How to Prevent or Skip Feature Update Installation in Windows 10
We know that Microsoft regularly releases feature updates to Windows 10 operating system. These feature updates bring new features, functionality, UI changes and improvements to the OS, so you can consider these feature updates as a new Windows 10 version or a service pack. Microsoft has released a few feature updates for Windows 10 such as November Update, Anniversary Update, Creators Update and Fall Creators Update.
Recently Microsoft announced that the company will release 2 feature updates for Windows 10 every year as a part of their twice-per-year feature release schedule. One feature update will usually release in March and the other feature update will release in September month of every year. So there will be approx. 6 months time between 2 feature updates release every year.
Feature updates are installed automatically in Windows 10 via Windows Update but some people may not want to upgrade their Windows 10 machines to new feature updates. They might be worried about the compatibility issues of their installed software, hardware with the new update version or they might be afraid of the upgrade fail situations when a computer is broken if the upgrade is not completed successfully.
So sometimes people are comfortable with the installed OS version and they don’t want to upgrade to any new Windows version.
Today in this tutorial, we’ll tell you a few ways to prevent Windows 10 from automatically installing new feature update in your computer. With the help of these methods, you’ll be able to skip the new feature update installation in your machine.
This tutorial will apply to all Windows 10 versions and all feature update installation.
So without wasting time lets start the tutorial:
METHOD 1: Defer Feature Update Installation
Windows 10 allows you to defer a feature update up to 365 days i.e. 1 whole year. So you can enable the defer option to prevent a new feature update installation in your Windows 10 device.
1. Open Settings app from Start Menu. Alternatively, you can press WIN+I keys together to open Settings directly.
2. Now click on “Update and security” item present in Settings app.
3. Once you open Windows Update section, click on Advanced options link.
PS: Alternatively, You can also directly launch the advanced options page of Windows Update settings using “ms-settings:windowsupdate-options” command in RUN dialog box as mentioned here.
4. On Advanced Options page, under “Choose when updates are installed” section, look for “A feature update includes new capabilities and improvements” option.
This option is set to 0 days. Select 365 days using the drop-down box.
That’s it. Now no feature update will be installed in your computer for 1 year.
More Details: [Tip] How to Defer Windows Updates Download in Windows 10
METHOD 2: Using Registry Editor
You can also disable the automatic feature update installation and Windows 10 new version upgrade feature using Registry Editor.
You’ll need to create a few keys and values in registry to prevent feature update download and installation in your Windows 10 machine as mentioned below:
1. Type regedit in RUN or Start search box and press Enter. It’ll open Registry Editor.
2. Now go to following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindows
3. Create a new key under Windows key and set its name as WindowsUpdate. If the key is already present, skip to next step.
4. Now in right-side pane, create a new DWORD DisableOSUpgrade and set its value to 1
5. Again go to following key in Registry Editor:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionWindowsUpdate
6. Create a new key under WindowsUpdate key and set its name as OSUpgrade
7. Now in right-side pane, create a new DWORD AllowOSUpgrade and set its value to 0
8. Close Registry Editor and restart your computer to take effect.
Now Windows 10 will not upgrade to new feature update in your computer.
PS: In future, if you want to install feature update, delete both DWORDs created in steps 4 and 7.
METHOD 3: Disable Automatic Windows Updates Installation
You can also follow a few other methods to force Windows 10 to not automatically download and install updates in your computer. This way, no feature update will be installed in your computer without your permission.