Things have (slightly) changed for the better since then. On April 9, 2013, Microsoft released a hotfix to allow users to control Windows restarts. True, the description does not say anything about this.
When Microsoft first launched the automatic update mechanism, installing security patches most often resulted in an immediate reboot. Almost any XP user has a creepy story about how he left the computer for only five minutes or left it on overnight, and returned to find that all unsaved documents were gone, browser windows closed, copying / moving files stopped due to automatic reboot.
Vista and behave decently, but they also have a stupid habit of rebooting at the most inopportune moment. Win7 displays a message prompting you to restart your computer to complete the installation of important updates. If this message is ignored, it will periodically pop up for four hours, and then the system will wave its hand and automatically reboot.
Today, a reboot does not entail such catastrophic consequences. Most applications have learned how to save backup copies of files, and all major browsers are able to restore a session after a crash. However, downloading or copying files is still interrupted and does not automatically recover.
In response to the endless complaints from users, Microsoft developers approached the creation of Windows 8 from a new perspective (which for many turned out to be too new). Here's how it's explained in the official description:
“After installing an important update, the system notifies you that the computer must be restarted within three days. If the computer does not restart within the allotted time, the computer displays a 15-minute countdown timer and then restarts automatically. By default, automatic restart is delayed if the computer is locked, and the countdown in this case starts at the next logon.
If a Win8 computer was locked out when WSUS or Automatic Updates installed a major patch and remained locked out for more than three days, the user will have 15 minutes the next time they log in to prepare for an inevitable reboot.
Among the updates released on April 9 is KB2822241 - a cumulative update for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012, marked as "important" (some users of 64-bit, by the way, have problems with it). Although the long description of KB2822241 does not mention it, this update includes a new registry key that allows you to change the restart options on a Windows 8 computer that has been locked out for more than three days. New features are described in KB2835627:
“[New registry key] allows you to force an automatic restart to complete the installation of important updates, regardless of whether you are at the PC ... [When changing the value of the key] you still receive notifications about the upcoming automatic restart on the login screen into the system. However, after the three-day period, the 15-minute countdown starts even if the computer is locked. Reboot also occurs even if the computer is locked."
In short, if you change the value of the partition, Windows 8 will automatically restart three days after installing an important update, even if the user is not at the computer.
Here is the new section: ". In it you need to create a parameter DWORD With name " AlwaysAutoRebootAtScheduledTime” and set it to “1” to force the computer to restart after three days. Using the value "0" preserves the previous reboot order.
Incidentally, XP, Vista, and Win7 have a similar setting to prevent automatic reboot when logged in. In chapter " HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU» you can create a parameter DWORD With name " NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers" and assign it the value " 1 to prevent Windows from automatically restarting four hours after installing updates if someone is logged on.
At the moment, there are three different issues that Windows 10 users face when installing updates. Firstly, this is an error downloading the update or freezing the download process. Secondly, these are problems during the installation of the update, and finally, the system crashes with a BSOD after a reboot. Below are a few possible troubleshooting solutions.
Fixing Windows 10 update download issue
If the cumulative update does not download, try the following steps:
If the cumulative update hangs while downloading or installation fails, then something has gone wrong with the update files. After clearing the folder containing the update files, Windows Update will try to download the update components again. Navigate to the following location:
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download
Delete all files/folders, but don't delete the Download folder itself. Select all files and folders using CTRL + A and press the Delete key to delete. Restart your computer and run the update procedure again.
If the cumulative update hangs while downloading, try the following solution:
- Enter Services
- Scroll to service Delivery Optimization.
- Right-click on the service and select Properties.
- Change the "Startup Type" to "Manual".
- Restart your computer.
- If Windows 10 update still freezes, change the startup type to "Automatic (Delayed Start)".
Stop the Windows Update service
If stopping the Delivery Optimization service does not solve the problem, additionally try stopping the Windows Update service. If the Windows 10 update is stuck at the “Initializing...,” try the following solution:
- Click on the "Start" menu icon.
- Enter Services and launch the classic application of the same name.
- Scroll to service Windows Update.
- Right-click on the service and select Stop.
- Restart your computer.
- Check for new updates.
- The update should proceed normally.
Windows Update Reset Script
Completely reset the Windows Update client settings. It has been tested on Windows 7, 8, 10 and Server 2012 R2. The script will configure services and registry keys related to Windows Update, restoring the default settings. It will also clean up files related to Windows Update.
Fixing Windows 10 update installation issue
In some cases, you may encounter a problem installing an update. If the installation of the update is stuck at some stage, then try the next solution.
If your computer freezes at the stage, then follow the instructions below.
- While holding the power button, turn off the machine.
- Restart your computer and boot into safe mode.
- Sign in to your account (if necessary).
- Make sure all virus scanners are disabled before continuing.
- From the start menu, type Recovery and select the appropriate desktop app.
- Click Starting System Restore.
- Select an earlier restore point, and then click Next.
- Follow the instructions to start System Restore.
- Wait while your computer completes the system restore process.
- Regardless of whether the restore succeeds or fails, you are likely to get rid of the “Preparing to configure Windows. Don't turn off your computer."
- Sign in to your account if required.
- Disable virus scanners before continuing.
- Start the Windows update process.
- The update should now install without problems.
Some users may encounter a stop error that causes a blue screen of death (BSOD) to be displayed during a system reboot.
If you're experiencing a BSOD crash while updating Windows 10, check out the article:
Other Windows 10 update issues
After installing Windows 10 updates, you may encounter some issues such as internet connection errors.
To fix these issues, you need to run the following commands from a command prompt (cmd.exe). In the search box on the taskbar, type Command line, press and hold (or right-click) "Command Prompt" and select "Run as administrator". After opening the command prompt, enter the following commands one by one:
netsh winsock reset catalog
netsh int ipv4 reset reset.log
If you are still experiencing the "No Internet Connection" issue, please update your computer's IP address. To do this, open a command prompt (Win + R, enter cmd.exe and press Enter) and enter the following command:
ipconfig /renew
Disable Windows 10 update and drivers
Sometimes you may need to disable the installation of Windows 10 updates on your computer. Windows 10 Pro users can delay updates for a set amount of time, but Windows 10 Home users don't.
Microsoft has provided a separate "Show or hide updates" tool to disable the cumulative update or even drivers.
DISM Commands to Check Windows 10 Issues
You can use the official DISM commands to restore a Windows image to fix any problem with your updates. Before you start, it is recommended that you make a full system backup or create a system restore point in case something goes wrong.
Using the CheckHealth option in DISM
Team /CheckHealth in DISM allows you to detect potential corruption. This command is only used to find corruption, but does not perform troubleshooting operations.
Command line, right-click on the link that appears and select "Run as administrator" because DISM requires device administrator rights to run.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
UsageoptionsScanHealth'sDISM
Team / ScanHealth in DISM allows you to scan the Windows image for any damage. Unlike /CheckHealth, /ScanHealth can take up to 10 minutes.
Follow these steps to run this command:
1. Type in the search menu Start Command line
2. At the "Command Prompt", type the following command and press Enter:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
UsageoptionsRestoreHealth inDISM
Team /RestoreHealth in DISM allows you to automatically restore corrupted Windows images. Unlike /ScanHealth, the /RestoreHealth check can take up to 10 minutes.
Follow these steps to run this command:
1. Type in the search menu Start Command line, right-click on the link that appears and select "Run as administrator".
2. At the "Command Prompt", type the following command and press Enter:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Note: while running /RestoreHealth or /ScanHealth, you may notice the procedure hanging between 20% or 40% - this is completely normal behavior.
Found a typo? Select and press Ctrl + Enter
Operating system updates are necessary to keep it in optimal condition for comfortable operation. In Windows 10, the update process itself requires little or no user interaction. All important changes in the system that relate to security or usability take place without the direct participation of the user. But there is a possibility of problems in any process, and updating Windows is no exception. In this case, human intervention will be required.
Problems updating the Windows 10 operating system
When installing updates, a variety of problems can occur. Some of them will be expressed in the fact that the system will immediately require to be updated again. In other situations, the error will interrupt the current update process or prevent it from starting. In addition, an interrupted update may even lead to undesirable consequences and require a system rollback. If your update does not complete, do the following:
And now that your system is safe, it's worth finding out what was the cause of the problems and trying to fix the situation.
Update not available due to antivirus or firewall
Any installed antivirus with incorrect settings can block the Windows update process. The easiest way to check is to simply disable this antivirus for the duration of the check. The disabling process itself depends on your antivirus program, but usually it is not difficult.
Almost any antivirus can be disabled via the tray menu
Quite another thing is to turn off the firewall. Disabling it permanently, of course, is not worth it, but it may be necessary to suspend its operation for the correct installation of the update. To do this, do the following:
- Press Win+X to open the Quick Access Toolbar. There, find and open the "Control Panel" item.
Select "Control Panel" from the shortcut menu
- Among other items in the control panel is "Windows Firewall". Click on it to open its settings.
Open Windows Firewall in Control Panel
- On the left side of the window there will be various settings for this service, including the ability to disable it. Select it.
Select "Turn Windows Firewall on or off" in its settings
- In each of the sections, set "Turn off the firewall" and confirm the changes.
For each network type, set the switch to "Disable Firewall"
After disconnecting, try to update Windows 10 again. If it is successful, then the reason was indeed the restriction of network access for the update program.
Unable to install update due to lack of space
Before installation, the update files must be downloaded to your computer. Therefore, you should never fill up your hard drive space to capacity. In the event that the update was not downloaded due to lack of space, you need to free up space on your drive:
- First of all, open the Start menu. There is a gear icon that you need to click on.
From the Start menu, select the gear symbol
- Then go to the "System" section.
In Windows Settings, open the "System" section
- There, open the "Storage" tab. In "Storage" you can track how much space on which disk partition you have free. Select the partition on which you have Windows installed, because this is where updates will be installed.
Go to the "Storage" tab in the system partition
- You will receive detailed information about what exactly is taking up space on your hard drive. Read this information and scroll down the page.
You can explore what your hard drive is doing through "Storage"
- Temporary files can take up a lot of space and you can delete them directly from this menu. Select this section and click "Delete temporary files".
Find the "Temporary Files" section and delete them from "Storage"
- Most likely, most of your space is occupied by programs or games. To uninstall them, select Programs and Features in the Windows 10 Control Panel.
Select the "Programs and Features" section through the control panel
- Here you can select all the programs you do not need and remove them, thereby freeing up space for updating.
Using the Uninstall or Change Programs utility, you can remove unnecessary applications
Even a major Windows 10 update should not require too much free space. Nevertheless, for the correct operation of all system programs, it is desirable to leave at least twenty gigabytes free on a hard or solid state drive.
Video: instructions for clearing hard drive space
Windows 10 updates not installing
Well, if the cause of the problem is known. But what if the update downloads successfully but fails to install without any errors. Or even the download does not go well, but the reasons are also unclear. In this case, you should use one of the ways to fix such problems.
Fixing problems with updating through the official utility
Microsoft has developed a special program for one task - to fix any problems with updating Windows. Of course, this method cannot be called completely universal, but the utility can really help you in many cases.
To use it, do the following:
- Open the Control Panel again and select the "Troubleshooting" section there.
Open Troubleshooting in Control Panel
- At the very bottom of this section, you'll find Troubleshooting with Windows Update. Click on it with the left mouse button.
At the bottom of the Troubleshoot window, select Troubleshoot with Windows Update
- The program itself will start. Go to the "Advanced" tab to make some settings.
Click on the "Advanced" button on the first screen of the program
- You should definitely choose to run with administrator rights. Without this, there will most likely be no sense from such a check.
Select "Run as Administrator"
- And then already press the “Next” key in the previous menu.
- The program will automatically search for certain problems in Windows Update. The user is only required to confirm their correction in case the problem is actually found.
Wait for the program to detect certain problems
- As soon as the diagnostics and fixes are completed, you will receive detailed statistics about the fixed errors in a separate window. You can close this window, and after restarting the computer, try to update again.
You can explore the fixed issues in the Diagnostic Completion window
Manual download of Windows 10 updates
If all your problems are related exclusively to Windows Update, then you can download the update you need yourself. Especially for this feature, there is an official update catalog from where you can download them:
Make sure updates are enabled on your computer
Sometimes a situation may arise that there are no problems at all. It's just that your computer is not configured to receive updates automatically. Check it:
Windows update version kb3213986 is not installed
The cumulative update package version kb3213986 was released in January of this year. It includes many fixes, such as:
- fixes problems connecting multiple devices to one computer;
- improves the background work of system applications;
- fixes many Internet problems, in particular, problems with Microsoft Edge and Microsoft Explorer browsers;
- many other fixes that improve system stability and fix bugs.
And, unfortunately, when installing this service pack, errors can also occur. First of all, if the installation failed, Microsoft experts advise deleting all temporary update files and downloading them again. This is done as follows:
Another reason for problems with this update is outdated drivers. For example, an old motherboard or other hardware driver. To check this, open the Device Manager utility:
- To open it, you can use the keyboard shortcut Win + R and enter the command devmgtmt.msc. After that, confirm the input and the device manager will be opened.
Type the command devmgtmt.msc into the Run window
- In it, you will immediately see devices for which drivers are not installed. They will be marked with a yellow symbol with an exclamation mark, or they will be signed as an unknown device. Be sure to install drivers for such devices.
Select to automatically search for updated drivers in the next window
- If a newer version is found for the driver, it will be installed. Repeat this process for each of the system devices.
After all this, try to install the update again, and if the problem was in the drivers, then you will no longer encounter this update error.
Issues with March Windows Updates
March 2017 also saw some issues with updates. And if you can't install some of the versions right now, make sure they didn't come out in March. So, the update version KB4013429 may not want to install at all, and some other versions will cause errors in the browser or video playback programs. In the worst case, these updates can even create serious problems with your computer.
If this happens, then you need to restore the computer. It's not that hard to do this:
It's best to just not install unstable builds. Now there are many versions of Windows that do not contain critical errors, and the likelihood of problems during their installation is much less.
Video: Fix various Windows 10 update errors
How to Avoid Problems When Installing a Windows Update
If you encounter problems when updating frequently, then you yourself may be doing something wrong. Make sure you don't commit common violations when updating Windows 10:
Usually the cause of the problem is on the user's side. By following these simple tips, you can avoid critical situations with new Windows updates.
Windows 10 operating system stopped updating
After some errors appear in the update center, the operating system may refuse to update again. That is, even if you fix the cause of the problem, you will not be able to update again.
Sometimes the update error appears over and over again preventing it from being installed
In this case, you need to use the diagnostics and restore system files. You can do this in the following way:
Video: What to do if Windows 10 updates won't download
Windows 10 updates often contain important security fixes for this system. Therefore, it is important to know how to install them if the automatic method fails. Knowing the different ways to fix an update error will come in handy to the user sooner or later. And let Microsoft try to make new builds of the operating system as stable as possible, the likelihood of errors remains, so you need to know how to solve them.
With the development of the Internet, the constant updating of the operating system has become commonplace. Now developers can fix and refine the system throughout the entire period of its support. But frequent Windows 10 updates are not always convenient. That is why it would be nice to be able to turn them off.
Reasons for disabling automatic updates
The reasons can be very different, and only you can decide how much you need to disable updates. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that important fixes for system vulnerabilities are delivered along with improvements to certain features. And yet, situations where self-updates should be disabled occur quite often:
- paid Internet - sometimes the update is quite large and it can be expensive to download if you pay for traffic. In this case, it is better to postpone the download and download later under other conditions;
- lack of time - after downloading, the update will begin to install during the shutdown of the computer. This can be inconvenient if you need to quickly complete the work, for example, on a laptop. But even worse here is that sooner or later Windows 10 will require you to restart your computer, and if you don’t, then after a while the restart will be forced. All this distracts and interferes with work;
- security - although the updates themselves often contain important system changes, no one can ever foresee everything. As a result, some updates may open your system to a virus attack, while others will simply break it immediately after installation. A reasonable approach in this situation is to update some time after the release of the next version, having previously studied the reviews.
Disable Windows 10 Automatic Updates
There are many ways to turn off Windows 10 updates. Some of them are quite simple for the user, others are more difficult, and still others require the installation of third-party programs.
Disable through the update center
Using the update center to disable it is not the best option, although it is offered as an official solution by the developers from Microsoft. You can indeed turn off the automatic download of updates through their settings. The problem here is that this solution will somehow be temporary. The release of a major Windows 10 update will change this setting and bring back system updates. But we will study the shutdown process anyway:
After these changes, minor updates will no longer be installed. But this solution won't help you get rid of downloading updates forever.
Disable Windows 10 Update Service
Since Windows Update is a system service, we can completely rid ourselves of updates by simply disabling this service. In versions of Windows 10 Home or Home Premium, this is done like this:
Unlike the previous option, operating system updates will be permanently disabled. Well, or until the moment when the user independently turns on this service.
Instructions for Windows 10 Pro
The professional version of the system has elements that are not in the home version. This allows you to use the Local Group Policy Editor to disable Windows Updates. The result will be exactly the same as when disabled by another method:
Disabling Windows 10 Updates by Editing the Registry
Disabling through the registry will also allow you to disable updates once and for all. But it is worth remembering that you make any changes to the registry at your own risk, and inattention can harm your computer. You need to create a new parameter in the registry and configure it:
Restrict updates using metered internet
Windows Updates should not be downloaded with limited connection traffic. Automatically, this feature does not always work correctly, but we can enable this setting to restrict updates manually:
Video: Disable Windows 10 updates
Disable Windows Restart for Update
As mentioned above, Windows 10 may force a reboot to complete the update. It is worth limiting this feature of the operating system if you want to work comfortably. There are various ways to set up a reboot so that it does not happen on its own. The simplest one is to increase the number of notifications before restarting:
We limit the reboot through the "Task Scheduler"
If Windows 10 is about to reboot, this task appears in the appropriate service. So do the following:
Unfortunately, just disabling this task is not enough. In the future, Windows 10 can reactivate it without the knowledge of the user. To fix this, do the following:
Setting the time to restart
If your main problem is not the fact of a forced reboot, but the fact that it happens at an inconvenient time, you can independently set up a schedule for such work. To do this, use the time setting when the user is active behind the device. Once configured, the update will not be performed at the specified time. The setup itself is done as follows:
Disabling automatic reboot through the local group policy editor
In Windows 10 Professional, this item can also be configured through the Group Policy Editor:
Thus, we prevented the computer from restarting if there are active user sessions.
For other versions of Windows 10 that do not have a local group policy editor, you can configure the same through the registry. The instruction almost completely corresponds to the guide for disabling updates through the registry, there is only one difference: the DWORD value that we created in the AU directory should be called NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers 
Create the setting NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers with value 1
Disable Windows Store Software Updates
The Store in Windows 10 can start downloading updates for installed programs on its own. In some situations, this is convenient, but sometimes undesirable for the user. To disable these updates, follow these steps:
After that, your programs will not be updated and you will be able to work in older versions. You can return the ability to download updates by simply moving this slider back.
Disable automatic driver downloads
The next thing Windows 10 can download without users knowing is hardware drivers and their updates. You can also disable this action:
Prohibition of peer-to-peer distribution of updates
Windows 10 uses a p2p update download system. This means that you download updates not only from Microsoft servers, but also through a network of other users. This means a heavy load on your network, as update files will be distributed from your computer. You can turn it off like this:
These actions will be enough to prevent other users from receiving Windows 10 updates using your Internet traffic.
Programs to disable Windows 10 updates
If you do not feel like disabling updates manually, there are many reliable and convenient programs. Most of them are simple utilities whose only task is to turn off Windows updates.
A simple program that comes in two flavors. In one it will require installation into the system, and in the other it will work as a utility. The portable version is, of course, more convenient, as it can work from a flash drive. It's easy to use:
After rebooting in Windows Update, you should be able to see that everything went well. 
If you see an error in the update center, then the shutdown was successful
Windows Update Blocker utility
Another simple program made for the same purpose. After downloading, do the following:
Video: A quick way to disable Windows 10 updates permanently
Turn off update notifications
In another situation, the updates themselves will not bother you, but annoying messages about the need to install them will be pretty distracting. They can also be disabled:
Windows 10 is a good operating system made by professionals. But, unfortunately, it is not flexible enough to allow you to configure important functions. In this way, they try to protect users from rash actions, which can sometimes include disabling updates. But now that you know why you should turn them off and how to do it, you are experienced enough to get around this limitation in any way that suits you.