Microsoft · GUIDE
How to temporarily pause Windows 11 updates
If an update is showing credible problem signals but the vendor has not finished investigating, use Windows' built-in pause control instead of permanently disabling the update service.
Pause from Settings
Open Start → Settings → Windows Update and choose an end date in the Pause updates control. Current Windows 11 supports a pause window of up to 35 days from today.
A pause is not a permanent block
When the pause ends, Windows checks again and may download and install the latest available updates. This is not a safe way to avoid security updates indefinitely.
When it is useful
A short pause is useful when a vendor-confirmed issue is still under investigation or multiple independent communities are reporting the same serious symptom without a reliable fix yet.