Microsoft will let you pause Windows Updates indefinitely, 35 days at a time

Windows users will no longer be forced to run automatic updates in the middle of a game or busy day. Microsoft is rolling out highly anticipated Windows Update changes to users on its Dev and Experimental Windows Insider channels, including the ability to indefinitely delay updates for up to 35 days at a time.

Last month, Microsoft announced a series of upcoming changes to improve Windows 11 and address some of the most common user complaints about the platform. The company’s main planned fix was to make updates less disruptive. In its blog post published Friday, Microsoft says you will be able to “extend the pause end date as many times as necessary” and that there is “no limit” on the number of times you can reset another 35-day window. If you don’t pause updates again at the end of the 35-day period, updates will run as usual.

The Windows Update changes also include more detailed titles for driver updates, which will now include the device class they apply to, such as display, audio, or battery.

Additionally, Windows 11 will now always have options in the power menu to restart or shutdown without running updates, as well as the ability to skip updates when setting up a new Windows device. Microsoft is also “unifying the update experience” to group updates together so users don’t have to reboot as frequently. Instead, “updates will download in the background, then wait for a coordinated installation and reboot.”