However, there will be times when you might want to defer updates or pause them entirely for a set period of time. There may be any number of reasons like compatibility problems, bugs and problems in Windows updates, slow Internet connection, etc. No matter what the reason is, the latest Creators Updates allows you to defer or pause Windows 10 updates. Here’s how. Note:
- To pause and defer updates in Windows 10 you need to have Windows 10 Creators Update installed. Also, this feature is not available for Windows 10 Home users.
- Your user account should have administrator rights. Like me, if you are using a standard user account, then switch to the administrator account to access the settings discussed below.
Pause or Defer Updates in Windows 10
To defer or pause updates, you don’t have to mess with Command Prompt, PowerShell, Registry Editor, or Group Policy Editor. All you have to do is toggle some buttons in the Settings app. To start, press “Win + I” to open the Windows 10 Settings app. Alternatively, you can also open the Action Center and then click on the option “All Settings.”
In the Settings app scroll down and select “Update and Security.” This is where you get access to all of the Windows update troubleshooting and security settings.
Here, select “Windows Update” in the left panel and then click on the link “Advanced Options” under Update Settings in the right panel.
Under the “Choose when updates are installed” section, you will see three new options: Branch Selection, Feature Updates, and Quality Updates. Branch Selection: The Current Branch option lets you install Windows updates that are generally installed by most people. Current Branch for Business is much more conservative and only installs updates that are much more thoroughly vetted, a very useful option for the office or school environment. In my case I’m letting the default option be as is. Feature Updates: These updates include new features, capabilities, and improvements to Windows. You can defer these updates up to 365 days. Simply select the number of days from the first drop-down menu. In my case I’ve selected to defer these feature updates up to 45 days. After 45 days, these updates will be automatically downloaded and installed. Quality Updates: These updates include security improvements and patches. As such, you can only defer these updates up to 30 days. Just select the number of days you would like to defer the updates. In my case I’ve selected 10 days. However, I strongly recommend you install the security updates as soon as possible.
To completely pause the updates, scroll down and toggle the button under the “Pause Updates” section. This option allows you to pause updates up to 35 days. Once paused, you have to install the paused updates to use this option again.
That’s all there is to do. Do comment below sharing your thoughts and experiences about using the above options to pause or defer updates in Windows 10.
