Many Windows administrators encounter this frustrating scenario:

net stop "windows update"

The command works temporarily, but soon the Windows Update service (wuauserv) mysteriously restarts itself. This behavior occurs because multiple system components can trigger service reactivation.

Several mechanisms can restart Windows Update service:

• Windows Update Medic Service (modern Windows versions)
• Group Policy refresh cycles
• Scheduled tasks like "Scheduled Start"
• Windows Modules Installer
• Other dependent services

Method 1: Registry Modification (Permanent Solution)

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wuauserv]
"Start"=dword:00000004

Save as disable_wuauserv.reg and import. This sets the service to "Disabled" (4) instead of the default "Manual" (3) or "Automatic" (2).

Method 2: PowerShell Comprehensive Disable

# Stop the service immediately
Stop-Service -Name wuauserv -Force

# Disable the service
Set-Service -Name wuauserv -StartupType Disabled

# Disable related components
Stop-Service -Name UsoSvc -Force
Set-Service -Name UsoSvc -StartupType Disabled

# Disable Windows Update Medic Service (Win10 1809+)
Stop-Service -Name WaaSMedicSvc -Force
Set-Service -Name WaaSMedicSvc -StartupType Disabled

# Optional: Disable scheduled tasks
Get-ScheduledTask -TaskPath "\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\" | Disable-ScheduledTask

Method 3: Group Policy Enforcement

For domain environments, create a GPO that configures:

1. Computer Configuration → Policies → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → Windows Update → "Configure Automatic Updates" → Disabled
2. Same location → "Turn off auto-restart for updates..." → Enabled
3. Consider also disabling the Update Orchestrator service

After implementation, verify with:

# Check service status
Get-Service wuauserv, UsoSvc, WaaSMedicSvc

# Verify startup types
Get-CimInstance Win32_Service | Where-Object {$_.Name -in ('wuauserv','UsoSvc','WaaSMedicSvc')} | Select Name, StartMode

# Check for residual scheduled tasks
Get-ScheduledTask -TaskPath "\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\" | Select TaskName,State

1. Disabling updates leaves systems vulnerable - implement alternative patching solutions
2. Some applications (e.g., Microsoft Office) may require the service temporarily
3. Windows may re-enable services during major version upgrades

The Windows Update service (wuauserv) is designed with multiple recovery mechanisms that automatically restart it when stopped manually. This occurs because:

• Windows Update has dependency relationships with other system services
• Group Policy settings may enforce automatic restart
• The Windows Modules Installer (TrustedInstaller) monitors critical services

Method 1: Using Service Configuration

sc config wuauserv start= disabled
net stop wuauserv

Method 2: Registry Modification

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wuauserv]
"Start"=dword:00000004

For systems managed by Group Policy:

# PowerShell command to disable via GPO
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU" -Name "NoAutoUpdate" -Value 1 -Type DWord

To confirm the service remains stopped:

# PowerShell one-liner to check status
Get-Service wuauserv | Select-Object Status,StartType

If the service still restarts unexpectedly:

1. Check Task Scheduler for Windows Update-related tasks
2. Verify third-party applications aren't triggering restarts
3. Inspect system event logs for service restart events