Key Points
Introduction: Explains what Windows Automatic Updates do, why disabling them can be necessary in managed environments, and the risks of leaving updates uncontrolled on business devices.
Steps to Disable: Outlines how to identify devices where Windows Automatic Updates are enabled and provides the exact steps to disable or control them using Windows policy settings (so updates don’t install unexpectedly).
Frequently Asked Questions: Answers common questions about impact, security trade-offs, restart behavior, verification steps, and best practices when you disable automatic updates.
Windows Automatic Updates help keep devices up to date by downloading and installing updates in the background. While this is useful for personal devices, many organizations prefer not to let endpoints update on their own because it can lead to unexpected reboots, unplanned downtime, and inconsistent patch levels across the fleet.
This becomes a bigger concern for production endpoints and remote devices (laptops and off-network systems). If each device updates independently, you lose the ability to control when updates install, which updates go first, and how rollouts are staged. In regulated or change-controlled environments, that lack of control can create operational risk and compliance gaps.
Disabling Windows Automatic Updates does not mean skipping security patching. It means shifting updates into a managed approval-and-deployment process, where you can test, approve, and roll out updates in stages (pilot to full deployment), with clear visibility and reporting.
If your environment relies on Windows Update for certain workflows, avoid leaving updates fully automatic. Instead, configure updates to notify or download only and enforce a controlled installation window. This helps you maintain stability while still staying patch-compliant.
The 105427 patch can be used to disable the Windows Automatic updates across all versions of the Windows OS's starting from Windows XP up to the latest, inclusive of Server OS's.
While choosing the target to deploy this patch, select All domains to ensure install this patch in machines that will be joining the network in the future as well.
To confirm the settings successfully configured in the agent, check the following steps,
At any point in time you can Enable the Windows Automatic Updates again. For that you have to deploy the patch 107896 using Patch Manager Plus.
You have successfully disabled Windows Automatic Updates feature by deploying a patch, with no manual intervention.
Disable Automatic Updates has been configured as a local group policy. So make sure you have not configured the same as a Domain policy as it will be overwritten.
If you would like to Enable the Check for Updates option again, deploy the patch 107900 using Patch Manager Plus.
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Disabling Windows Automatic Updates means the device will no longer download and install updates automatically in the background. Updates can still be applied through a controlled enterprise patch process.
Many organizations disable automatic updates to avoid unexpected installs, unplanned reboots, and inconsistent patch timing. It helps enforce change control by moving updates into an approval-based rollout.
It can be safe if you still patch regularly using a managed workflow. The risk is not disabling auto-updates, but disabling auto-updates without a replacement patch schedule and compliance tracking.
No. It prevents the endpoint from updating on its own, but security updates can still be deployed through your patch management process after testing and approval.
It reduces unexpected reboots caused by auto-install behavior. You can still decide when to reboot endpoints based on your maintenance window or reboot policy.
Optional. Disabling Check for updates helps prevent users (or local admins) from manually triggering updates outside your change window. Use it when you need stricter change control.
On the endpoint, go to Settings → Windows Update → Advanced options → Configured update policies, and check that the applied policy indicates automatic updates are disabled or controlled as intended.
This message appears when update policies are enforced by management tools or Group Policy. It indicates users cannot freely change update settings because the device is following centrally managed configuration.
Yes. Domain GPOs can override local settings. If you notice settings reverting or not applying, review the effective GPOs applied to the device and resolve conflicts.
Use the corresponding rollback/re-enable configuration from your patch workflow. After re-enabling, verify the endpoint update policy status again under Configured update policies.
