# Can anything stop Windows 10 updates? I've already set it as a metered connection.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-stop-windows-10-updates-ive-already-set-it-as-a-metered-connection/821147
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [September 11, 2018, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-stop-windows-10-updates-ive-already-set-it-as-a-metered-connection/821147 "2018-09-11T02:17:30Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Postariti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Postariti)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2018, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-stop-windows-10-updates-ive-already-set-it-as-a-metered-connection/821147/1 "2018-09-11T02:17:30Z")
I am furious. I only get 5 GB of data a month, it reset on the 6th. Just now I get a notice that Windows is ready to update and restart. I check, and 4.5 GB of data has been used!
I have it set as a metered connection. Is there anything else I can do?
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### Author:  [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2018, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-stop-windows-10-updates-ive-already-set-it-as-a-metered-connection/821147/2 "2018-09-11T02:36:11Z")
Call up your provider and go for a upgraded plan or switch providers? Really from what I have heard, while you can stall the Win 10 updates they will not allow you to stop them (well I think some updates you can decline, but security ones you can’t). If it’s a laptop you might consider taking it to a place with free wifi once and a while to do those updates.
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### Author:  [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2018, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-stop-windows-10-updates-ive-already-set-it-as-a-metered-connection/821147/3 "2018-09-11T04:05:24Z")
When I run out of Jimmy, I just turn it off and go play with the dogs. Not ideal, I suppose.
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### Author:  [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2018, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-stop-windows-10-updates-ive-already-set-it-as-a-metered-connection/821147/4 "2018-09-11T05:42:10Z")
I don’t understand. All your data for a PC is coming over a cellular connection?
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### Author:  [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2018, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-stop-windows-10-updates-ive-already-set-it-as-a-metered-connection/821147/5 "2018-09-11T05:43:38Z")
Nobody can stop it! You can only hope to contain it!
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### Author:  [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2018, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-stop-windows-10-updates-ive-already-set-it-as-a-metered-connection/821147/6 "2018-09-11T06:14:25Z")
Isn’t there a registry setting wher you can turn off auto-updates?
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### Author:  [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2018, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-stop-windows-10-updates-ive-already-set-it-as-a-metered-connection/821147/7 "2018-09-11T06:46:32Z")
How often are you getting updates? What kind of machine is it? I just checked my usage and it shows 95 MB from the system in the last month. I might have had one update in that time.
> [@Riemann](#):
>
> I don’t understand. All your data for a PC is coming over a cellular connection?
I’m wondering the same thing.
Also, if you don’t actually shut down your machine, but instead just hibernate it whenever you’re not using it, it won’t update as much.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2018, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-stop-windows-10-updates-ive-already-set-it-as-a-metered-connection/821147/8 "2018-09-11T07:28:17Z")
There’s pretty nearly no way to stop it for a home user of Windows 10 - enterprise users can control it via policy, but for home users, it will do what it wants - and the settings for metered connections etc are now largely ignored, for critical updates.
Microsoft decided that pushing updates to your computer is more important than letting you have the choice. Sorry, but that’s the unpleasant truth of the matter.
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### Author:  [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2018, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-stop-windows-10-updates-ive-already-set-it-as-a-metered-connection/821147/9 "2018-09-11T08:17:05Z")
The hope is that your computer will not become a mule for some nefarious activity.
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### Author:  [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2018, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-stop-windows-10-updates-ive-already-set-it-as-a-metered-connection/821147/10 "2018-09-11T08:32:21Z")
There actually is a registry setting but damned if I can remember what it was. Anyway, I also have it set as metered connection, and I’m still at Build 1511 so I must have done something right. I just googled on how to stop the Fall Creator’s Update (which broke everything and I had to use a restore point to back that shit out) and someone had a pretty neat hack where you disable the ability of the computer to check for updates and initiate downloading them. Sorry to be of such little help, but I always have computer issues late at night and the fixes get done when I’m punchy AF–I just got done wrestling out a shitty Palemoon update on the media computer that fucked over my extensions and had to do a bunch of weird stuff to get it to work again and then my internet connection on that computer was all stupidy but it’s fixed now. And I’m exhausted and will likely not remember WTF I did to fix the browser, and so it goes.
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### Author:  [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2018, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-stop-windows-10-updates-ive-already-set-it-as-a-metered-connection/821147/11 "2018-09-11T09:12:47Z")
This page describe a registry setting that supposedly will stop automatic updates. I’m not sure if it works on the home edition or not. As with any registry changes, proceed at your own risk.
> **[How to Disable Windows 10 Update in Every Way](https://www.easeus.com/backup-recovery/how-to-stop-windows-10-from-automatically-update.html)**
>
> One of Windows 10's least-liked features is its tendency to automatically installing an update every time you try to shut down your computer or laptop. How to can I disable Windows 10 update? You are in the right place! Just read this post to know...
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### Author:  [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2018, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-stop-windows-10-updates-ive-already-set-it-as-a-metered-connection/821147/12 "2018-09-11T10:30:14Z")
> [@davidm](#):
>
> This page describe a registry setting that supposedly will stop automatic updates. I’m not sure if it works on the home edition or not. As with any registry changes, proceed at your own risk.
> [How to Disable Windows 10 Update in Every Way - EaseUS](https://www.easeus.com/todo-backup-resource/how-to-stop-windows-10-from-automatically-update.html)
And always back up your registry first, before making any changes.
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### Author:  [@WilyQuixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WilyQuixote)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2018, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-stop-windows-10-updates-ive-already-set-it-as-a-metered-connection/821147/13 "2018-09-11T11:01:42Z")
Same problem as OP. Set as metered connection, which Windows feels free to ignore as it wishes.
Installed this - no more data theft. Easier to lick a few buttons than poke around in registry.
> **[StopUpdates10](https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/stopupdates10.html)**
>
> StopUpdates10 is designed to allow or block Windows 10/11 updates. Many similar apps don't work with the latest version of Windows. By default, you should see "Windows Updates is not blocked" in red letters and a red button that says "Stop Windows...
(Use at own risk, no guarantee it will work for you, etc. )
I disable and renable after updating at a date, time and palce of **MY** choosing.
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2018, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-stop-windows-10-updates-ive-already-set-it-as-a-metered-connection/821147/14 "2018-09-11T11:09:32Z")
I realize that this will not work for everyone, but I recently got a frankenputer (half old working parts salvaged from a prior machine, half new parts for the bits that no longer worked) and I’m running it on Linnux, where I control the updates. But then, I’m the sort that will _actually update the computer on my own_. But I decide when rather than some outside entity.
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### Author:  [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2018, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-stop-windows-10-updates-ive-already-set-it-as-a-metered-connection/821147/15 "2018-09-11T11:46:46Z")
> [@davidm](#):
>
> This page describe a registry setting that supposedly will stop automatic updates. I’m not sure if it works on the home edition or not. As with any registry changes, proceed at your own risk.
> [How to Disable Windows 10 Update in Every Way - EaseUS](https://www.easeus.com/todo-backup-resource/how-to-stop-windows-10-from-automatically-update.html)
This registry setting does indeed disable updates in Win 10. (And if you can’t run services.msc, you can access the same page thru the Control Panel.)
However, there must be another registry setting that periodically (every few days?) overrides it and restores the update status to “normal,” either automatic or manual. That’s the setting I want to find, as I have to disable updates again about once a week. Anybody know where/what that is?
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### Author:  [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2018, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-stop-windows-10-updates-ive-already-set-it-as-a-metered-connection/821147/16 "2018-09-11T11:48:32Z")
> [@WilyQuixote](#):
>
> Installed this - no more data theft. Easier to lick a few buttons than poke around in registry.
>
> [Download StopUpdates10 - MajorGeeks](https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/stopupdates10.html)
>
> (Use at own risk, no guarantee it will work for you, etc. )
I checked around about StopUpdates10 and didn’t see any red flags. Here’s a [thread](https://www.wilderssecurity.com/threads/stopupdates10-stop-windows-10-updates.402367/) at WildersSecurity discussing it. It also has some info about comparable programs and stuff to use to get selected updates.
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2018, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-stop-windows-10-updates-ive-already-set-it-as-a-metered-connection/821147/17 "2018-09-11T11:58:41Z")
> [@Musicat](#):
>
> This registry setting does indeed disable updates in Win 10. (And if you can’t run services.msc, you can access the same page thru the Control Panel.)
>
> However, there must be another registry setting that periodically (every few days?) overrides it and restores the update status to “normal,” either automatic or manual. That’s the setting I want to find, as I have to disable updates again about once a week. Anybody know where/what that is?
As far as I know, there isn’t one. You just have to rely on software that will change it back, like what has been mentioned in this thread. Microsoft does not want you being able to permanently shut it off.
(I mean, sure, there probably is something that you could disable, but doing so would make your computer just not work properly in some way. So better to just let software keep it off.)
And I presume that the OP has satellite Internet, which can have such low caps.
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### Author:  [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2018, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-stop-windows-10-updates-ive-already-set-it-as-a-metered-connection/821147/18 "2018-09-11T13:38:45Z")
Uh. Pretty sure you can just turn off the Windows Update Service in Services. I’m at work on a Win 7 Machine now, but I did that at home for awhile on my Win 10 machines.
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### Author:  [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2018, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-stop-windows-10-updates-ive-already-set-it-as-a-metered-connection/821147/19 "2018-09-11T13:48:00Z")
> [@enipla](#):
>
> Uh. Pretty sure you can just turn off the Windows Update Service in Services. I’m at work on a Win 7 Machine now, but I did that at home for awhile on my Win 10 machines.
Turning it off (disabling the function) can be done, but it reverts to enabled periodically. At least that’s what happens in my Win 10 machine.
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### Author:  [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2018, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-stop-windows-10-updates-ive-already-set-it-as-a-metered-connection/821147/20 "2018-09-11T14:24:42Z")
> [@Postariti](#):
>
> I only get 5 GB of data a month
That’s your real problem. 5 gigabytes a month? That’s absurdly low for a home internet plan, and not even very much for a cell phone plan. I think I get a terabyte (1000 gb) a month before I start getting charged at home.
And **Mangetout** , I suspect Microsoft was damned if they did, and damned if they didn’t- if they let people opt out of updates, some large chunk of those same non-updating people would be screaming the loudest if there was a security issue with Windows that caused an issue. Or they’ll be the ones screaming bloody murder if the software or they buy doesn’t work with their current version of Win 10 because the drivers aren’t updated or something.
So they decided to go the other route and update you whether you like it or not- probably less trouble in the long run for them.
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