How to turn off automatic application updates on Windows 10

Setting up automatic application updates is often quite useful because you don't need to check for new versions as often. This will save you time and keep the application safe.

However, sometimes, you may want to pause automatic app updates because the latest version is buggy or need to use an older version for some reason. Here's how to turn off automatic application updates on Windows 10 .

How to turn off automatic application updates on Windows 10

• How to stop automatic updates of Store applications in Windows 10
• How to stop automatic updates of Windows Desktop apps
• How to turn off automatic Windows updates

How to stop automatic updates of Store applications in Windows 10

Because the Microsoft Store provides a centralized location for apps to download, turning off auto-update is really simple. Type Microsoft Store into the Start menu to open it. Then, click the 3-dot Menu button on the top right and select Settings .

On the Settings page , disable the Update apps automatically slider . That's all you have to do. Now Microsoft Store apps will no longer update on the system platform.

To update the app manually in the future, open the Menu again and select Downloads and updates . Here, you will see any pending updates and can install them one by one or all at once by clicking Update all .

How to stop automatic updates of Windows Desktop apps

Turning off the automatic update feature of traditional desktop software requires you to drill down into each specific app because they are not all the same. Some desktop apps have a switch to disable automatic updates in the Settings panel. For example. Visual Studio Code has a checkbox to turn off platform updates in its Settings, plus a drop-down box to choose how updates are delivered.

Unfortunately, many applications like Dropbox, Spotify and Slack do not have a button to turn off updates. Due to frequent updates, these apps check and install new versions every time users open them.

In some cases, you can block app updates by changing permissions in the corresponding app data folder or via Command Prompt command. However, you do not need to do that because they may not be effective in the future and you should still install the new version.

If you have to turn off automatic updates for a certain software, find specific instructions for it on Google.

If you really want to block updates to a specific program, you can use Windows Firewall. However, this solution is only suitable for apps that do not require a network connection to operate.

How to turn off automatic Windows updates

Windows 10 regularly updates to new versions automatically. You can refer to Instructions on how to turn off Windows 10 updates to easily disable this feature when needed.

If you have problems with an application

The error of not being able to turn off automatic application updates can also occur when there is a conflict with the latest app version. If you are in this situation, you can fix the problem without turning off updates.

First, restart your PC. This simple step can help clear minor errors that exist on the system. Then, try uninstalling & reinstalling the program that is having problems. This action can remove corrupt files that cause errors or affect software performance. You can also try temporarily disabling antivirus software that is interfering with the application's operation.

Additionally, you should also run a system file checker (SFC) to find any file errors on the operating system. To do this, right-click the Start button or press Win + X and click Cmd (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin) from the list. Then enter the command:

sfc /scannow

The scan will take a while. If problems are found, SFC will attempt to automatically repair them.

Above are ways to turn off automatic application updates on Windows. If you know any other solutions, don't hesitate to share with WebTech360!