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To temporarily delay Windows 11 updates, open Start > Settings > Windows Update and use Pause updates. Microsoft documents pausing for up to 35 days from the current date. If an update is already waiting for a restart, schedule that restart instead; use Active hours to help avoid automatic restarts during your usual work time.
Pause Windows 11 updates
- Open Start > Settings > Windows Update.
- Under Pause updates, select a pause length. If your Windows Update page offers Pick a date, choose an end date within the supported limit. Microsoft’s current support instructions describe a pause of up to 35 days from the current date; the exact control may vary by Windows version or rollout. Microsoft’s pause instructions.
- If you need to extend an existing pause, return to the same control and choose a new end date, subject to that limit. Previously paused time does not add to the new 35-day window.
- To resume updates before the selected end date, return to Settings > Windows Update and select Resume updates. Windows checks for available updates, then downloads and installs them.
What pausing updates does—and does not do
Pausing is a temporary delay, not a permanent way to turn off automatic updates. Updates that require a restart are not downloaded or installed until the pause ends, and Windows will not automatically restart to finish their installation during the pause. If an update is already in progress, pausing cancels it. When the pause ends, Windows checks for, downloads, and installs available updates. Microsoft Support.
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Microsoft says updates cannot be stopped entirely through these settings. After the pause limit, you must install the latest updates before you can pause again. Windows Update FAQ.
If an update is waiting for a restart
Pausing delays updates; it is not the control for choosing when to restart an update that is already awaiting one. In Settings > Windows Update, select Schedule the restart and choose a convenient time. The option appears when Windows has an update that needs a restart. Microsoft’s Windows Update FAQ.
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Use Active hours to avoid work-time interruptions
Active hours tell Windows when you usually use the device, helping it avoid automatic restarts during those hours. They do not pause updates or select a restart time for a pending update.
- Open Start > Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options.
- Open Active hours.
- Choose automatic adjustment based on device activity, or set the hours manually.
Microsoft’s Active hours guidance describes these choices. The exact labels or availability can differ across Windows 11 versions.
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Which update control should you use?
| What you need | Use this control | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Delay updates for a while | Pause updates | Temporarily holds updates until the pause ends or you resume them. |
| Choose a time for a pending restart | Schedule the restart | Sets a convenient restart time for an update that needs one. |
| Reduce interruptions during your usual work hours | Active hours | Helps prevent automatic restarts during the hours you specify or Windows infers from device activity. |
| Set update timing on an organization-managed PC | Administrator update policies | Lets an organization defer or pause update categories; policies may constrain what users can change. |
Work or school PCs: update policies are different
If your PC is managed by an employer or school, its administrator may control the update settings, and the consumer controls may be unavailable or may not govern the device. Do not apply Group Policy or registry changes as a workaround without authorization; they can conflict with the organization’s configuration.
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