Windows 11 has been released with a lot of new features and updates, but one thing that has remained the same is the automatic updates. While these updates are important for keeping your system secure and up to date, they can also be a nuisance, especially if you have a slow internet connection or limited data. In this article, we will discuss how to turn off automatic updates on Windows 11 and regain control over your system.
Why turn off automatic updates?
Before we dive into the steps, let’s understand why you might want to turn off automatic updates. As mentioned earlier, these updates can be a hassle if you have a slow internet connection or limited data. They can also interrupt your work or gaming sessions, causing frustration. Additionally, some updates may cause compatibility issues with certain programs or drivers, leading to system crashes. By turning off automatic updates, you can avoid these potential problems and manually choose when to update your system.
Steps to turn off automatic updates on Windows 11
Step 1: Open Settings
The first step is to open the Settings app on your Windows 11 system. You can do this by clicking on the Start button and then clicking on the gear icon.
Step 2: Go to Windows Update
In the Settings app, click on the “Windows Update” tab on the left-hand side. This will open the Windows Update settings.
Step 3: Click on Advanced options
Scroll down until you see the “Advanced options” button and click on it.
Step 4: Change the update settings
Under the “Pause updates” section, you can choose to pause updates for up to 35 days. This will temporarily stop automatic updates from being installed on your system. However, after the 35 days are up, the updates will resume automatically.
If you want to completely turn off automatic updates, click on the “Change” button under the “Automatic updates” section. This will open a drop-down menu where you can choose to either “Automatically download updates and install them” or “Notify to schedule restart”. Choose the latter option to disable automatic updates.
Step 5: Restart your system
After making these changes, you will need to restart your system for the changes to take effect.
How to disable automatic updates using Group Policy Editor
If you have Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise, you can also use the Group Policy Editor to disable automatic updates. Here’s how:
Step 1: Open Group Policy Editor
Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type in “gpedit.msc” and press Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.
Step 2: Navigate to Windows Update
In the Group Policy Editor, go to “Computer Configuration” > “Administrative Templates” > “Windows Components” > “Windows Update”.
Step 3: Disable automatic updates
Double-click on the “Configure Automatic Updates” policy and select the “Disabled” option. Click on “Apply” and then “OK” to save the changes.
Conclusion
By following these steps, you can easily turn off automatic updates on Windows 11 and have more control over your system. However, it is important to keep your system updated to ensure security and stability. So, make sure to manually check for updates and install them regularly. Have you had any issues with automatic updates on Windows 11? Let us know in the comments.
