I'm trying to figure out how to permanently disable updates on my Windows 10 machine. I know it sounds risky, but my PC is dedicated solely to controlling my synthesizer for an important gig. I can't afford any interruptions like black screens or update rollbacks, which wasted hours when I last turned it on at home. So, what steps can I take to ensure that Windows 10 never checks for, installs, or does anything related to updates? I need this to be a done deal!
5 Answers
You might want to check out the Registry Editor. There's a key you can add that should do the trick. Look for `HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsWindowsUpdateAU`, then create a DWORD (32-bit) value called `NoAutoUpdate` and set it to `1`. This should stop updates for good!
The safest approach is to just make sure your PC never goes online again. That way, it can't check for updates at all!
If your synth is directly connected to your PC without a network, simply disconnecting the internet should do the job. No connection means no updates.
Disabling the Windows Update service is an effective way to prevent updates from happening. Just go to the Services app, find 'Windows Update', and set it to disabled. That should keep those pesky updates away!
I did exactly that! Hoping this works for a long time.
If you want a solid solution, consider setting up something like Pi-hole to block Microsoft-related domains. It's a bit of work, but it helps with ads and tracking too. Disabling the update service is a great first step, though!
I thought about switching to a different OS like Linux or Android, but wasn’t sure about compatibility with my VST instruments. Microsoft’s updates are a nightmare!
Thanks for the tip! I found that key and set it just like you said.