How do I disable Automatic Update for Windows Update

Anonymous
2013-10-18T00:55:44+00:00

I just bought a Surface RT, and updated to 8.1. My PC says it's set to automatically update, and it's not providing me with any obvious way to disable automatic updates.

Automatic updates for a computer's operating system have proven irritating and problematic for me in the past, and I would like to avoid that headache if at all possible.

Please for the love of God tell me I can disable automatic updates.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Windows update

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Anonymous
2013-12-31T02:24:55+00:00

I have been reading a lot of posts on here...

Basically, Microsoft support will only post what there told to post.

This is how you turn Auto Updates on or off on Windows RT.

  1. Hit the Windows button.
  2. Type view local services and click it.
  3. Find Windows update and right click Startup Type.
  4. Go to Properties, you'll see Startup type again.

5. Click disable and apply.

Turn it on in the same way.

" I will bust my RT back to 8 "

The truth is out there....

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-10-17T17:18:50+00:00

      Over time, with all the updates and upgrades to Windows 10, I found myself to be out of storage space on the hard drive.

    If you were really getting "updates and upgrades to Windows 10" on your RT it would mean that you were giving other Windows machines a share of your "32 GB" drive.   <eg>

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  2. @CmdrKeene 90,631 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2016-10-17T15:31:45+00:00

    Mark,

    Apple devices do have this same problem.  You can read hundreds of millions of people complaining about needing more space for the updates, and Apple even has an official "what to do if you need more space to get an update" instruction sheet.  It affects all devices, not just the one you have.  If you want to go buy an iOS device, that's fine (no one here works for Microsoft or cares, so it won't hurt our feelings at all), but it won't prevent you from having this problem... you'll just have the same thing happen.

    Luckily, Microsoft has the excact same instructions like Apple has.  Apple says when you can't update, you can do it by iTunes (using a cord cable plugged in).  Microsoft lets you do it by using a USB stick.  That way it doesn't matter how much space is on the device, all the free space it needs to do the update is part of the USB stick (or in Apple's case, part of the computer that's running the iTunes).

    Whether you decide to use a USB stick, or simply clear space yourself, it would be best to remove all the leftover files after the updates using the built-in cleanup management (cleanmgr.exe).

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-10-17T15:05:43+00:00

    I've read through these posts and was wondering if anyone had the issue I'm having with storage space on the hard drive with corresponding to the updates that are being posted to the computer.  I bought the RT 32 GB when it first came and out and was very pleased with it.  Over time, with all the updates and upgrades to Windows 10, I found myself to be out of storage space on the hard drive.  I reset my RT back to factory settings and had over 20 GB of space on the hard drive.  After a unsuccessful download and install of 102 updates last night, my RT is "undoing" what it tried to dover over an 8-10 hr period.

    Mindful that I have not added any apps to the computer but only removed some things that I do not use.  Why is it that I keep running out of space on the hard drive? 

    I'm at the point of discarding the RT and moving to an Apple device that obviously does not have this problem.

    Thanks for any assistance,

    Mark

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  4. Anonymous
    2016-09-04T19:27:37+00:00

    After having the RT for just over a year and performing every update, all of my PC memory was used and the touchscreen stopped working. I did a master reset on my computer and my touchscreen started working, for a while. Now, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Microsoft basically told me "too bad, so sad."

    Right now my touchscreen is working, but after the next update, whose to say it will still be working.

    Thanks,

    Meowmom

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