It’s happened to everyone: a Windows PC is turned on, an active browsing or work session, and suddenly a black screen appears, followed a few seconds later by a message to restart to install new system updates. And it doesn’t happen by accident; it happens frequently, even multiple times in the same month.
This is the source of widespread discontent among many people with Microsoft’s update policy for computers running the Windows operating system. This is despite the fact that over time, the Redmond company has demonstrated its willingness to accommodate its users , implementing with Windows 11 the option to suspend updates for a minimum of one week and a maximum of five weeks.
In this case, however, suspending and blocking are not synonymous. On the one hand, suspending can be seen as a more gentle action; on the other, blocking immediately appears more effective, giving the user the power to independently manage the device’s update policy.
To date, the most effective tool for blocking Windows updates is the Windows Update Blocker program , which can be downloaded for free from its dedicated page on GitHub. Its effectiveness lies in two factors: first, its ease of use, as the blocking process is literally a single click; second, it’s a method that works, unlike others that only temporarily block updates due to a specific Microsoft program, which WUB can neutralize.
In this short guide, we’ll show you how to block Windows updates using the Windows Update Blocker program . At the end, you’ll also find our thoughts on how to best manage operating system updates. While it’s important to be able to manage this yourself, it’s equally important to remember that updates help protect both your device and what’s inside it.
Index
- 1. How to block Windows updates with Windows Update Blocker
- 2. Block Windows updates consciously
How to Block Windows Updates with Windows Update Blocker
The first step involves downloading the wub.exe executable file from the dedicated GitHub page . Once this is complete, you need to proceed with the installation, granting the program the usual permission to make changes to the system.
After a few seconds, the Windows Update Blocker screen will open with the various settings associated with Windows updates. By default, the activated option is “Enable Updates” : consequently, if you want to disable updates, add the check mark next to “Disable Updates” .
As soon as you select “Disable Updates” , the program will automatically add a check mark next to “Protect Services Settings” . This is a very important setting, which should be left enabled: in fact, thanks to it you will prevent the Windows operating system from arbitrarily reactivating updates, via the Windows Update Medic Service component .
Once this is done, all you have to do is press the “Apply Now” button to confirm your wish to block Windows updates. After a few moments, the small Windows Update Blocker screen will show a change in the “Service Status” icon , which will turn from green to red.
From now on, your computer will no longer receive operating system updates. For example, if you had an older update, it will display the “update failed” warning, with an exclamation point icon inside a yellow/orange circle. Even after future reboots, the system will not force the update, unlike what happens after a simple user interruption or a deliberate pause of one or more weeks via the “Windows Update” settings .
Block Windows Updates with Awareness
In conclusion, we believe it is necessary to reflect on the value of Windows operating system updates, especially in the current historical moment, a period in which artificial intelligence is being used by hackers and malicious users to trigger even more dangerous attacks against an ever-increasing number of people.
Let’s go back to the initial discussion: blocking updates, which arises from the idea of wanting to manage this process independently , without seeing your workflow interrupted, is a smart idea , provided that you do so with the awareness of the importance of performing the updates required by the system .
Leaving a computer without hardware and software updates poses a serious long-term security risk to personal information and files stored on the device’s internal memory. We all agree that having your computer reboot in the middle of working on an important project is unpleasant, to put it mildly, but blocking updates altogether is far worse.
Windows Update Blocker was created precisely with this aim in mind : to give users complete control over system updates , allowing them to choose when they’re free from work or other commitments to perform the actual update. Finally, we can confirm that Windows Update Blocker is a completely free program.
