Stop upgrade to Windows 11

Anonymous
2021-12-29T22:24:33+00:00

I upgraded to Windows 11 and reverted back to Windows 10. Now Windows 10 automatically attempts to download and install Windows 11 again. See below:

Image

I can Pause Updates but doing so doesn't allow me to update Windows 10 "patches." I'm being forced to Upgrade to Windows 11 without the ability to stop it.

I want to cancel the Upgrade to Windows 11 (download/installation) process which initiated on its own without my consent. The current status is how it shows in the image above - ready to download and then install Windows 11 but there is no way to stop it.

What I want:

  • Windows 10 to stop Upgrade to Windows 11 process
  • Ability to update Windows 10 without it upgrading/installing to Windows 11
  • Windows 10 with the ability to update patches
Windows for home | Windows 10 | Windows update

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-03-19T04:14:13+00:00

    —————DISCLAIMER—————-

    I am not responsible for any damage on

    your computer.

    1. Open Start.

    2 .Search for regedit and click the top result to launch the Registry Editor.

    1. Navigate to the following path:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows

    1. Right-click the Windows (folder) key, select the New submenu, and then choose the Key option.
    2. Name the new key WindowsUpdate and press Enter.
    3. Right-click the newly created key, select the New submenu, and choose the Key option.
    4. Name the new key AU and press Enter.
    5. Right-click the AU key, select the New submenu, and choose the DWORD (32-bit) Value option.
    6. Name the new key NoAutoUpdate and press Enter.
    7. Double-click the newly created key and change its value from 0 to 1.
    8. Click the OK button.
    9. Restart your computer.
    10.  Press the Windows logo key + R****at the same time to invoke the Run box.
    11. Type services.msc and press Enter.
    12. Scroll down to Windows Update, and double-click it.
    13. In Startup type, select "Disabled". Then click "Apply" and "OK" to save the settings.
    14. Restart your computer one last time
    15. Enjoy no more automatic updates

    Why not just follow what the Paloma said and be able to keep normal updates instead of turning them off completely?

    THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WRITING THESE BEAUTIFUL DIRECTIONS!!!!! I was so tired of getting forced to try and install Windows 11, and just so over it. I don't understand why MS makes us have to look up on a site like this, and temporarily become an MS systems engineer just to stop something so stupid, like forcing us to all use Windows 11. (Probably so we can be their bug-master and find all the bugs in their junk?) uuuhhhh ...

    grateful for your directions ... I am a basic end-user and should NOT have to do all this nonsense with my personal PC, but nonetheless, thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-03-28T15:08:47+00:00

    I too, am looking for a good answer to this dilemma....

    I literally have THOUSANDS of WIN10 machines in 300+ auto franchises running diagnostic & programming software from the manufacturer. Every week, I have another shop foreman calling and screaming that their software won't work and we spend hours rolling the systems back to Win10.

    I don't WANT to block WIN10 updates! I cannot afford to...the software for diagnostics & programming rely heavily on .NET, and I WANT Windows 10 to update regularly.

    I just don't want WIN11 to be available until they release the diagnostics & programming software FOR Win11.

    It's infuriating that they will only let you "pause" the Win11 update for a period of time, and not give us the choice of suspending indefinitely until WE choose to allow it.

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-03-28T15:49:02+00:00

    Then how do you reverse it once you wish to allow the upgrade to happen?

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-04-04T09:05:54+00:00

    This is fantastically helpful - thank you - and easy to follow instructions (I am not a techy at all !!). Well done howtogeek.com

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  5. Anonymous
    2023-04-05T14:04:21+00:00

    windows 11 update is downloaded automatically and it sayes restart to upgrade but i still want to use windows 10.

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    1 person found this answer helpful.
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