11

Pausing Windows updates on Windows 11 is very simple. You do not need any third-party apps or registry tweaks to prevent your PC from getting the latest updates. All you need is the stock Settings app.

1. Launch Settings by pressing Win + I or using any other method you like. You can also right-click the Start menu button and select Settings.
2. Go to the Windows Update tab or press Windows Update on the "System" tab.

   

3. Find the "Pause updates" option and click the button with an arrow pointing down. This menu lets you pick the time from one to five weeks.

   

4. Once Windows Updates are paused, you can extend the pause period for up to five weeks. When paused, Windows will not receive any updates. That includes monthly quality updates, feature updates, driver updates, firmware updates, and more. This option is perfect if you want to "watertight" your system from any update available via Windows Update.

   

Once the specified period is over, Windows will resume updates automatically and download all available updates. Note that you cannot extend the pause beyond five weeks without first applying available updates.

Pause Windows Updates on Windows 10

Deferring Windows updates on Windows 10 is slightly different from Windows 11 because of a different user interface. Still, the idea is the same: you can go to Windows Update settings and hit the pause button to prevent your PC from downloading any updates for up to five weeks.

1. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Advanced Options. Alternatively, hit "Pause updates for 7 days" right away if you are OK with a week-long pause.

   

2. In the Advanced Options section, scroll down and find the Pause updates section.

   

3. Select your preferred date from the Pause until drop-down menu. You can pause for up to 5 weeks.

That's it. Now, Windows 10 won't install any updates, be it firmware, quality, security, feature, driver, or anything else.

Defer feature updates in Windows 10 and 11

You can defer certain Windows updates for longer than just five weeks. Some users prefer to stay away from big feature updates until they receive more polish and fixes. If you would like to do so, Microsoft lets you opt out of big feature updates for up to one year without pausing monthly quality-of-life and security updates. Here is how to do that.

Note: Windows 10 reaches its end of life on October 14, 2025. The OS will no longer receive feature updates, so it does not really make any sense to defer feature updates on Windows 10.

Important: Check your Windows edition before moving forward. Go to Settings > System > About and check your edition. If it says "Pro," use the first option. If it says "Home," use the second option since the Policy Editor is not available in the Home edition.

Option 1: defer feature updates in Windows 11 and Windows 10 Professional

1. Press Win + R and type gpedit.msc. This will launch Local Group Policy Editor.
2. Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Manage updates offered from Windows Update. On Windows 10, you have to go to Windows Components > Windows Update > Windows Update for Business​​​​​​.
3. On the right side of the window, click Select when Preview Builds and Feature Updates are received.

   

4. In the new window, click Enabled, then specify the number of days (up to 365) and the date when the policy should start.

   

5. Click OK to save and apply changes.

Note: Both options will end up with the Settings app claiming that some options are managed by your organization. That is how it is supposed to be.

Option 2: defer feature updates in Windows 10 and Windows 10 Home

Note that this option also works in Professional editions.

1. Press Win + R and type regedit to launch Windows Registry Editor.
2. Paste the following into the address bar: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows.
3. Right-click Windows and select New > Key. Rename the new key to WindowsUpdate.
4. Open the new key and create the following values by pressing Edit > New > Dword (32-bit):
   DeferFeatureUpdates
   DeferFeatureUpdatesPeriodInDays

   

5. Double-click the first value and change its value data to 1.
6. Double-click the second value and change its value data to 16d (this will pause feature updates for 365 days).
7. Restart your computer.

Should you change your mind, repeat the same steps and delete the values you have created in step 4 or set the policy to "Not configured" in the editor.