To enable or disable automatic updates on a Windows 10 PC, there are several different methods that can be used depending on your individual needs.
The first method is to use the Windows Update service. To access this, open the Settings app by clicking on the Start Menu and selecting ‘Settings’. Once open, click on ‘Update & Security’ then ‘Windows Update’ on the left-hand side of the page. From here you can manually check for updates by pressing the ‘Check for Updates’ option at the top of the page. Underneath, you will see two options – ‘Automatic Updates’ and ‘Schedule Updates’. If you want to turn on Automatic Updates, select the tick box under Automatic Updates. This will allow Windows to automatically download and install available updates. If you want to turn off automatic updates, uncheck the box.
The second method is to use the Group Policy Editor. This method is mostly used by system administrators and requires you to have administrator privileges. To access the Group Policy Editor, press the Windows key + R keys simultaneously to open the Run dialogue box. Type in “gpedit.msc” and hit enter. This will open the Local Group Policy Editor. On the left-hand side of the window, navigate to “Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update”. Then, on the right-hand side of the window, double-click on the “Configure Automatic Updates” option. If you want to turn on Automatic Updates, select the Enabled radio button, then choose one of the desired settings (such as “Notify for Download and Auto Install”). If you want to turn off Automatic Updates, select the Disabled radio button.
The third and final method is to use the Windows Registry. This requires advanced knowledge of the Windows operating system and its registry files. Before making any changes to the registry, make sure to create a backup of the registry. To access the Windows Registry, press the Windows Key + R keys simultaneously to open the Run dialogue box. Type in “regedit” and press enter. This will open the Registry Editor. On the left-hand side of the window, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate. On the right-hand side of the window, double-click on the “AUOptions” value and enter one of the following values:
• 0 – Never check for updates
• 1 – Notify before download
• 2 – Download automatically
• 3 – Auto install and reboot
Once the desired value has been entered, save the changes and close the Registry editor.
Using one of these methods, you can easily turn on or turn off automatic updates on your Windows 10 PC.