Windows Updates is a software update provided by Microsoft for its Windows operating system. These updates include security patches and fixes for vulnerabilities. Keeping your system up to date helps protect your computer from malware, viruses, and other security threats. Also, it contains fixes for software bugs and issues that can improve the stability and performance of your Windows system. Oftentimes, it comes with the introduction of new features and functionalities thereby enhancing the user experience. In this article, we will discuss how to Pause Windows Update. Please see how to pause a PowerShell script, how to Check if Windows Updates were installed, and how to disable automatic Windows updates.
One fundamental step toward a secure digital world is ensuring that your device is up to date. Analogous to locking your front door. It is a simple habit, yet profoundly effective.
Windows Updates are released on a monthly schedule often referred to by Windows administrators as “Patch Tuesday”. Users are encouraged to enable automatic updates to ensure their system is always up to date. Regularly updating your Windows system is crucial for maintaining system security and stability.
But there might be reasons not to update Windows updates automatically as discussed here: How to disable automatic Windows updates.
Why would you want to Delay Updates On your PC?
Pausing Windows Update is a feature provided by the Windows operating system in Windows 10 and 11. It enables you to temporarily pause the automatic update process. There are numerous reasons you would like to pause Windows Update:
- Windows Updates requires a restart to complete the installation oftentimes. This can be disruptive when at the centre of a vital task. Pausing updates can prevent these interruptions.
- Windows Updates can consume a significant amount of bandwidth when downloading updates. This can be problematic for users with limited internet connections or data caps. Pausing updates can help you conserve your data usage.
- Developers and system administrators may need to maintain a specific configuration of the operating system for testing or development purposes. Pausing updates ensures that the system remains in a consistent state thereby avoiding disruptions.
- It is often recommended to have your devices up-to-date for security and performance reasons as mentioned above. There are instances where updates caused issues due to compatibility problems. Pausing updates temporarily can help avoid these issues until Microsoft releases a more stable update.
You may want to see Retrieve Recent Windows Update: How to create batch script files on Windows 11, how to fix Remote Desktop can’t connect to the remote computer for one of these reasons, and how to Fix Windows cannot check for updates in Windows 8, 7, and 10.
Steps to Pause Microsoft Windows Update
Click the Start button and select the cog wheel settings button as shown below.
Alternatively, right-click on the start button and click the Settings button as shown below.
This will open the settings app. Click on Windows Update as shown below
Scroll downwards on the right pane, and under more options, select “Pause updates”, and select the duration for the Pause.
When set, the Windows Update page will display the Windows Update pause status and for how long. Please see Download Apps without passwords on Apple App Store.
Resume Windows Update
To resume Windows update, navigate through the Start button and select the cog wheel settings button. Under Windows Update, click on Resume updates.
FAQ on Windows updates
While Windows updates are essential, they can occasionally cause issues. If you encounter problems after an update, please Uninstall updates to remove the specific updates that may be causing issues.
If your system is unstable after an update. You can use System Restore to revert to a previous state before the update was installed.
Check Microsoft’s official website or forums for known issues related to recent updates. Microsoft often provides guidance on how to resolve these problems.
In order to re-emphasize, Windows updates are essential for maintaining the security, stability, and performance of your OS. They often include security patches, bug fixes, and feature enhancements.
Conclusion on Windows Updates
Please note that pausing updates can serve as a good reason for specific situations. It is often recommended to have your operating system, browsers, and applications set to update automatically or managed centrally.
This way, you’re always protected against the latest threats. In order to have control over your update process, I would recommend testing these updates before applying them to your clients via wsus
I hope you found this blog post helpful. Please let me know in the comment session if you have any questions.