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Stop Windows Update service

This post explains how to stop Windows update service from command line(CMD). Make sure that you open elevated administrator command prompt to execute this command.

How to stop Windows update service

Do the following

  1. Open elevated command prompt
  2. Run the below command.
    net stop wuauserv

Example:

C:\Users\Administrator>net stop wuauserv
The Windows Update service is stopping.
The Windows Update service was stopped successfully.

Update service restarts automatically

It’s observed that just stopping the service does not work in some cases and it restarts automatically. In such cases one can disable the service completely by running below command.

C:\>sc config wuauserv start= disabled
[SC] ChangeServiceConfig SUCCESS

Note that these commands to stop or disable service should be run from elevated administrator command prompt. Other wise you will get the following error.

C:\Users\administrator>net stop wuauserv
System error 5 has occurred.
Access is denied.

How to start windows update

net start wuauserv

Example:

C:\Users\Administrator>net start wuauserv
The Windows Update service is starting.
The Windows Update service was started successfully.
42 comments… add one
  • Carl, Sweden

    Neat tip. However, it seems W7 is automatically restarting the Windows Update service every now and then. I’ve changed status to “Manual” under services.msc but the behavior remains. No fun at all.

    • Per Hansen

      Hi Carl
      FYI everytime you go into windows update it will start the service even though it is set to manual so if you need to look in windows update then stop the service again afterwards.

    • Jim in Dallas

      Run CMD as Admin and “sc config wuauserv start= disabled” will work on Win7Ulti

  • Edmond

    Please help me to stop the windows update, it is a disaster every time after windows update, totally stupid program, may be next time I should go for apple.

    • winhelp

      you gott the error because you have’nt run cmd as administrator

    • Safal

      Apple is more stupid than the windows.

  • Linda

    I cannot get windows update to stop, finish, or go away! How do I get this to stop so I can get back on the computer? It’s a brand new computer, and useless at this point!

    • Justin Goldberg, MCSE

      Set to disabled and reboot!

  • josh

    Wow thank you for putting this line up here. I needed to restart my windows update and this did the trick

    • Precis

      Yes – agreed thanks much appreciated! On a very slow connection so bandwidth is at a premium. This made things much more pleasant.

  • Bob Sundquist

    AutoHotkey script:

    #Persistent
    interval = 600 ; execution interval in seconds
    Menu, Tray, Add ; divider line
    Menu, Tray, Add, Execute Now, StopService
    Menu, Tray, Default, Execute Now
    timer_param := -1000 * interval

    StopService:
    Run %comspec% /c “sc query wuauserv | find “1 STOPPED” & if errorlevel 1 sc stop wuauserv”, , Hide
    time = %A_Now%
    time += %interval%, seconds
    FormatTime, time_string, %time%, Time
    Menu, Tray, Tip, Stop Windows Update Service`nNext Execution at %time_string%
    SetTimer, StopService, %timer_param%
    return

  • Nico

    Hi! even thou i star cmd as admin i still get the “error 5 access denied. can someone help me?

    • mrfreezzzz

      go to start menu —> type “cmd” in the search box, wait till cmd shows in the results list, right click on “cmd” and select “run as administrator”

    • Srini

      You need to run it from elevated command prompt.

  • mrfreezzzz

    otherwise, check your UAC and if it’s off, turn it on in your account settings.

  • Embee

    This information is for those who wish to completely disable Windows 10 automatic updates. It is very simple and requires no real expertise.

    1. Bring up your task manager.
    2. Select the “Services” tab.
    3. Scroll down the lefthand side until you see “wuauserv”. (In the description column to the right, you’ll see “Windows Update”.)
    4. Right click on “wuauserv”.
    5. In the dropdown box that appears, click on “stop”.

    This stops all automatic updates from taking over your computer. In order to get future updates, you will have to follow the same steps, but click on “start” to restart it. I prefer simply to go to Microsoft’s website to find the updates, if I want them at all, which I don’t. I’ve struggled with Microsoft’s updates for years, from Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and now Windows 10. All of them have rendered my computer(s) less functional than they were prior to the updates.

    I use a separate security program in conjunction with Windows firewall and find that there is absolutely no need to upload their security updates.

    • medevalgor***

      hi, I am having endless problems with my surface pro3, running win10pro. the overwhelming majority of my time spent on this device is occupied by trying to update and keep in functioning without sending me endless notifications. I am an aspiring Linux user, which so far as I can tell, is superior in every way, however, I am concerned if the security is dependable…? I was wondering what the security program is that you referenced? and would be eager to hear any other suggestions/tips/opinions?

    • Molly

      I tried this and got a message that access is denied.

  • Piet

    Same problem on my PC. Svchost.exe takes continuously almost 100% processor time.
    Stopped wuauserv in the way described above and the processor is free!!! However after a restart it is running again. Same after stopping it via the command: net stop wuauserv.
    Anybody knows how I can stop this wuauserv forever????

    • Srini

      You need to disable the service using sc command. Added these commands in the post.

  • Banshee

    Hi all, a tip for all of those having issues with Windows update, if you go to services.msc and stop the service in the second tab you can select a user to run the service with afterwards.
    So you only need to put a valid user and then change the password of that user and voila! it wont ever be able to run again since it will be trying to run with an invalid user… :)

    • David Bethke

      I wind up stopping and disabling this service every day or two, yet somehow Windows keeps turning it back to Automatic and running it! (on an older laptop which has to stay at XP)

  • Marlene

    Just want to say Thank YOU! I got nearly crazy (even more than normal) because my laptop was making so much noise while windows was checking updates for hours. Tried to close it through task manager to no avail but this tip worked as a charm.
    I had no problems at all that was until windows installed updates and I could not get into windows anymore. Thanks no thanks. So now I am going to try to see if I can download the updates one by one or so. Thanks again. Love the sound of silence

  • Robert Henlien

    Surely it would be much easier to use computer management services scroll down to windows update and apply the above directly with the advantage that you can see what you are actually doing.

  • Rick

    Thanks for the tip. CPU had been running crazy trying to keep up with the update service. The CPU temp has dropped from 43 degrees Celcius to 35 degrees.

  • Lynda

    Omg! Thanks you! I was stuck in windows update hell!

  • plutow

    Thanks for the info. I made a .bat file to stop, and one to start with this info. Just run as administrator and it works :)

  • Richard Kunz

    I hope the above stop up dates work as my computer is all bet useless

  • ofer

    from cmd run
    sc queryex wuauserv
    take pidnum from result and replace xxx in
    taskkill /PID xxx/F and run

  • nate8971

    This is a good short term (few days) fix but on Windows 10 home edition, update restarts itself after a few days. There is a regedit out there but it doesn’t work for Home edition. The WUSH tool also only works for a few days.

    Would be great if there were a way to program this “sc config wuauserv start= disabled” command to re-run itself every 2 days. Does anyone know how to do this?

    • Sergio

      Just put the command in a batch file, then schedule a task launching it with highest priviledge “when the computer starts”. (^v^)

  • ha

    i am running cmd as administrator but also the following cmd net stop wuauserv is saying invalid what to do then

  • Robintayhz

    Erm… I disabled the command using the command prompt (admin), but the file Windows10Upgrade keeps appearing. Help me please!

  • RANA

    I can’t stop windows 10 update using service stopping, when I connect to wifi ,service is auto enable how can I stop permanently

  • quang

    Is there any command just to show the windows update is on or off ?

  • Moor

    How can I disable windows updates for all the computers on the network?

  • Ekichura

    Unfortunately, Windows 10 Home does not allow users to turn off automatic updates. To do that, you would have to upgrade to the Pro version. Otherwise, you’re looking at a lot of punishing hours spent rolling back updates you didn’t want… I had this issue with an error related to a registry conflict that prioritizes RuntimeBroker and found that this was the case during my research into the cause for the ongoing rollbacks.

  • Anurag

    I have no access to stop and disable the services. Can anyone tell me what to do in this case?

  • Jean Carlo

    Hello, I am searching across the internet to find a solution to fix the svchost.exe disk usage, and almost every one of them suggests to disable or turn manual the Windows Update Service. I already did that, but the svchost.exe thing keeps consuming my disk.

    If you know how to fix this, please tell me.

  • Daniel Rivera

    Can always services >Windows update
    right click, properties, Revoery, and change to no action for all 3… see if that may help.

  • Brent

    Thanks, had to get around an invasive group policy to repair bitlocker bde protectors, this was the trick I needed to disable updates so my bitlocker tables could be repaired.
    Brent, New Zealand

  • Henry

    I’ve tried lot of things… Finally, found the solution here! Thanks a LOT!

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