How to remove installed Windows Updates and block them afterwards
Microsoft releases updates for supported versions of the company's Windows operating system regularly. Some of these are pushed to devices automatically, others are provided as optional updates.
Sometimes, updates may introduce issues on machines they are installed for. Some issues are small or negligible, others may introduce bugs that affect productivity, cause data loss or a loss in functionality, or even prevent the system from booting at all.
While it is recommended to create backups before installing any update on production machines, many users don't do that. For most, updates work without introducing any issues but if you are unlucky, you may encounter updates that introduce issues.
Your best option in this case is to either mitigate the issue if possible or remove the installed Windows Updates again.
This guide walks you through the steps of uninstalling Windows Updates and blocking them from being installed automatically if Windows is still accessible. Check out our extensive guide on removing updates for Windows which also covers situations where you cannot boot into Windows anymore.
Uninstall Windows Updates on Windows 10
Microsoft changed a lot of things in the company's Windows 10 operating systems. One of the changes moved part of the Control Panel to a new Settings application; this changes how Windows Updates are managed on the system.
- Use the Windows-I shortcut to open the Settings application on the device. You can also click on the Start icon and select Settings from the menu.
- Select Update & Security.
- Select "View update history" on the page that opens. Windows 10 displays the installed updates on the page.
- Select "uninstall updates" on the page; this opens the Installed Updates Control Panel applet.
- Locate the update that you want to remove from the system, right-click on it and select uninstall from the listing.
Uninstall a Windows Update for pre-Windows 10 systems
The way you do that works similar in all recent versions of Windows.
- Tap on the Windows-key on your keyboard and type remove a program.
- Select the result add or remove programs from the list of search results.
- This opens a Windows Control Panel window which lists all installed programs on the system.
- Select view installed updates on the left side of the window.
- This displays all updates installed on the system.
- You can use the search at the top now to find the update you are looking for, or browse the listing manually if you prefer it that way. If you do the second, click on the installed on header to sort the updates chronologically which often helps find the problematic update faster.
- Once you have located the update right-click it and select uninstall from the menu.
- This removes it from the system.
- Note that you may need to restart the PC before the process ends.
It can happen that you cannot boot into Windows which is problematic as you cannot remove the update then using the method described above.
Options that you have at this point are to boot into Safe Mode if Windows boots still into it, or to use recovery media to run System Restore to undo the update.
Block Windows Updates from being installed
Microsoft released a tool to block Windows Updates on Windows 10.
The update that you have uninstalled may still be offered to you via Windows Update. Depending on how Windows Update is configured, it may even be downloaded and installed automatically again.
It is possible to block individual updates from being downloaded and installed automatically.
- Tap on the Windows-key and type Windows Update.
- Select the result from the list. This opens the windows Update Control Panel applet.
- Locate the update that you want to block and right-click it. Select hide update to do so.
Hiding the update blocks it from being downloaded and installed automatically. It can still be installed manually on the system though.
Our in-depth Windows Update guide offers additional information
Now You: Have you encountered issues after updates before on Windows?
What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?
Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.
If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.
5. Rufus
6. Ventoy
PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.
I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.
bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.
ps…. time travelling?
written. Jan 15, 2023
Updated • Jan 13, 2023
This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.
Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.
I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:
1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)
2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)
3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””
4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows
5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss
Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:
6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now
Have I missed any group off this list?
You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.
Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.
Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update
only from windows update though
KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site
1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.
2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.
3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.
This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.
Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.
Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.
Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215
check out the following recent articles:
Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/
BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/
While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.
My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277
I try to disable the Diagnostics Tracking Service (Connected Devices Platform User Services) but it wont let me disable it, any help will be greatly appreciated.
Tank you for your help