Windows Personalization Utility (WPU) - A registry tweak and batch utility which allows you to pause Windows updates up until 12-31-2051 and take back the privacy on your system.
- About
- Notice
- Install
- Confirm Updates Enabled/Disabled
- Re-enable Updates
- WPU Menu Options:
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Preview
- Contributors ✨
Formerly known as a simply registry tweak to disable Microsoft Windows updates, this repository has grown into a utility known as WPU (Windows Personalization Utility); a more complete solution for Windows users. To get an idea of how the utility works, check out Youtube videos this project was reviewed on:
If you are here to simply disable Windows Updates; this repository provides two different options you can pick from below.
Full Feature List:
Partial Feature List:
- Disable / Enable Windows Updates
- Delete / clean up lingering Windows Update files to increase disk-space
- Backup your entire system registry
- Remove Windows telemetry and tracking
- Scan & Repair System
- Registry Tweaks
- Bypass TPM / CPU Requirement
- Power Throttling
- Remove Recommended from Start Menu
- Search: Bing Discover Button
- Show System Files and Folders
- Show File Extensions
- Show Clock Seconds
- Show Shortcut Icons
- Dozens More
- Remove Privacy Threats:
- Windows Copilot
- Windows Recall
- Windows Cortana
- Enable/Disable/Delete windows users:
defaultuser0Default AccountGuestAdministrator
- Manage Windows Bloatware Services (15+)
- Manage Windows Bloatware Apps (40+)
- Install / Uninstall Apps (50+)
- Requires elevated admin permissions to run
- Available by downloading the files on our Releases page:
wputility.bat
- Disable / Enable Windows Updates
- Requires no elevated permissions
- Available by downloading the files on our Releases page:
windows-updates-pause.regwindows-updates-unpause.reg
While this repository allows you to disable Windows Updates, we recommend you manually run Windows Updates every few months to ensure that your system has the latest patches. By completely refusing to install Windows Updates, you may be exposed to potential security vulnerabilities.
This script is meant to stop Windows from updating and then automatically restarting your system when you least expect it, and puts you back in control.
This repo contains two different ways you can disable Windows Updates:
Head over to this repo's Releases section and pick which file you need to get the job done. They are outlined below:
| Filename | Method | Description |
|---|---|---|
wputility.bat |
Batch Utility | Enable / Disable Windows Updates Disable Microsoft Telemetry Clean Cached Update Files Manage Update Services Backup system registry |
windows-updates-pause.reg |
Registry Script | Disable Windows Updates until 2051 |
windows-updates-unpause.reg |
Registry Script | Enable Windows Updates |
- Download the
.batfile to your computer from the bottom of our Releases page. - Double-click the file and Command Prompt or Powershell will launch.
Note
When launching the .bat file, you will be asked to allow the utility to have administrative permissions. Unfortunately, this script requires these permissions in order to change registry settings.
If you do not feel comfortable with this, you may opt to use the Registry Scripts method listed above
- You will be prompted to give the script permission so that it can modify your registry, select Yes.
- Read the options in the menu, and select the option you want. You will be presented and numerous options that you can choose from.
-
Download the
.regfile to your computer from the bottom of our Releases page. -
Right click on the file and select
Open With
-
Select
Registry Editor -
Click
Yeswhen prompted if you're sure you wish to continue
Note
If using the Registry Scripts method, depending on your machine's configuration, you may be able to double-click the .reg file and auto-install it.
If you cannot do the above, right-click the file, select Open With and select Registry Editor.
To see whether or not Windows Updates are currently enabled or disabled:
- In Windows, click
Start->Run-> typecontrol updateand press ENTER.- You can also access the Windows Update window by clicking your start menu, selecting Run, and typing:
ms-settings:windowsupdate
- Near the
Pause Updatessection, if you see a dropdown box, select how long you want updates to pause for. - Keep the scripts somewhere in case you need to reinstall / wipe your machine.
Our wpUtility.bat script also tells you if Windows Updates are enabled or disabled when you launch the utility on your system.
You can re-enable Windows updates by performing one of the following:
- Option 1 - Enable using unpause.reg
- Option 2 - Enable manually
- Option 3 - Enable using batch
.batscript
This repository includes two scripts:
windows-updates-pause.regwindows-updates-unpause.reg
Download and run the script windows-updates-unpause.reg. Windows updates will be re-activated, but you'll be able to re-pause updates whenever you want and for any duration.
To start Windows updates once again, open your start menu, type Windows Update Settings.
At the top of the Windows Update interface, click Resume Updates.
To pause updates again, re-run the .reg file in this repo.
To re-enable updates using the batch utility, double-click the .bat file.
When the options appear, select option (2) Enable Updates
The following is an outline of the options available within the Windows Personalization Utility. These are not available within the registry scripts
- Enable Windows Updates
- Disable Windows Updates
- Backup Registry
- Remove Cached Update Files
- Manage Update Services
- View Services Status
- Enable Services
- Disable Services
- Scan & Fix Errors
- Customize (Tweaks)
- General
- Automatic Maintenance
- Bypass Windows TPM/CPU Requirements
- Power Throttling
- Remove Recommended Section from Start Menu
- Search: Bing Discover Button
- Search: Bing Suggestions
- Search: Dynamic Highlights
- Show System Files and Folders
- Show File Extensions
- Show Clock Seconds
- Verbose Mode
- Windows Error Reporting
- Windows App Tracking
- Weather/News Icon in Taskbar
- Show Shortcuts Icon
- General
- Debloat (Advanced)
- Disable Microsoft Telemetry
- Manage Cortana, Copilot, Recall
- Remove Crapware
- Microsoft.BingFoodAndDrink
- Microsoft.BingHealthAndFitness
- Microsoft.BingSearch
- Microsoft.BingTranslator
- Microsoft.BingTravel
- Microsoft.Copilot
- Microsoft.Edge
- Microsoft.GamingApp
- Microsoft.Gettingstarted
- Microsoft.Messaging
- Microsoft.People
- Microsoft.Teams
- Microsoft.WindowsFeedback
- Microsoft.XboxGamingOverlay
- Microsoft.XboxIdentityProvider
- Microsoft.ZuneMusic & Video
- Many more
- Manage Apps
- 7zip
- Bitwarden
- DuckDuckGo Browser
- GNU Privacy Guard (GPG)
- Google Chrome Browser
- jq
- Microsoft .NET SDK
- Microsoft AppInstaller
- Microsoft DevHome
- Microsoft Edge Browser
- Microsoft IronPython
- Microsoft OneDrive
- Microsoft OpenSSH
- Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable
- Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable
- Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable
- Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 Redistributable
- Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable
- Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable
- Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 UWP Desktop Runtime
- Microsoft Visual Studio Code (Stable)
- Microsoft Visual Studio Code (Insiders)
- Mozilla Firefox Browser
- NMap
- Opera Browser
- Opera GX Browser
- PeaZip
- Tor Browser
- Windows Terminal
- WinRAR
- Manage Services
- View Service Status
- Enable All Bloat Services
- Disable All Bloat Services
- Manual Service Control
- Microsoft Diagnostics Hub Collector
- Connected User Experiences & Telemetry
- Device Management WAP Push Message
- Geolocation
- Downloaded Maps Manager
- Net.Tcp Port Sharing
- Routing & Remote Access
- Internet Connection Sharing
- Distributed Link Tracking Client
- Windows Biometric
- Windows Media Player Network Sharing
- Xbox Live Auth Manager
- Xbox Live Game Save
- Xbox Live Networking
- Windows Network Data Usage Monitoring
- Manage Users
- Delete user
defaultuser0 - Enable/Disable user
Guest - Enable/Disable user
Administrator - Enable/Disable user
Default Account
- Delete user
Have a question? It may be answered here:
Yes. This repository contains two ways that you can enable / disable updates; via a .bat batch file, or a .reg registry file. We picked these languages because the runtime scripts do not require being compiled and the source code is freely available to review. You can open any of the scripts within something as simple as notepad and go through the list of changes being made.
The downside to .bat files is that they require elevated permissions in order to do everything the script has to offer. Running scripts with elevated permissions can be dangerous if you are unaware of what the script does, and the potential for malicious code to be injected.
This is why we offer the .reg registry alternative for users who do not wish to grant elevated permissions to a script. The downside to the .reg file is that it does not do nearly as much as the .bat file. Both will enable / disable Windows Updates, but the .bat file contains a lot more functionality if you want to take a deeper dive into what your system has. The choice is yours.
The point of this project is to make life easier, and re-gain at least some minimal amount of control with your system. The scripts do not contain anything other than what is described in this documentation, and it will stay that way.
The great thing about Github is that you are provided with the source code to a project. No paywalls, no one-time payments, just a free utility that you can do as you wish. We will not charge for this app. We do accept donations to help with development, but that is completely optional. If not, hey, that's fine. Continue to enjoy the script without limitations.
We are always willing to accept new contributions, however, the code will be vetted before it is pushed to the public. Contributions shall not include functionality which is unrelated to Microsoft Windows, or Microsoft applications. New features must give the user the ability to opt in by choice, and not have it forced upon them, and new features shall be disabled by default and only enabled after the user has consented to such a change.
The one exception to the rule is the list of apps we offer via our (A)dvanced Menu. A majority of the selections are from Microsoft Corporation; however, there are additional packages such as Firefox, Chrome, and Bitwarden. These applications are picked based on popularity, security, and most being free / open-source. They are based on what applications a user may need the most when doing a fresh install of Windows.
We are always looking for contributors. If you feel that you can provide something useful to Gistr, then we'd love to review your suggestion. Before submitting your contribution, please review the following resources:
Want to help but can't write code?
- Review active questions by our community and answer the ones you know.
The following people have helped get this project going:
![@dependabot[bot]](https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/in/29110?s=64&v=4){kind=small}
