Disable Windows 10 Updates

At my seniors' computer classes several people complained that when they were on holiday their computer downloaded Windows updates and used up their mobile phone's data allowance (they used their mobile phone as a hotspot for their computer) and wanted to know how to stop this.

There are two ways of stopping automatic updates; one is to turn off data for metered connections which works well except that it has to be turned off for each WiFi link. Personally I don't find that such a disadvantage but a number complained that it didn't suit them.

There is another way of turning off updates completely so I made a short video to demonstrate how to do this as it is not the slightest bit intuitive:



Obviously once you are back at your normal Internet source it needs turning back on again. Initially just follow the same procedure but select "Manual" or "Automatic" instead of "Disable". However for some reason WIN 10 doesn't seem to automatically follow this instruction so you may need to "Check for Updates" a few times until it shows that there are no more updates available. Then it should carry as before.

BTW my computer doesn't have the Windows 10 tiles so it might look different to your first screen but all you need to do is select or search for "Control Panel" to start.

Re: Disable Windows 10 Updates

I'm waiting on a new W10 lappy.

I've heard all sorts of horrible things about the automatic updates.

So if I disable it, will I be able to do the updates manually?

I'll be putting Start 10 on mine to give me the old W7 layout, I don't do well with change.

There is supposed to be a major upgrade to W10 sometime this year to do away with the automatic updates, most people hate them.

Re: Disable Windows 10 Updates

There will always be updates. W10 is about MS taking control of your PC imo whereas prior to this, end-users were in control and could choose whether or not to accept upgrades and pick and choose between them.

All that will change imo is your perception of whether updates are happening or not. My guess is MS will make the O/S do updates in the background, covertly, maybe in small steps.

Thankfully I don't have to worry about any of that codswallop. I stayed firmly on Win7. Totally reliable, totally under my control. Windows Updates are very firmly disabled, permanently, as are all updates to other software items such as Internet Explorer.

Never ever had any problems and very happy to stay like this until such time as MS and associated companies change the rest of the internet such that Win 7 and old versions of IE become almost unusable. That will be a way off yet though

Re: Disable Windows 10 Updates

This Toshiba I'm using now is W7. It's my favourite version all. I keep this laptop in hand in case the one I'm currently using has died which is why I'm waiting or a new one.

I don't think W7 is supported these days.

Is it safe to do banking etc., without the latest security patches?

I'm running Bit-defender Total Security.

Re: Disable Windows 10 Updates

You can just reverse the process shown in the video by clicking on "Automatic" but frankly if you are at home with the internet why would you bother to disable updates? This video was intended for people travelling with limited internet access where they don't want their mobile phone allowance gobbled up by WIN10 updates.

M$ has merely gone the way of mobile phone apps in allowing continuous updates rather than 6/12 monthly Service Packs. Before they are made available to the ordinary user these upgrades have been downloaded and tested by a brave squadron of special users before their general release.

Leave it to the Luddites to kick against the pricks.


Win7 is supported (from memory) until 2020 so you don't need to worry about that.

Re: Disable Windows 10 Updates

lols Silbee

The "campaigns of fear" are the tactics used by all governments and all large conglomerates to pressure the Sheeple to do what they want them to do.

I've had Win 7 for many years. I disabled Windows updates from the very outset. My laptop does not have one single MS update, security or otherwise.

I have never had a single problem.

I configure my computers in a way that I deem sensible.

I disable JavaScript which means no website can run any nasty scripts/programmes when I visit webpages. It also means those webpages run significantly faster. It also means I don't get any of those stupid pop up windows which can often lead to viruses and malware.

I have my IE settings well configured. Reasonable levels of security and privacy.

I have a large list of blocked sites configured in IE. You can download lists of known sites that cause viruses and issues off the internet. Those lists also contain most of the URLs that are responsible for adverts and banners. Life is fantastic without all that crap.

I have configured my firewall to block the IP Addresses of lots of nuisance websites. I have most of Google blocked, such as Googleadservices and so on. I have all of Facebooks server IP addresses blocked, so they can't track me.

I also have my "hosts" file highly configured, again blocking or redirecting many hundreds of known suspect IP addresses. It's all out there on the internet, waiting to be freely downloaded with full instructions on how to set it up.

Just takes the will to take security seriously and to want to stop the bully boy companies tracking you.

MS updates are BS imo. For most people, totally unnecessary. You have no clue what they contain anyway so installing them is a pure act of faith in MS.

W10 heralds a new wave of control. MS will "own" your PC/laptop from this point on imo. They will force people to take updates one way or another. They will create a platform which instead of being a functional O/S, is more of a platform to sell you stuff on, just like a smart phone.

It will cost you money in the long run.

Win 7 is stable, works well, and leaves YOU in control. Stay with it imo.

Re: Disable Windows 10 Updates

I have to say I am happy with W7 version and can't see any reason to up to W10. W7 is going to be maintained for a few years yet by which time another newer version will be available no doubt.
OK what if microsoft stopped maintaining W7? No problem there are many anti virus programs to protect a computer which get updated anyway.

It looks to me as an exercise in making more money going from W8 to W8a and now W10

Re: Disable Windows 10 Updates

Okay, I've read that a few times and I'm starting to get the gist of it now, lol.

You understand it all but parts of it look like a foreign language to me.

So do you use MS firewall?

Disappointingly, the new laptop didn't arrive today, they said Fri or Mon but I was living in hope. I can see it sitting on the floor in some depot somewhere with everyone ignoring it and saying, no, that can't be delivered until Monday.

If I don't like W10 I may take it in and have W7 Pro put on.

Re: Disable Windows 10 Updates

Quite obviously what you are saying is complete bollox because the video shows you how to turn off Windows 10 updates for ever if you so desire.

Re: Disable Windows 10 Updates

Truthfully I believe you are being naive Bruce, but I know from your previous posts that you won't be changing your mind.

How MS acts today, with W10 just rolled out will be different to how MS act tomorrow once they have established the userbase they want.

The massively aggressive methods MS employed to get this W10 pushed out should ring alarm bells in the minds of all rational and sane people. MS abused their "Windows Updates" process and used it as the method to literally infect people's computers with software that would subsequently and effectively force them to upgrade to W10.

Once people had taken that innocent looking update, their machines were doomed. They would get endless pop ups stating that their machine would autoupdate to W10. They could delay it for a while, but the countdown had started and the process very hard for any ordinary nontechie person to stop.

These are NOT the actions of an open and honest company willing to allow its customer base to stay on a stable old O/S.

These are the actions of a greedy conglomerate abusing its power to bully end users into having W10.

Categorically there will ALWAYS be updates of one sort or another. The only questions are whether you continue to be giben the opportunity to NOT install them, whether MS wil actually start charging end users for those updates, and whether or not MS start splitting out different types of updates and force certain ones through to your computer (possibly unseen in the background) whether you want them or not.

I haven't seen or read the licence agreement for W10 but I would bet good money there's a clause in there that states MS may push down whatever updates they deem fit.

In the end, the alarm bells have rung loudly for me personally. I see MS making a significant direction change which I believe will be from just a functional O/S to more of a selling platform for APPS and services, much like smart phones. W10 will imo cost end users more in the long run than those sticking with former stable versions.

Whether MS ceases support of Win7 is matterless to me.
I haven't accepted or installed a single Windows Update since the day I bought my laptop. It has NEVER once caused me any issues. Same for Internet Explorer.

Win7 machines will become like gold dust in the near future imo. They will be seen as the last solid operating system machines that simply provided computing functionality whereas all the later machines will just be selling platforms.