How can I defer updates in Windows 10 Home?

I prefer knowing what each update does and reading about its impact (including whether it is causing widespread problems for people) before allowing it to be installed on my system. How can I do this in Windows 10 Home?

Solution 1:

Bad news, you can't. With the new servicing model being introduced with Windows 10, new features will be released whenever they’re ready. You can choose between the slow and fast rings but according to Microsoft:

Windows 10 Home users will have updates from Windows Update automatically available. Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise users will have the ability to defer updates.

So the ability to defer updates is now a feature restricted to Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise only.

[Of course this might be changed later if there is a lot of hue and cry over it, or an unofficial workaround may be found.]

For reference here's the upgrade matrix:

Source: Windows 10 Specifications (see Feature deprecation section)

Solution 2:

I just upgraded to Windows 10 Home Single Language from Windows 8.1 Single Language a few minutes ago and I have the Defer upgrades setting available by default under Settings > Update and security > Windows Update > Advanced options. I am using Build 10240

I googled a bit and according to Neowin (which itself cites WinSuperSite), with cumulative update KB3081448 released on August 27, Microsoft has pushed the ability for Windows 10 Home users to disable automatic updates for Windows Store apps.

However, even though I'm a Windows 10 Home user, for some reason I have the option to defer upgrades in Windows Update settings. I'm not sure yet if it actually works though. I guess I'll find out.