How to stop automatic Windows update on laptop safely

It might seem counterintuitive to turn off automatic Windows updates. After all, updates are meant to keep your laptop secure, fix bugs, and add new Windows features. That said, automatic updates can get frustrating in day-to-day use. They can slow things down in the background, force restarts when you’re in the middle of something, or even cause new problems.

The good news is that you can securely turn off automatic Windows updates, either temporarily or permanently, without harming your laptop. Here’s how you can stop automatic Windows updates on a laptop safely.

How to stop automatic Windows updates on a laptop

There are a couple of ways to stop automatic updates in Windows. To keep things simple, we’ll focus on two options: pausing updates for a short time or turning them off completely. Below are two easy ways to stop automatic Windows updates on a laptop:

Temporarily pausing automatic Windows updates

1. Open Settings

Click the Start menu and open Settings. You can also type “Settings” into the search bar and open it from there.

2. Go to Windows Update

In the Settings window, click Windows Update on the left. If it’s not immediately visible, searching for “Windows Update” will take you straight there.

3. Choose how long to pause updates

Under Pause updates, use the drop-down menu to select how long you want updates paused. On Windows 11, you can pause updates for up to five weeks.

Permanently stop automatic Windows updates

To permanently stop laptop updates, all you need to do is:

1. Open Windows Services

Press Win + R to open the Run box.  Then, type “services.msc” and press Enter.

2. Find Windows Update

Scroll through the list, find Windows Update, and double-click it.

3. Disable the service

In the Properties window, set Startup type to Disabled.

4. Apply the changes

Click Apply, then OK. Automatic updates will remain off until you choose to turn them back on.

ALSO READ: How to turn off Windows Defender on your laptops and desktops

And that’s how you can stop automatic Windows updates on your laptop!