How to Block the Upgrade to Windows 11.
If you've decided to stay with Windows 10 and want to stop being prompted to upgrade to Windows 11, or if you want to never upgrade to Windows 11, then follow the steps in this guide to block and prevent the Windows 11 upgrade forever.
Microsoft released Windows 11 on 5 October 2021, with exciting new features, improved performance and a new user interface. From the day of their release and onwards, Microsoft is encouraging users to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 on all computers that meet the hardware requirements to install the new operating system.
But many users love Windows 10 as their PC operating system and aren't ready to switch to Windows 11 because they worry that Windows 11 might slow down their PC or because it doesn't include some of their favorite Windows 10 features.
How to Prevent Windows 11 Upgrade on Windows 10.*
- Postpone the Upgrade to Window 11 through Settings.
- Block Windows 11 Upgrade via Registry.
- Disable Windows 11 Upgrade through Group Policy.
* Helpful Notes:
1. Roll Back Windows 11 Upgrade: If you are in a situation where the Windows 11 upgrade has started, I suggest you let the upgrade finish and when it does, roll back to Windows 10, by going to Settings > System > Recovery and then click the Go back button under the Recovery options.
After rolling back to Windows 10, follow the instructions on method-2 or in method-3 below to permanently prevent Windows 10 from upgrading to Windows 11.
2. Prevent Windows 11 Upgrade after Restarting your PC: If you are in a situation where the Windows 11 are already downloaded and you asked to restart your computer to install the upgrade, do the following to prevent the installation of Windows 11:
a. In Windows Explorer right-click at "Local Disk disk (C:)" and select Properties.
b. Click the Disk Cleanup button.
c. In Disk Cleanup utility, click Clean up system files.
d. Check the Windows Update Cleanup box and then click OK to delete all downloaded files required for the Windows 11 upgrade.
e. When done, close all windows and restart your PC.
f. After restart, follow the instructions on method-2 or in method-3 below to block the upgrade to Windows 11 permanently.
Method 1. Postpone Upgrade to Windows 11.
If you are in the situation where you are asked to upgrade to Windows 11, then the easy but temporary method to prevent the upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11, is to go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and to select the option Stay on Windows 10 for now.*
* This way, Windows won't prompt you for a few weeks to upgrade your system to Windows 11. For a more permanent solution, follow one of the next methods.
Method 2. Block Windows 11 Upgrade through Registry.
The first method to prevent Windows 10 to Upgrade to Windows 11, is by using the Registry.
1. Go to Start > Settings and select System from the options.
2. In the left panel, select About and on the right, scroll down to Windows specifications to find your current Windows 10/11 version. Normally, you'll see the Version 22H2. This is, according to Microsoft, the last version of Windows 10.
3. To stay on Windows 10 v22H2 and to block the upgrade to Windows 11, proceed to next step.
4a. Press Windows 
+ R keys to load the Run dialog box.
4b. Type regedit and press Enter, to open the Registry Editor
5. Within the Registry Editor, navigate to this location:*
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate
* Note: If you can't locate the WindowsUpdate key, right-click on the Windows key and choose New -> Key. Then rename the new key as "WindowsUpdate".
6. Select the WindowsUpdate key on the left and on the right pane do the following:
6a. Right-click anywhere on the blank space and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Then rename the new value as: TargetReleaseVersion
6b. Now double-click to open the TargetReleaseVersion value you created and type 1 in the Value data field. Press OK to save.
7a. Then, right-click anywhere in the same window and select New > String Value. Then rename this value as: TargetReleaseVersionInfo
7b. Double-click at TargetReleaseVersionInfo and type 22H2 at Value data field. When done click OK.
8a. Repeat the step-7a and create another one String Value with name: ProductVersion
8b. Open the ProductVersion REG_SZ and type in value data: Windows 10
9. Finally, close the Registry Editor and restart your PC to apply the change to never upgrade to Windows 11.
Method 3. Prevent Windows 11 Upgrade via Group Policy.
If you 're running Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise edition, then you can block the Windows 11 Upgrade using the Group Policy Editor.
1a. Press Windows + R keys to load the Run dialog box.
1b. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter, to open the Policy Editor.
2. In Group Policy Editor navigate to the following location:
- Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Windows Update for Business
3. Then, at the right pane double-click on Select the Target Feature Update version policy.
4. In the policy settings window:
a. Select the Enabled option to activate the policy.
b. Type Windows 10 in Windows product version field
c. Type 22H2 in Target Version for Feature Updates field.
d. Click Apply > OK to save the change and prevent Windows 10 from automatically updating to Windows 11.
5. Restart the PC or open command prompt as administrator and give the "gpupdate /force" command to make the policy active.
That's it! Which method worked for you?
Let me know if this guide has helped you by leaving your comment about your experience. Please like and share this guide to help others.
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