To pause Windows 11 updates until a date you choose, go to Settings > Windows Update, find Pause updates at the top of the page, and click Pick a date. The calendar lets you choose any day up to 35 days ahead. You can renew that pause as many times as you like, provided you return and pick a new date before the current one arrives.
Applies to: Windows 11 (24H2, 25H2) with the June 2026 update or later | Last updated: August 14, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Settings > Windows Update > Pause updates > Pick a date lets you choose any day within 35 days. The calendar replaced the old one-to-five-week dropdown, but the 35-day cap itself did not change.
- The 35 days are counted from the day you pause, not from the day you first paused. Renewing on day 30 gives you another full 35 days from that moment.
- Microsoft places no limit on how many times you can re-pause, so this is effectively an indefinite pause as long as you keep renewing it.
- You must renew before the date arrives. If the pause expires, Windows installs everything that was waiting and you cannot pause again until those updates are in.
- Pausing stops updates that need a restart from being downloaded or installed, not just from restarting your PC. An update already downloading when you pause is cancelled.
Quick Steps
- Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
- Click Windows Update in the left-hand list.
- Next to Pause updates at the top, click Pick a date.
- Choose a date in the calendar. Anything beyond 35 days is greyed out.
- Set a reminder a few days before that date to come back and pick a new one.
- To undo it, return to the same page and click Resume updates.
In This Guide
- How to pause updates until a date you pick — where the setting lives.
- What the new calendar actually changed — and what it did not.
- How to keep updates paused indefinitely — the renewal trick.
- Why your Pause button is greyed out — the mistake almost everybody makes.
- What pausing actually stops — downloads, not just restarts.
- If you need updates held for longer than five weeks — the supported way to do it.
How to Pause Windows 11 Updates Until a Date You Pick
Right-click the Start button and go into Settings, or just press Windows key + I. Click Windows Update on the left. At the top of that page there is an option called Pause updates with a Pick a date button next to it.
Click it and you get a calendar. Choose the day you want updates to start again, and the top of the page immediately changes to confirm that updates are paused and when they will resume. That is the whole thing — one setting, one date, no registry editing and no third-party software.
You will notice that anything more than 35 days out is greyed out. That is Windows capping you at five weeks per pause, and it applies to every edition — Home, Pro, and everything above.
What the New Calendar Actually Changed
The calendar is the new part. It first shipped to stable in the June 23, 2026 preview update (KB5095093) and became standard with the July 14, 2026 update (KB5101650).
But be clear about what changed, because it was not the limit. It is still 35 days, which is the same five weeks you always had. It used to be a dropdown where you picked one to five weeks; now it is a calendar where you pick the exact day. That is the entire difference. If you have read an article claiming the new update lets you pause for longer, that is not what happened.
Note: If you do not have the Pick a date button at all and you still see the old dropdown, it means you are behind on your own updates — which is a bit ironic given what you are here to do. Install what is waiting, and the calendar appears.
How to Keep Windows 11 Updates Paused Indefinitely
This is the part that makes the setting genuinely useful, and it is the part most guides leave out. The five-week limit is per pause, and you can renew it as many times as you like.
Come back to the Windows Update page before your date arrives and click Pick a date again. The calendar has moved along with you — it is now offering 35 days from today, not 35 days from when you first paused. Pick a new date near the end of that window and you are set for another five weeks.
There is no limit on how many times you can do this. Microsoft documents the behaviour in its official guide to pausing updates in Windows, and the Windows Insider team confirmed there is no cap on re-pausing when the calendar was announced in April 2026. That is why you will see articles describing this as pausing updates forever. You are not getting a longer pause than before — you are getting one you can keep pushing out for as long as you want.
Why Your Pause Button Is Greyed Out (Or Only Offers One Week)
This is the single most common complaint about the feature, and it comes down to timing. You have to renew before your date arrives.
If you let a pause run out on its own, Windows immediately installs everything that has been waiting, and you cannot pause again until those updates are in. That is the greyed-out button people report. It is not a bug and it is not edition-specific — it is Windows insisting you take the backlog before you defer anything new.
Tip: Set a calendar reminder three or four days before your pause date. Renewing early costs you nothing — the new 35 days are counted from the day you click, so you never lose time by going in ahead of schedule.
What Pausing Actually Stops
It is worth being honest about this, because pausing is not an off switch. Microsoft’s own wording is that updates which require a restart will not be downloaded or installed until the pause ends. So it stops the download, not just the restart — which is more than most people expect.
Three consequences worth knowing:
- An update that is already downloading when you pause gets cancelled, not held.
- Definition updates for Microsoft Defender continue regardless, so you are not left without antivirus signatures.
- When your date arrives, Windows downloads and installs everything that accumulated, in one go. Plan for a restart on that day rather than being surprised by one.
If you are pausing mainly because updates eat your bandwidth at the wrong moment, that is worth confirming rather than assuming — my guide to finding what is actually using your connection shows you how to see Windows Update’s live download rate in Resource Monitor.
How to Undo It and Resume Updates
Undoing a pause is easy, and a lot of people ask about it without ever getting a straight answer. Go back to Settings > Windows Update and there will be a Resume updates option at the top of the page. Click it and Windows goes off and checks for updates straight away.
If an update has already installed and caused you a problem, resuming is not what you want — you want to remove it. I have a separate guide on uninstalling Windows updates and clearing the update cache for that case.
If You Need Updates Held for Longer Than Five Weeks
Some people will tell you to just disable the Windows Update service and be done with it. Based on the comments under every video showing that method, the people who try it keep coming back to say it switches itself back on after a while. Pausing is the supported route, and it actually holds.
There is also a registry trick going around that stretches the 35-day window out to years. I am not going to walk you through editing your registry by hand for it. That same idea is built into Winhance, my free Windows tool, under Windows Update Policy, where you pick one of four options instead of typing keys:
- Normal — the Windows default, everything on.
- Security Updates Only — you keep getting security patches and nothing else. This is the one I would pick for most people who want fewer surprises.
- Paused for a long time — the same effect as that registry trick, without hand-editing anything.
- Disabled — updates off completely. This is labelled as not recommended in the app for a reason.
Warning: Disabling updates entirely is a security risk and it breaks other things — you will not be able to install anything from the Microsoft Store while it is off. It is there for when you need updates out of the way for an hour to get something done, not to leave running.
If what you actually want is to stay on your current Windows version rather than block patches, that is a different setting again, and there is a supported policy for it. I cover that in my guide to locking your Windows version and disabling automatic updates, which keeps security updates flowing while stopping feature upgrades.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can I pause Windows 11 updates?
35 days per pause, which is the maximum on every edition of Windows 11. There is no limit on how many times you can re-pause, so returning before each date expires keeps updates held indefinitely.
Why is the Pause updates button greyed out?
Because a previous pause expired and Windows is now waiting to install the updates that piled up. Install what is pending, restart if asked, and the option becomes available again. Renewing before the date arrives avoids this entirely.
Does pausing updates stop the download or just the restart?
It stops the download. Microsoft’s documented behaviour is that updates requiring a restart will not be downloaded or installed while the pause is active, and any update already downloading when you pause is cancelled.
Will I still get security updates while paused?
Microsoft Defender definition updates continue during a pause, but cumulative security updates that require a restart are held with everything else. If you want security patches only and nothing else on an ongoing basis, use the Security Updates Only option in Winhance rather than a rolling pause.
Can I pause updates on Windows 11 Home?
Yes. Pause updates and the Pick a date calendar are available on Home, Pro, and every other edition. The 35-day cap is the same across all of them — there is no Pro-only extension.
Is it safe to keep renewing the pause forever?
It is supported by Microsoft, but you are deferring security patches while you do it. I would let updates through at least occasionally, or switch to a policy that keeps security updates flowing and blocks only feature upgrades, rather than holding everything back for months on end.
