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Manage Windows Update in Windows 10 Professional

Edited by Jay, Maria Quinney

4 Parts:

Installing Updates in Windows 10

Windows 10 Windows Update Advanced Options

Check OS Build in Windows 10

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Windows Update has changed drastically since the release of Windows 10. For example, in the past, on a PC running Windows 7, users had the option to pick and choose which updates they downloaded and installed. The Windows Update Agent on Windows 10 however, no longer allows users to control which updates get installed manually. Windows 10 Professional and Enterprise do offer the option to delay updates, but with Windows 10 Home, that option is not available. Regardless, the Pro/Enterprise and Home editions have to upgrade to the current Windows version at some point or another, and there's no way around it.

This has no doubt thrown some users off, especially IT professionals and network administrators. Microsoft has assured that these changes are for the better because it allows their engineers to keep more up-to-date with potential security risks and performance issues. This makes sense if you consider that allowing users to pick and choose which updates they install, you open up a seemingly infinite number of configurations, across millions of users.

In the following VisiHow tutorial, we're going to walk through all the options available for Windows Update. For this articles demonstration, we used a Sager laptop, running Windows 10 Professional.

Contents

1 Installing Updates in Windows 10
2 Windows 10 Windows Update Advanced Options
3 Check OS Build in Windows 10
4 Comments

Installing Updates in Windows 10

1
On your keyboard, press the Windows key + I simultaneously.
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2
From the Settings' window, click "Update & Security".
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3
Typically, Windows will check for updates automatically
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However, if you're on a metered connection you can still do a scan for available updates by clicking, "Check for updates".
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4
Any available updates will be listed under Update status, and will begin downloading once the scan is complete.
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5
If at any time you'd like to see which updates have been installed in the past, click "View installed update history".
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6
Here you'll see a list of every update installed on your PC (under Update history)
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To remove an update that's already installed, click "Uninstall updates".
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7
On the Uninstall an update window, select the update you want to be removed, then click "Uninstall".
Be careful here, some updates are important for the security of your machine.
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8
User can also change the hours that they're active on their PC
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Click "Change active hours" to set when you're usually using your PC.
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9
Edit the Start time and End time by clicking on each box
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Setting this will ensure that Windows won't automatically restart your machine during active hours, or without checking if you're using it.
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10
Users can also set a schedule for when their computer restarts after installing updates
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Click "Restart options" for additional settings.
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11
To set a specific time and day to restart to complete updates, toggle the switch on, then change the time and day
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Please note that these options may be grayed out, and can only be edited once your machine is ready for a restart (next time you update your PC).
To get more notifications about restarting your computer, toggle the switch under "Show more notifications".
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Windows 10 Windows Update Advanced Options

1
On your keyboard, press the Windows key + I at the same time.
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2
On Settings, click "Update & Security".
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3
From the Windows update page, scroll down and click "Advanced options".
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4
Here on the Advanced options window, users can receive updates for other Microsoft products by checking the first box
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Users can also allow Windows to log them in to complete updates after restarting automatically.
Click the "Sign-in options" link to enable this feature.
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5
Once on the Sign-in options window, scroll down to the Privacy section
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Toggle the switch below, "Use my sign-in info to automatically finish setting up my device after an update or restart".
This is handy if you don't want to sit in front of your PC and sign back in manually each time updates are installed.
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6
Windows Pro and Enterprise users can choose when updates are installed
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The two types of updates are; Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted) - which mean the update is ready for most people, and Semi-Annual Channel - which means it's ready for widespread use in businesses or organizations.
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7
Users have the power to defer a Featured update
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Click the drop-down arrow to select the number of days.
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8
Once the drop-down is expanded, select the number of days
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Featured updates can be deferred for up to 30 days.
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9
Users also have the power to defer Quality updates
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Click the drop-down arrow to select the number of days.
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10
When the drop-down box expands, click on the number of days you wish to defer
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Quality updates can be deferred for up to 365 days.
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11
Updates can also be paused
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Toggle the switch on to pause updates for 35 days. The checkbox just below is selected, Windows will download updates, even on a metered connection.
Be careful when enabling this option as data charges may apply.
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12
To change how Windows updates apps and other Microsoft products, click the "Delivery Optimization" link.
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13
The following option is good for users who are on an unreliable internet connection
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Users can allow downloads from other devices on your network or over the internet.
If you're on a metered connection, your PC won't upload content to other devices.
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14
Click "Advanced options" for additional Delivery settings.
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15
Here on the Delivery Advanced options window, you can adjust the amount of bandwidth that gets used when Windows Update downloads in the background
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Move the slider horizontally to get the desired percentage.
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16
Under Upload settings there are two sliders
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The first controls the percentage of bandwidth that when updates get uploaded to other PCs.
The second slider controls how much total monthly bandwidth you want to be designated for uploading.
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17
To check how much bandwidth your machine is using head back to the main Delivery Optimization window, then click "Activity monitor".
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18
Here on the Activity monitor you can see both your download and upload statistics.
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Check OS Build in Windows 10

1
On your keyboard, press both the Windows key + I.
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2
From Settings click "Updates & Security".
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3
Once on the Windows Update window, scroll down and click "OS build info".
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4
Here on the "About window, scroll down to the "Windows specifications" section
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Your OS build will be listed directly under the Version number.
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