How to stop Windows 11 update in the Registry and more

When I initially wrote my guide to blocking Microsoft’s auto-update to Windows 11—Windows 11: how to configure an auto-patch decline in N‑central—I only had N‑central partners and our N‑central Patch Management in mind. However, after reading various other forums and discussions, I thought I’d take a more regimented approach to stopping or blocking Windows 11 from your machine. 

In this new post I’ll show you the N‑able N‑central method and how to do it in the Registry using Powershell. So, whether you’re or not you’re using N‑central RMM patching capabilites you’ll still be able to block Windows 11 until you’re good and ready for it.

Prevent Windows 11 update

First, let me address one of the screenshots in my previous blog because I have had many questions on it over the past year. In this screenshot, I am asking you to select all Microsoft Windows Operating systems and not just Windows 10. But why? That has to be a mistake, right?

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Well, no. It’s quite intentional. 

If you’re wondering why I recommend selecting ALL Microsoft Operating systems, even those that have zero chance of ever upgrading to Windows 11, and not just the below listed versions, the answer is quite simple.

Oftentimes we have to break out another variant of Windows 10 into our patch management system (there are some technical reasons for this), and if we just selected the Windows 10 variants, it would not propagate to the additional entries and the Windows 11 update might still sneak through. So, an easy (and harmless) way to avoid this is to decline this patch across all Microsoft operating systems!

Here is what I recommend doing:

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How to block Windows 11 update in the Registry

If you don’t have N‑central Patch Management you can follow these instructions to block Windows 11 Update using the Registry:

• Right Click the Start Menu and select «Run»
• Type regedit and press Enter
• On the Registry editor window, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate
  (You can copy and paste the address on the address bar)
• On the right side of the screen, right click > New > DWORD (32-bit) > and name it TargetReleaseVersion
• Double click it and set Value Data to 1
• Again, on the right side of the screen, right click > New > String Value > and name it ProductVersion,
• Double click it and set Value Data to Windows 10
• Once more on the right side of the screen, right click > New > String Value > and name it TargetReleaseVersionInfo, double click it and set Value Data to 21h2

Note: If you can’t find the Windows Update key, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows, right click > New > Key , and name it WindowsUpdate

Powershell Command #1 

reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate /v TargetReleaseversion /t REG_DWORD /d 1

PowerShell Command #2

If you are on Windows 10 version 21H2, use the command below:

reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate /v TargetReleaseversionInfo /t REG_SZ /d 21H2 

If you are on Windows 10 version 21H1, use the command below:

reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate /v TargetReleaseversionInfo /t REG_SZ /d 21H1

Note: A TargetedReleaseVersion is a group policy introduced with Windows 10 version 1803. If you specify a TargetReleaseVersion as the current Version, Windows 10 will remain on this release until it reaches the end of service. This will block the Windows 11 update. The first command enables the policy, and the second specifies the target version.

More information can be found here: 

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/how-to-stop-or-block-windows-11-update

So that’s it—a year on from my first blog you have a way to block Windows 11 using N‑central Automatic Decline and a way to block it in the Registry.

Jason Murphy is the N‑central Automation Nerd at N‑able. You can follow him on reddit on r/nable or Twitter at @ncentral_nerd.