Windows 10: Windows Update - Defer Feature and Quality Updates in Windows 10

Just a heads up, if you happen to use the home editions, tweaking the registry keys actually work. Due to some recent disaster, I had to reinstall windows and tested my luck, because Windows Update was offering me the upgrade to 1709 (which I will skip, sounds problematic), tweaking the defer feature upgrades value actually made it unavailable again, and I could just install updates as usual.

in short, registry tweaking as you state in this tutorial works for home editions, @Brink *Smile

Thanks for the tutorial, once again *Biggrin

 

Hi Shawn,

The options to defer updates are missing in Advanced Options for my system. This issue has been discussed some in the 16299.98 thread but so far a solution has not been found. I had checked the registry settings listed above and they match what you show. I have some registry tweaks and I have the managed by organization message but I have removed all tweaks and restarted the system and the defer updates options are still missing. I am also on RP if that makes any difference. I have not done a repair install. Any idea why they have gone missing?

 

Hello @tracit99, *Smile

If you mean that you have an Insider build installed, then that would be why. These settings are not available in Settings for Insider builds.

 

Thanks Brink. I suppose RP qualifies as an Insider build.

 

Yep, I'm afraid so.

 

Today, it appears that 1709 will not allow updates to be turned off (such as turning off the Windows Update service). This will be overwritten to "Manual" from "Disabled". KB4088776 of 3/13/2018 does this.

Anyway, I came here looking for a better description of what "Pause Quality Updates Starting" really does. It's not all that clear. Some help would be appreciated.
GPEDIT.MSC
Local Computer Policy
Computer Configuration
Administrative Templates
Windows Components
Windows Update
Windows Update for Business
Select when quality updates are received
Pause Quality updates starting
[ ]

Thanks!

 

Hello Fred, *Smile

If you haven't already, the tutorial below can give you more details about pausing updates instead. Please let me know if you have more questions about it.

*Arrow Turn On or Off Pause Updates for Windows Update in Windows 10 Windows 10 Tutorials

 

Brink,

Thanks. The presentation is quite different. The settings are being made using gpedit.msc and, now, the Settings dialog says: ""*Some settings are managed by your organization". But going to gpedit as I outlined earlier remains accessible.

 

Sorry, the group policy method to pause updates does the same as the tutorial I posted above, but the group policy method makes it where you can't change it in Settings.

This is the reason why you would see the "Some settings are managed by your organization" message.

 

Yes, I know that. The original question remains and doesn't appear to be covered at all in the tutorial. Did I miss it?

 

If you mean what does the "Pause Quality updates starting" setting in group policy is for, it is for specifying a start date to pause updates.

 

OK. And that pause is independent of any deferred receipt date? It starts when it starts. What happens in the interim if the date specified is in the future?

 

Correct.

The other Pause setting works independently and immediately to pause all (most) updates for up to 7 days, while defer in this policy will only stop quality updates for up to 30 days.

If the defer policy has a date specified in the future, then the defer won't start until that date.

 

Brink, Thanks!
Now all one might look for is a script to reset the pause setting each day or each week.
But, is it also correct that one can't "pause" unless the machine is up-to-date?

 

You're most welcome.

When you turn on Pause Updates and turn it off or the 7 days has expired, you won't be able to turn on "Pause Updates" again until after you install any available updates.