Windows 10 Updater Disabler

Martin Brinkmann
Dec 1, 2016
Updated • Jul 5, 2017
Windows, Windows 10
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49

Windows 10 Updater Disabler is a new program for Microsoft's operating system that turns updates on or off reliably.

Windows 10 offers less UI control over the updating behavior of the operating system than previous versions of Windows.

If you check the settings application for instance, you only get options to defer feature updates if you run Pro or Enterprise, but no longer an option to switch the updating process to manual, or to deactivate Windows Update.

If you want control over the update process, you have to look elsewhere for these settings. One reliable way of disabling updates is to disable the Windows Update service.

This requires that you open the Services manager, locate the service and change its startup parameter and status.

You would then have to enable the service again whenever you want the operating system to check for updates.

Windows 10 Updater Disabler

Windows 10 Updater Disabler is a program for Windows that installs a service that blocks Windows Update from installing updates on the computer.

The service does not make use of Registry options to block Windows Update, as they may be modified by updates eventually (e.g. reset).

It runs checks for Windows Update's status regularly and terminates it when found to be running.

Instead, it uses an undocumented system call to check the current state of Windows Update and tries to terminate it immediately.

The service disables all scheduled tasks that are related to Windows Update on top of that when installed on the system.

Installation

updatesdisabler

To install the Service, do the following:

  1. Download the Updater Disabler archive from the WinAero website, and extract it once downloaded.
  2. Open an elevated command prompt. Tap on the Windows-key, type cmd.exe, hold down the Ctrl and Shift keys, and hit the Enter-key.
  3. The title of the command prompt window begins with Administrator if it is elevated.
  4. Navigate to the folder you have extracted the Updates Disabler program to (use cd folder name for that, e.g. cd c:\users\martin\downloads\updaterdisabler
  5. Run the command updaterdisabler.exe -install.

If things worked out fine, you should get the following echoes on the command line:

UpdateDisabler is installed.

Service Start pending ...

Service started successfully.

You can verify this in the Services configuration interface as well.

update disabler service

You should see the Update Disabler Service listed in the interface when you open the Services management console. It should have the status of running, and the startup type of automatic.

If you try an update check after installing the service, you will get an error message which confirms that Windows Update is disabled: We couldn't install some updates because the PC was turned off.

Uninstallation

remove update disabler

Uninstallation works pretty much like installation, only that you need to run the program with a different parameter.

You do need to open an elevated command prompt window again and navigate to the UpdaterDisabler directory.

  1. Run the command updaterdisabler.exe -remove

The program echoes steps of the process that indicate that the service is stopped and then removed.

To verify that this is indeed the case, check Services. The service should not be listed there anymore. Also, you will notice that update checks are working again just like they did before.

Closing Words

Updater Disabler requires more testing on many more devices. It did work well during tests, but it is highly suggested you back up important data before you run the software.

Anyway, the program offers another option to block Windows Update from doing its job. If you prefer to wait days, weeks or months before you install released updates, this is an reliable option to achieve that.

You can download the program from WinAero, but it has been published originally on the My Digital Life forum.

Summary
Windows 10 Updater Disabler
Article Name
Windows 10 Updater Disabler
Description
Windows 10 Updater Disabler is a new program for Microsoft's operating system that turns updates on or off reliably.
Author
Publisher
Ghacks Technology News
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Comments

  1. Tammy said on May 3, 2018 at 6:24 pm
    Reply

    I am still sitting on Windows 10 Pro version 1511 build 10586 494 with WUMT and using WSUS to block all Windows Updates. Using GWX Control Panel to turn off the latest builds after version 1511. Have a virtual 8.1 Pro on top of my Windows 10 Pro just for web use and it’s fully patched for April.Windows Update Disabler also works great for my Windows10 1511 incase MS try to override the LGPolicy Editor.

  2. Tamny said on March 9, 2018 at 6:57 am
    Reply

    I am still sitting on version1511 10586.494 on Windows 10 Pro thanks to Update Disabler Service GWX Control Panel and WSUS Group Polices to disable Microsoft Update/Windows Update. Making Windows Update connect to WSUS 127.0.0.1. I want to stay with version 1511 forever.

  3. Tammy said on December 20, 2017 at 11:33 am
    Reply

    I am still on 10586.494 Windows 10 Pro version 1511 thanks to Windows Update Disabler Service. I also installed GWX Control Panel and have disabled Feature Updates through Windows Update in Windows 10 1511. I am now on a Dead Service Branch CBB Semi Annual Chanel.Using WUMT to block all updates on 1511. My Windows 10 1511 behaves how I want it to. I want to keep 1511 forever.

  4. Tammy Shields said on August 20, 2017 at 11:56 am
    Reply

    I wish I had picked that version but I have put all my work on Windows 10 Pro version 1511 and installed Windows Update Disabler service to keep my at Build 1586.494 and I am blocking the cum updates for 1511 also because they will upgrade me to 1607 or later. I am using all the GPL to Turn of Access to All Windows Update Features added a reg Key to Disable OSUpgrades and gave it a value of 1. Using WUMT to hide all updates and Specify a Microsoft Internal Update server also and put in 127.0.0.1 and Windows Update goes to local Host and tells me I have no new updates available. I want to stay with version 1511 forever.

  5. gg33g33 said on August 9, 2017 at 12:55 am
    Reply

    You should switch to Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB 2015 which will forever stay at 1511 yet receive security updates (and nothing else) for the next 10 years.

    https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-windows-10-enterprise

    To activate it you use Microsoft Toolkit just make sure you download that from the My Digital Life forums and nowhere else to not get infected. Here’s the forum thread: https://forums.mydigitallife.net/threads/28669/

  6. Tammy Shields said on May 5, 2017 at 7:35 am
    Reply

    Yes with Windows Update service Disabled it says No new updates are available we will continue to check daily for newer Updates even with Wifi turned off on Windows 10 Pro with Auto Updates Disabled in Group Policy. I have the Metered connection set at all times also and MS seems to do a Mandatory scan and check for updates even with wifi turned off. I want to keep Windows 10 Pro version 1511 and not Upgrade to 1607 or 1703 because I am running a virtual Machine with Windows Xp and also have WLM 2012 installed.

  7. KMC said on February 16, 2017 at 6:17 am
    Reply

    Yes, certainly! Go ahead and use whatever information you have gleaned from me.

    BTW my old desktop *did* install the Win 10 update at 3:00 am. (I expected it to since the file had already been downloaded.) Miraculously, it did not completely trash my nearly 10 year-old computer. The system desktop remains unchanged – no shortcuts or files disappeared. The “Start” menu is different. And – it is still connecting to the internet. This was a problem when the first major update came down after the initial upgrade to Win 10. I had to uninstall that update and that’s when I set myself to “metered” and do not download or install. I see those options are no longer available. Or – maybe I just haven’t found where they’ve hidden them yet. In any case, now that I have installed your utility, I expect that further updates will now be prevented until Microsoft decides to force one again.

    Any additional questions, please feel fee to ask.

    Some additional remarks: Yes, my desktop PC is ancient by most people’s standards. Original o/s was Win 7 Pro. It’s always on (no power cycling). Power supply replaced at least twice. Burners replaced 3 x I think. Monitor replaced twice. Printer replaced once. I’m on my 3rd cable modem. Hard drives are regularly cleaned, defragged, scanned, anti-virus, anti-malware and firewall kept up-to-date, Registry checked and compressed weekly, no gaming, no porn, no torrents, no questionable surfing…. I’ve had no reason to think about getting a new desktop PC. And my laptop is a Gateway..2008. Okay, I lead a boring life, digitally speaking.. I’m definitely going to install your utility on that laptop as well.

  8. pf100 said on February 16, 2017 at 12:33 am
    Reply

    @KMC, ghacks won’t let me directly reply to you but thank you for the information. I appreciate it very much. I’m gathering as much information as I can about methods that don’t work to disable automatic updates and you’ve been a big help. There’s a lot of misinformation going on right now about what works and what doesn’t. What I mean by that, is that MS is changing things to make certain manual update methods ineffective with each successive update. What works now may not work 3 months from now. A lot of people are using the metering method to stop automatic updates and I’ve been trying to warn them that it may stop working. You’re the second documented case I’ve seen that using metering didn’t stop an update. I understand that someone picks a method and sticks with it, but that’s hurting my attempts to nail down what’s going on. And people like you who care enough to respond with info about a method that failed will help make the situation better. If you don’t mind I’d like to use the info you posted in a report I’m working on about the state of manual updating.

  9. tammy.shields20@gmail.com said on February 14, 2017 at 12:50 pm
    Reply

    This happed to me as well. Microsoft checks for updates with the Windows update service disabled. No Updates are available. We will continue to check Daily for Newer Updates. My GPO settings get disabled and changes back to auto updates. Windows Update Service is Disabled and I was offline with Wifi disconnected.

    1. pf100 said on February 16, 2017 at 12:37 am
      Reply

      @tammy.shields20,
      I’m not following what you’re saying. Windows cannot check for updates with the windows update service disabled. That’s the point of this article. Are you saying you were using GPO edits to control updates?

  10. KMC said on February 12, 2017 at 8:01 pm
    Reply

    Yes. I had set my internet connection to “metered” and that I would choose when to download and when to install updates. No updates were being downloaded or installed… until today. This afternoon my old desktop prompted me to set a restart time to install a forced update from Microsoft which I had not authorized and only gave me two options. Immediate install or 3:00 am tomorrow morning. I’ve installed Updater Disabler and at least now when I want to shut down the desktop I have the option to restart *without* installing the update, but I have to deliberately choose it. We’ll see what happens at 3:00 am. Back on my laptop now — it has mysteriously reconnected to the internet but the most recent Windows 10 update that I installed yesterday with the new desktop configuration is gone. Weird. I restarted this thing twice yesterday after that install just to make certain all was well. Today.. pfft.

    1. pf100 said on February 12, 2017 at 9:26 pm
      Reply

      @KMC Okay, so then you didn’t initially disable the windows update service, you only set your connection to metered, correct? If so, that’s why I wrote the WUMT Wrapper Script further up in the thread, to automate the enabling and disabling of the windows update service. I’m not saying my way is better than the Windows 10 Update Disabler. In fact, the Disabler service in the article forces it to never update under any circumstances. I’ve only heard from one person that the windows update service enabled itself and started after an update. And that person never gave me any details on any modifications or programs or scripts they might have used. So as far as I know, simply disabling and stopping the windows update service is enough to stop updates. I wish someone would give me evidence to the contrary. I’m not saying my way is better. Only time will tell. We’ll know more in a couple of years.

      1. KMC said on February 14, 2017 at 6:29 pm
        Reply

        Correct. I had assumed that setting my internet connection to “metered” and that I would choose when to download and install windows updates would prevent any Microsoft shenanigans. This worked as intended until Feb 12th 2017. It was on Feb 12 that MS forced an update and that’s when I located this thread and installed your script.

        I have not investigated the situation with my old desktop computer as yet since I do not have any time to work on it if things have gone wrong. I will report on that one when I have a clue.. The update itself had already been downloaded and was just awaiting a restart to install but I was being given an option to restart without installing so, who knows..

        My laptop seems to be okay now. It only took another 1/4 day to reinstall the last MS Win 10 update and clean things up (again). Rebooted that three times when all completed to make certain all is well. Shut it down and haven’t looked at it since. I have not installed your script on that machine but I likely will since I don’t want MS deciding when it’s an appropriate day/time/internet connection for any Win 10 update nonsense.

        K.

  11. DD-Indeed said on December 18, 2016 at 7:57 am
    Reply

    Are people still raving with this issue ? What I did was only to disable the Windows Update service from the Services. That stopped updates completely, but I still can update the Defender thou. Simple and works.

    1. KMC said on February 12, 2017 at 6:44 pm
      Reply

      I had done that too and it worked well… until today. I see that my ancient desktop is advising me that it is going to be installing updates at 3:00 am tomorrow morning with no option for me to disable it. Since I just spent the last two days uninstalling windows updates on my laptop, scanning, de-malwareing it and then re-updating it successfully, then rescanning everything to make certain all was well – only to start it up again this morning and discover that Win10 has done something truly bizarre — reverted to the version of pre-two days ago that wouldn’t connect to the internet anymore. WTF? I did not authorize Windows to revert. It did this entirely on it’s own. I am not willing to trust Microsoft to install any updates on my ancient desktop computer. Dollars to donuts it will *not* work. Now I have to go and try to figure out what the heck happened with my laptop.

      1. pf100 said on February 12, 2017 at 6:58 pm
        Reply

        @KMC, you said, “I had done that too and it worked well… until today.” You did what, exactly? If I’m understanding you correctly, you’re saying that you disabled the windows update service and stopped it, and it still updated? Please clarify. Thanks.

  12. Voodoobane said on December 10, 2016 at 9:36 pm
    Reply

    Hey guys,
    This is pretty cool! this update disabler tell Microsoft The computer is offline! haha nice! Very clever

  13. Chris Walk said on December 9, 2016 at 12:38 am
    Reply

    ¿Se puede programar algo mas tonto?

    Mucho mas fácil crear un batch o un par de accesos directos con:
    C:\Windows\System32\net.exe START WUAUSERV
    C:\Windows\System32\net.exe STOP WUAUSERV

    Incluso ponerlos como tareas programadas para que pare el servicio al hacer logon y lo arranque al bloquear o saltar el salvapantallas.

  14. Warning_robot said on December 2, 2016 at 6:29 pm
    Reply

    Hi martin did you checked it ? this file is a trojan don’t trust winaero (Sergey)
    , here is the Analyze result:

    https://www.virustotal.com/tr/file/6db100c2cf39ac5cd7ab026f075c14446f0c70901831963202859f396a79cfc1/analysis/

    Don’t Use this file

    1. Voodoobane said on December 10, 2016 at 9:30 pm
      Reply

      Well if you look closely the publisher is Russian… I’ll let you know if I get screwed….

  15. Antivirus_man said on December 2, 2016 at 5:58 pm
    Reply

    It is very interesting why no one used Virustotal to analyze it
    https://www.virustotal.com/tr/file/5fd7340aed7b78c2a30709f4590c0330d2c429127033a720857281c6fb21c08f/analysis/
    Full with virus

  16. 420 said on December 2, 2016 at 3:47 pm
    Reply

    But if you ask em why they continue to use a pos os, the answer is always, they have “insert some stupid program err app” on windows and you just can’t get anything like it on any other os that doesn’t suck nutsacks. It always makes me chuckle. I would say reality is closer to, please don’t take my binky, I wuv my binky, I wouldn’t know what to do without my binky.

  17. jasray said on December 2, 2016 at 12:56 am
    Reply

    The mass of Windows users lead lives of angry desperation.

  18. pHROZEN gHOST said on December 1, 2016 at 8:56 pm
    Reply

    You could avoid all current OS issues by writing your own OS in assembler :-P

  19. hirobo2 said on December 1, 2016 at 8:00 pm
    Reply

    Could some1 plz tell me how to permanently disable win10 updates not by using a 3rd party script/app if possible? My win10 tablet has very limited free space. Will the program in the article do it? Prevent the downloading of the update?

    1. Mikhoul said on December 1, 2016 at 11:32 pm
      Reply
    2. anon said on December 1, 2016 at 9:04 pm
      Reply

      Have you tried using the Disk Cleanup utility?

    3. Andrew said on December 1, 2016 at 8:50 pm
      Reply

      If you turn on metered connection, supposedly it prevents updates from downloading

      1. Mat said on December 2, 2016 at 12:54 am
        Reply

        Yes but only over a WiFi connection.

  20. Gary D said on December 1, 2016 at 4:45 pm
    Reply

    @ Joern

    Thanks for the explanation ref. Win 10 and Win Defender. Another example of MS extending their walled garden for even more control over the Win 10 users.
    It makes me even happier to know that NOT installing Win 10 was an excellent decision. :)

    1. anon said on December 1, 2016 at 8:50 pm
      Reply

      Windows Update has always been used by Windows Defender ever since it debuted in Windows Vista.

  21. vosie said on December 1, 2016 at 4:15 pm
    Reply

    What if you just rename the updater executable from .exe to .exx for example or change the entire file name? Will it still be able to run?

  22. Henk van Setten said on December 1, 2016 at 1:57 pm
    Reply

    The very best way to tweak Windows 10 still is Windows 8.1 or 7.

  23. Gary D said on December 1, 2016 at 12:42 pm
    Reply

    @ Richard
    You use Windows Defender ?! Why ? What is wrong with using real virus and malware detection programs ? Perhaps they cost too much !

    1. anon said on December 1, 2016 at 8:39 pm
      Reply

      >real malware detection programs
      So Windows Defender?

      1. anon said on December 2, 2016 at 10:44 pm
        Reply

        Whatever you say, ilev.

      2. ilev said on December 2, 2016 at 9:32 am
        Reply

        Windows Defender isn’t, never was and never will be a real malware detection program.
        Windows Defender is the worse ever written security app and as such a huge security risk.

    2. Joern said on December 1, 2016 at 4:28 pm
      Reply

      Windows 10 is known to be interlocked with Defender. There are several security enhancement in Win10 on fileaccess, registryaccess etc. which the Defender know to handle of course.
      Third party antivirus software do not know all the hidden tweaks in Win10 therefore they will introduce more security holes in disabling things by accident.
      There are also several reports of bootloops and faulty behavior introduced from third party antivirus.

      1. Chuck said on July 29, 2017 at 2:52 pm
        Reply

        That is how Windows 7 is. Defender is a part of that one also. The difference between 7 and 10 is that with 7 you can turn off updates completely and download them when you want to. I liked that because if there was ever an update you don’t want you don’t have to take it or have it installed without a chance to stop it.

  24. Richard said on December 1, 2016 at 12:15 pm
    Reply

    I found a security issue with disabling Windows Update when Windows Defender is used. Windows Defender’s malware database isn’t updated.

    1. Mikhoul said on December 1, 2016 at 11:30 pm
      Reply

      Use my solution here and Defender will be updated even with updates disabled: https://justpaste.it/HowDisableWindows10Update 😊 .

      1. dan said on December 2, 2016 at 12:22 pm
        Reply

        Excellent, Mikhoul. Thank you!

  25. Sergey said on December 1, 2016 at 10:11 am
    Reply

    The application was not published on MDL originally.
    I published it on Winaero because PainteR decided so.
    After a few hours later, when he reached home, he published it on MDL. I didn’t posted it myself on MDL intentionally, just to allow him to collect “thanks”/raiting (if they will restore it).
    In any case, we should say the author many thanks for the useful app. It take from him a month of research and coding. It is really great work.

  26. simpleman said on December 1, 2016 at 10:07 am
    Reply

    TY again

  27. zund said on December 1, 2016 at 9:28 am
    Reply

    well, you know your OS is a huge success when there’s a million tools that fix the annoyances you’ve built in since last version. ;)

    1. DaveyK said on December 1, 2016 at 10:36 am
      Reply

      Couldn’t agree more. It’s such a pity when people are forced to resort to third party tools to fix all the issues and annoyances with Windows 10. Such a pity when you consider that Windows 10 could be a well-accepted success if MS gave more control over updates, provided privacy options that actually worked (even if turned off by default), and cleaned up some of the inconsistencies in the UI.

      Saying that, top marks to the developer for this one. The availability of such tools does help to overcome one of the big roadblocks which is preventing me from using Windows 10 on any of my systems.

  28. ilev said on December 1, 2016 at 8:02 am
    Reply

    Or : WUMT Wrapper script – controls windows update service

    If you want to manually update Windows 10 on your schedule, not Windows 10’s schedule, this script is for you. Home, Pro, any version with windows update service (wuauserv). No more relying on registry edits that can change in the next update. The script directly enables and starts, or disables and stops wuauserv…

    https://forums.mydigitallife.info/threads/72203-WUMT-Wrapper-script-controls-windows-update-service?p=1296322&viewfull=1#post1296322

    1. Martin Brinkmann said on December 1, 2016 at 8:04 am
      Reply

      Thanks, will take a look later today.

      1. pf100 said on February 1, 2017 at 2:48 am
        Reply

        Hi Martin. I’m the author of the WUMT Wrapper Script. It was updated today to version 2.1 (Jan 31, 2017) and you really should give it a try. It’s the only thing that works 100% every time. I plan to make an installer for it soon, but in the meantime it’s still the best thing going for complete control of Windows 10 updates and your only real choice for Windows 10 Home. After you manually install it you just click a shortcut to the script and you have complete control of updates. Give it a try. You won’t regret it.
        https://forums.mydigitallife.info/threads/72203-WUMT-Wrapper-script-controls-windows-update-service?p=1296322&viewfull=1#post1296322

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