Software & Apps Windows How to Turn off Automatic Updates for Windows 10 Prevent your Windows 10 device from updating automatically by Luis E. Chavez Saenz Writer Luis Chavez is a former Lifewire writer and a System Administrator with 5+ years' experience writing about technology for end users. our editorial process Luis E. Chavez Saenz Updated on August 03, 2020 Windows The Ultimate Laptop Buying Guide Tweet Share Email Windows 10 is set to automatically update whenever Microsoft releases new updates. To delay or defer new feature updates, use the Update and Security settings to reschedule when Windows updates your computer. Instructions in this article apply to Windows 10 Professional. How to Modify Windows 10's Update Settings Adjust the Windows Update settings to defer updates or pause them entirely. We do not recommend disabling the Windows Update service. Microsoft periodically patches critical errors and security updates. It's better to defer feature updates (like the latest semiannual service pack) until you can install them, than to disable Windows 10's updates across the board. Right-click the Start menu and select Settings to open the Windows Settings utility. Select Update and Security then Advanced Options. Select Advanced Options. To pause updates, select a date in the dropdown under Pause updates and updates will be paused until your chosen date. This setting only disables updates temporarily for 35 days. You'll need to select a new date under Pause updates to disable again. To defer updates instead, select the desired Window Update servicing channel from the first dropdown menu, then set how long you'd like to defer the Feature Updates and the Quality Updates. Feature updates can be deferred for up to 365 days, while quality updates can be deferred for up to 30 days. Enjoy a Windows 10 device with updates temporarily disabled. To revert the changes, go to your Windows Update settings and ensure the defer days are set to 0.