How to Cancel Windows 11 update?

Sorry for the nuisance, I would like to know what is pending for my updates. I understand that I have to resume.

Question: what do I see when I resume, a popup with the list of updates? And most important do I have the time to stop it and select another date?

Thanks in advance

This is not a nuisance.

1. Click on 'Resume Updates'
2. In a second or two you will see the list of updates that are either in the downloading mode (it should show a 0% as it starts to work) OR an update that says 'PENDING INSTALL'.
3. If is says 'PENDING INSTALL' and it is WINDOWS 11, then you will have your answer.

While your computer is still at the 0% getting ready to download the updates, scroll down to advance

options. Pick 'PAUSE FOR 35 day'.

Close your setting.

Nothing will happen. Nothing will install and you have time to pause it. This is the only way to see what is knocking at your door. I've done this 3 times already and am now paused until March 1st. I'll do it again one day ahead of time and go for another 35 days. I just need to get through all my business taxes before I take the leap of faith with Windows 11. Plus, the more I read and here, the longer you can wait, the better you are. Microsoft keeps updating with fixes for all of the bugs. Just wait as long as you can. It will save you frustration with so many bugs/fixes.

Sorry for the nuisance, I would like to know what is pending for my updates. I understand that I have to resume.

Question: what do I see when I resume, a popup with the list of updates? And most important do I have the time to stop it and select another date?

Thanks in advance

Not a problem. Click 'Resume Updates'. You should be able to see whether it's updating to a later version of Windows 10, or Windows 11, or if there are just other updates pending. (There have been some patches for *serious* security holes lately, so I *really* don't recommend anyone staying away from Windows 11 by just pausing updates.)

If it indicates that it is updating to Windows 11, and it displays 'downloading' or even 'reboot to install', then:

1. You need to stop wuauserv and bits, so they don't immediately recreate the directory you're going to delete in step 2.

To stop them, you either need to go to control panel, services, and locate the services by name, and stop them (do not change their startup mode!).

Or, you can open a command prompt with administrative privileges and type in the commands 'net stop wuauserv' and 'net stop bits', respectively. It should look something like this;

C:\WINDOWS\system32> net stop wuauserv

C:\WINDOWS\system32> net stop bits

Things that can go awry with this step:

If you see an error message, or 'The Windows Update Service is not started', you either don't have Administrative Privileges, or you have the Windows Update Window open. Opening the 'Windows Update' window to check what happens, actually restarts the services, so don't do that!

2. You need to delete the directory where it's downloaded the Windows 11 files.

It is the catalog 'C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download\29915d28b757d79214ddd971f3fd6134'

Now you have reset the progress on the Windows 11 patch. However, this is just a temporary solution. As soon as you go to the 'Windows Update' window, it will restart the services (wuauserv and bits), and start downloading Windows 11 again.

To make it last a bit longer, you need to do the registry hack that Rodrigo.Quieroz posted about on December 18 (the first page in this thread), so that Windows Update thinks that it should target a later version of Windows 10 instead of Windows 11.

I've just set these 'switches' in my Registry, as the update keeps downloading and insists installing Windows 11. That is even after having an on-line chat with a Micro$oft person, who provided an additional resourse: https://www.yourwindowsguide.com/2021/12/block-windows-11-update.html#.YfUonPinzws

I shall provide a reply to this post if any further update process attempts skullduggery!

Martin.

I've just set these 'switches' in my Registry, as the update keeps downloading and insists installing Windows 11. That is even after having an on-line chat with a Micro$oft person, who provided an additional resourse: https://www.yourwindowsguide.com/2021/12/block-windows-11-update.html#.YfUonPinzws

I shall provide a reply to this post if any further update process attempts skullduggery!

Martin.

The registry switch *on its own* only works *before* the Windows 11 update appears.

If Windows Update has started downloading Windows 11, it is too late.

By then it has created the download directory for the Windows 11 upgrade.

The directory name (29915d28b757d79214ddd971f3fd6134 on my machines) is an identifier.

The identifier tells Windows Update (wuauserv) that it has a patch that isn't finished downloading yet. So if Windows Update is running and finds the directory, it will proceed with downloading the corresponding files from Microsoft.

And if you delete the directory, while wuauserv and bits are running, the services 'know what they are working on', and will recreate the directory immediately.

So.. Stop wuauserv and bits. You need admin privileges to do this.

Delete the directory.

Reboot.

If you have entered the registry keys correctly, you should now be targeting Windows 10 21H2 instead of Windows 11.

Full instructions in earlier posts. Will not retype them.