How to Block Windows 11 Update in Windows 10

Don’t want to update to Windows 11 automatically? Here is a simple way to block the Windows 11 update in Windows 10 operating system.

After seven long years, Microsoft finally released a new version of Windows. i.e., Windows 11. If you don’t know, Windows 11 was officially released on October 5^th, 2021, amid much flair and praise. Like with any major version, all eligible systems will be automatically updated to Windows 11. Compared to Windows 10, Windows 11 got a much-needed user interface uplift. Even better, it is way more consistent in terms of applying the design language. Of course, it still has a long way to go, but the community positively welcomed most changes in Windows 11.

That being said, Windows 11 is not perfect, at least for now. As such, you might not want your system upgraded to Windows 11 automatically. There are many reasons for this, like compatibility with programs, degraded performance, not liking the new design language, missing functionality, waiting for the OS to mature, etc. No matter the reason, if you don’t want Windows 10 upgrading to Windows 11 automatically, you can disable it with just a few clicks. Even after stopping the automatic Windows 11 upgrade, you can manually upgrade to it whenever you are ready.

This simple guide will take you through the steps to automatically stop Windows 10 from updating to Windows 11.

Jump to:

• Group policy method
• Registry method

Note: This method is not perfect. Keep in mind that the changes you make using group policy or registry might block future major Windows 10 updates like 21H2. In that case, you have to download the Windows 10 ISO and upgrade your system manually.

Block Windows 11 update using Group Policy

You can configure the “feature update version” policy in the GPO to block Windows 11 upgrade. Here’s where to find the policy and modify it.

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Search and open “Edit group policy.”
3. Go to “Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Windows Update for Business” folder.
4. Double-click on the “Select the target feature update version” policy.
5. Select “Enabled.”
6. Type “21H2” in the blank field under “Options.”
7. Click the “Apply” and “Ok” buttons.
8. Close the Group Policy Editor.
9. Reboot Windows.

After rebooting, Windows 10 will no longer download Windows 11 automatically. i.e., you have successfully blocked Windows 11 update in Windows 10.

Block Windows 11 update using Registry

You can create and modify registry values to block Windows 11 update in Windows 10. Here’s how.

First, search and open “Registry Editor” in the Start menu. Next, paste the below path in the address bar and press Enter. This will take you to the target folder.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate

Now, right-click on the “WindowsUpdate” folder and select the “New > Dword Value” option.

Set the value name as “TargetReleaseVersion” and press Enter. Double-click on the value and set its “Value Data” to “1.” Click the “Ok” button to save changes.

Next, right-click on the “WindowsUpdate” folder again and select “New > String Value” option. Set the value name as “TargetReleaseVersionInfo”.

Double-click on the value you just created and set its value data as “21H2”, and click “Ok.”

Finally, close the Registry Editor and reboot the computer.

After rebooting, Windows 10 will no longer update to Windows 11 automatically.

As I said earlier, there is a chance that the registry or group policy change will future major Windows 10 updates. In that case, either undo the change or download the Windows 10 ISO and install it manually.

That is all. It is that simple to block Windows 11 update in Windows 10.

I hope that helps.

If you are stuck or need some help, comment below, and I will try to help as much as possible.