How to control Windows 10 Updates
Thanks to Windows 10 version 1511, you can now postpone or pause Windows 10 upgrades and updates. However, you will need a business edition of Windows 10.
PLEASE NOTE:
We need to keep in mind that when adding the O/S Upgrade 1151 to Windows 10, it will eliminate the use of Sysprep. This will cause ImageAssist not to work while running the Sysprep process. In turn we cannot support ImageAssist (which runs Sysprep during process) on an "upgraded" OS.
This feature, which arrived in November's Windows 10 version 1511 upgrade, allows us to set update policies for an organization. Using settings not available on consumer Windows editions, with this version of Windows you can defer and delay updates and upgrades until they've been proven safe and reliable.
With Windows Update for Business (a layer of configuration options that controls the free Windows Update service), you can now organize Windows 10 devices to update on system to delay receiving Patch Tuesday updates for up to four weeks and defer major version upgrades by up to eight months.
This all now possible using the new Windows Group Policy settings, which can be enforced using Active Directory on every machine to make sure every system on the domain is updated. With this new Windows 10 update, you can now use those same settings on your own unmanaged PC, with no domain required.
Windows Update for Business requires a system that supports Group Policy. This means that a version Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, or Education edition will work. This system will also need to be configured for the Current Branch for Business. However, neither option mentioned is available for systems running Windows 10 Home. All updates for Windows 10 Home are automatic.
Please keep in mind that any system that receives updates from Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) will ignore the Windows Update for Business settings. Some of this materials and instructions can be found in Micorsoft’s TechNet sites to make sure this material applies to your system:
Integration with management solutions
Windows Update for Business technical overview
1. First step is to get to the proper settings, see image below:
That box enables the more granular settings. (In an enterprise deployment, you're more likely to do this with Group Policy or with Mobile Device Management software.)
2. Next, open the Local Group Policy Editor, gpedit.msc
3. Navigate through the Local Computer Policy tree in the left pane. In the list of policy settings on the right, look for Defer Upgrades and Updates, as shown here.
4. Double-click that item to open a dialog box where you can define policies for the current PC. I've added numbers to explain the four options available here.
Let’s keep in mind that in order for the update and upgrade schedules to be honored, you have to change this policy setting to Enabled. This can be set back to Disabled (or back to Not Configured) to restore default Windows 10 update settings. Notethat definition updates for Microsoft's security programs cannot be deferred. (If you install a non-Microsoft security program, its update controls take over and Microsoft's definitions are not downloaded.) One option available only in Enterprise and Education editions causes these settings to be completely ignored. If Allow Telemetry is set to 0 (that is, set to the lowest possible level), then Windows Update for Business settings (Defer upgrades, Defer updates, and Pause Updates and Upgrades) have no effect.