Forced Windows updates can now be paused forever

{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https://www.engadget.com/computing/forced-windows-updates-can-now-be-paused-forever-200338487.html","headline":"Forced Windows updates can now be paused forever","datePublished":"2026-04-26T20:03:39.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-26T20:03:39.000Z","keywords":["Windows Update","Windows updates","Microsoft","Windows 11"],"description":"You can now continually put a pause Windows 11 updates, 35 days at a time.","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Engadget","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://s.yimg.com/kw/assets/engadget-amp-280x60.png","width":280,"height":60},"url":"https://www.engadget.com"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Jackson Chen","url":"https://www.engadget.com/about/editors/jackson-chen/","jobTitle":"Contributing reporter"},"creator":{"@type":"Person","name":"Jackson Chen","url":"https://www.engadget.com/about/editors/jackson-chen/","jobTitle":"Contributing reporter"},"provider":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Engadget","url":"https://www.engadget.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","width":313,"height":100,"url":"https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2020-11/b1da0f90-244a-11eb-bfaf-e0fb13dde404"}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","height":739,"url":"https://s.yimg.com/lo/mysterio/api/4FF4297B042DE9340FA9C93D3293115C0A4607AE9F5096ACE99F7517A9C76025/subgraphmysterio/resizefit_w1200;quality_90;format_webp/https:%2F%2Fs.yimg.com%2Fos%2Fcreatr-uploaded-images%2F2026-04%2Fa8eb1ac0-41a7-11f1-a3df-12107bd27f2b","width":1200},"thumbnailUrl":"https://s.yimg.com/lo/mysterio/api/4FF4297B042DE9340FA9C93D3293115C0A4607AE9F5096ACE99F7517A9C76025/subgraphmysterio/resizefit_w1200;quality_90;format_webp/https:%2F%2Fs.yimg.com%2Fos%2Fcreatr-uploaded-images%2F2026-04%2Fa8eb1ac0-41a7-11f1-a3df-12107bd27f2b","articleSection":"Computing"}{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Engadget US","item":"https://www.engadget.com/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Computing","item":"https://www.engadget.com/computing"}]}ComputingForced Windows updates can now be paused foreverThe new update pause lasts 35 days at a time, but you can extend it as many times as you want.Jackson ChenContributing reporterSun, April 26, 2026 at 8:03 PM UTCAdd Engadget on GoogleSun, April 26, 2026 at 8:03 PM UTCMicrosoftNo more getting caught by a forced Windows 11 update while you're in the middle of a meeting or a match. Microsoft announced some major changes coming to Windows Update on its blog, including the ability to indefinitely pause Windows updates, 35 days at a time.To give users more control, Windows Update introduced the option to extend update pauses as much as users want. Once you opted to pause updates for Windows 11, you won't be disturbed for 35 days at a time, but you can now reset this 35-day limit for as long as you want. You should eventually install these updates, as most of them are usually related to security upgrades and only sometimes require emergency fixes, but Microsoft is letting users decide when to do so. Microsoft's Aria Hanson wrote in the blog that these changes were a result of feedback that consistently mentioned "disruption caused by untimely updates and not enough control over when updates happen."Beyond the update pauses, Microsoft is ensuring Windows 11 users always have the option to shut down or restart their devices without updating. These quality-of-life…

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