How to Prevent Windows 10 Upgrade: Step-by-Step Instruction

The following instructions step-by-step describe how to prevent Windows 7 from upgrading to Windows 10. However, it is also suitable for users of the eighth version of the OS. Microsoft has always pursued a tough marketing policy, but with the release of the latest version, marketers have crossed the line of what is allowed. Now the installation of a new operating system can be turned on automatically. In this case, the user does not affect the periodicity of the occurrence of forced messages.

First steps

When the window with information about the scheduled update appears on the screen, you should click on the "Cancel" link.

Note that Microsoft often changes the positions of buttons, colors, design, and labels on them. The possibility of cancellation, however, remains always.

Preparatory Actions

Before you can prevent the upgrade to Windows 10 completely, you must download the update under the number 3075851 from the official Microsoft resource, in case the operating system of the seventh version is installed on the computer. If the version is the eighth, download the patch 3065988.

After downloading and installing these packages, the laptop should be restarted so that the changes made by the updates take effect.

Registry Editor

1. Open Registry Editor. To do this, you need to expand the dialog to execute and insert regedit.exe in its input field, and then agree to grant elevated privileges to the utility.
2. In the left part of the editor there is a partition tree, its structure resembles the folder in the "Explorer". Go to the HKLM \ SOFTWARE \ Polices \ Microsoft \ Windows \ path.
3. If the WindowsUpdate directory is located here, open it. Missing - create.
4. How to prevent the update to Windows 10 by using Registry Editor? In the right pane of the utility, expand the context menu and select the line "Create 32-bit DWORD". The name is required to enter DisableOSUpgrade, and enter "1" in the "Value" field.
5. Exit the utility and restart the PC.

Deleting a Windows directory. ~ BT

In one of its updates, the operating system necessarily downloads the Windows Installer file 10 if the automatic receiving of packages has not been disabled. It occupies a total of 4 gigabytes. It is hidden from the eyes of the user, so you can not remove it in a simple way.

1. Insert the cleanmgr text in the Run dialog. Press the Enter key.
2. In the opened dialog, select the system disk.
3. Click the "System Files" button. Wait for the scan to finish.
4. After checking the above list in front of the inscription "Windows Setup Files" check the box.
5. Click on the "OK".
6. When the utility finishes executing the processes, the PC should be restarted. Without this OS can not completely clear the hidden directory.

Removing redundant icons

The answer to the question: "How can I prevent the upgrade to Windows 10?" - was given above. However, in addition to the main marketing move, Microsoft is trying to work on the user by placing a shortcut in the taskbar of the operating system that offers a simple click to install the latest version. Of course, it hinders the work, but few people deserve this superfluous element.

To remove the icon, open the Update Center:

1. Click the "Installed" link.
2. Find the update in the list with the name KB3035583.
3. Right-click on the name and click on "Delete."
4. When the utility finishes uninstalling, restart the computer.
5. Re-deploy the Update Center.
6. Click on the text "Search" and wait for the completion of the processes.
7. Now click on the "Found important" button.
8. In the list, look for the name KB3035583.
9. Right click and click on "Hide".

How to prevent the upgrade to Windows 10, if the icon itself is restored, and the update suggestions appear again, although all steps of the instruction are performed?

1. Open regedit and follow the path HKLM \ SOFTWARE \ Policies \ Microsoft \ Windows \ Gwx.
2. Inside it, create the DWORD32 parameter. In the Name field, type DisableGwx. Set the value to 1.

If nothing has helped

Microsoft is constantly improving the methods of delivering updates to the end user, and if one PC is at a minimum enough to disable the undesirable function, then others require additional actions.

In the regedit utility, open the OSUpgrade directory. Create the DWORD parameter. Name - ReservationsAllowed. The value is 0.

It also makes sense to open the "Update Center" and completely prohibit the installation of updates. Windows 10 in this case absolutely not installed. The only drawback of this approach is that all security updates must be downloaded and installed manually.

Drivers of the tenth version

Many users who installed Windows 10 noticed that in addition to the more rigid patch installation policy, there is such an innovation as automatic installation of the latest driver versions. And this is not always useful.

To disable automation, you will need to configure in the Group Policy Editor. It is in any edition of the OS, starting with Professional.

Before you can prevent the Windows 10 drivers from being updated, start Device Manager. It's easy to do this by pressing the Win + Break key combination on the keyboard.

1. Deploy the properties of any device whose drivers will subsequently be updated manually.
2. Go to the "Details" tab.
3. In the drop-down list of parameters, select "ID".
4. A few lines of text will be displayed in the information field. They all need to be remembered or recorded.
5. Expand the Run utility. Enter gpedit.msc.
6. In the tool that opens, go to Configuration> Administrative Templates> System> Device Setup> Restrictions.
7. Double-click on the label "Disable installation".
8. Select "Enable" from the drop-down list.
9. Click the "Show" button.
10. In the window that opens, enter the ID data obtained in step 5.

The algorithm described above is not recommended because you can not prevent automatic updates in Windows 10 through the Group Policy Editor, without affecting the manual installation of drivers. If you need to update the system software, all the steps have to be done anew, removing the information about the device from gpedit. It's better to download the Show or Hide utility from the official Microsoft resource. After you run it, you need to click the Hide button. And in the list that opens, select equipment that does not need to be updated automatically. The program list will not display all the PC hardware, but only that the software update of which may cause malfunctions in the operating system.