How To Not Update To Windows 11

by

With the recent announcement of Windows 11, many users are excited to try out the new features and enhancements. However, some may prefer to stick with their current Windows 10 setup for various reasons, such as compatibility issues, dislike for the new UI design, or simply wanting to avoid potential bugs and issues that may arise with a new operating system.

In this blog post, we will go through the steps to ensure that your computer does not update to Windows 11 automatically, while still receiving necessary security updates for Windows 10.

1. Pause updates

One of the easiest ways to not update to Windows 11 is to pause updates for your system. Follow these steps to pause updates for up to 35 days:

  1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
  2. Select Update & Security.
  3. Under the Windows Update tab, click on Advanced options.
  4. Toggle the switch under Pause updates to ‘On’ and select how long you’d like to pause updates from the drop-down menu.

Keep in mind that after the pause duration ends, you will need to update your system to receive security updates. You can repeat this process as needed to avoid Windows 11 while staying up-to-date with Windows 10 security patches.

2. Use Group Policy Editor

If you’re using Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, or Education editions, you can use the Group Policy Editor to prevent automatic updates to Windows 11. Here’s how:

  1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog and type gpedit.msc, then hit Enter.
  2. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Windows Update for Business.
  3. Double-click on Select the target Feature Update version and set it to ‘Enabled’.
  4. Enter the current Windows 10 version in the Target Version field, such as ’21H1′ for the May 2021 Update, and click ‘OK’.

3. Registry Editor (Not recommended for inexperienced users)

You can also use the Registry Editor to block Windows 11 updates, though this method is not recommended for inexperienced users since editing the registry can cause issues if done incorrectly. Here’s how:

  1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog and type regedit, then hit Enter.
  2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate.
  3. Right-click on the WindowsUpdate key and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
  4. Name the new value TargetReleaseVersion and set its data to ‘1’, then click ‘OK’.
  5. Right-click on the WindowsUpdate key again and select New > String Value.
  6. Name the new value TargetReleaseVersionInfo and set its data to your current Windows 10 version, such as ’21H1′, then click ‘OK’.

After following any of these methods, your system should no longer automatically update to Windows 11. However, always make sure to keep your system up-to-date with security updates to protect your data and maintain the performance of your device.

Please note that Microsoft will eventually stop supporting Windows 10, so it’s essential to keep an eye on the support end date and consider upgrading to a newer version of Windows when necessary.