Windows 10, v1903: missing Windows Update deferral options

All,

My W10 system is an SP3, which was running 1809 (Pro). Check for updates a few days after 1903 went live, none available. Download the Windows upgrade assistant, lo and behold I am not running the latest, would I like to download and install? Yes. SW checks and informs me my system is compatible. Download and install. I did this early in the official release cycle because one of my biggest personal complaints about W10 is Windows Update – and 1903 was supposed to introduce some changes that brought it more in line with the W7 and W8.1 “way of thinking”.

Anyway – what did I find? When I open Settings/Update & Security/Advanced Options, I don’t see any feature update or quality update deferral options listed. All I see is a pause option for 7 days.

Has anyone else had this happen to them upgrading to 1903? Am I missing something? Is this a known issue?

I do wonder if I would be having this issue if I had just used the nuclear option and done a clean (ISO) install. This shouldnt be this complicated….

Conversation 13 comments

  • justme

    Premium Member
    03 June, 2019 - 4:45 pm

    <p>EDIT: A DuckDuckGo search turned up several links to what looks like the same story, so somebody has seen this elsewhere </p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

  • scoop

    03 June, 2019 - 5:28 pm

    <p>Deferral of feature updates up to 365 days is still possible in Pro and up via Group Policy. The quote below is from gHacks:</p><p><br></p><p><em>Deferral options are still available in the Group Policy. Tap on the Windows-key, type gpedit.msc, and hit the Enter-key to launch the Group Policy Editor (professional versions only).</em></p><p><em>Go to Computer Configuration &gt; Administrative Templates &gt; Windows Components &gt; Windows Update &gt; Windows Update for Business.</em></p><p><em>There you find "Select when Preview Builds and Feature Updates are received" and "Select when Quality Updates are received".</em></p><p><br></p><p>I did this when I ran Enterprise 1903 briefly. I am not in front of my main machine now, but I seem to recall setting the system to SAC via the same area of Group Policy.</p><p><br></p><p>This change probably could have been communicated better.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

    • justme

      Premium Member
      04 June, 2019 - 3:40 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#432767">In reply to scoop:</a></em></blockquote><p>Thank you. Had a look and the settings are there in Group Policy for me.</p><p><br></p><p>I should of course be grateful I have the ability to defer updates at all, but this? This is one of the many reasons why my main PC will not be going to Windows 10 anytime soon. You should not need a secret decoder ring to figure out how updates get defered.</p><p><br></p><p>Thanks again. I think what I my do is test the ISO install and see if it acts the same.</p>

  • madthinus

    Premium Member
    04 June, 2019 - 8:41 am

    <p>There is not an option per say. If an update is available that is not critical, it is listed with an option to install. It will no longer automatically install all updates when you do a manual "Check for updates". This is a good half way measure between defer and auto install. </p>

    • justme

      Premium Member
      04 June, 2019 - 9:06 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#433000">In reply to madthinus:</a></em></blockquote><p>I think part of what confused me was that the only option I saw available was the option to pause for 7 days. I hadnt seen anything specifically laying out how the new deferral method worked. As someone who wants more control over how my machine gets and accepts updates, I was looking forward to the 1903 changes. Microsoft could have done a better job communicating how this works.</p>

      • jean

        04 June, 2019 - 12:38 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#433013">In reply to JustMe:</a></em></blockquote><p>I am on 1903 which says:</p><p>Pause updates for 7 days</p><p>and then the magic sentence : Visit Advanced options to change the pause period</p><p><br></p><p>clicking on Advanced Options I can chose "Pause Until" which gives me up to 35 days</p>

        • justme

          Premium Member
          04 June, 2019 - 5:14 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#433133">In reply to jean:</a></em></blockquote><p>I also looked in the Advanced options, and did not have a "pause until" option</p><p><br></p><p>Using the info from gHacks provided by scoop below, I was able to change the options I needed.</p>

        • madthinus

          Premium Member
          10 November, 2019 - 8:21 am

          <blockquote><em><a href="#433133">In reply to jean:</a></em></blockquote><p>You can just keep on pressing the pause button, it will stack them. </p>

  • roncerr

    04 June, 2019 - 8:42 am

    <p>As of a late May update, the 6-month feature updates are deferred by default until you manually choose to download and install. Applies to home and pro. See the KB for May 21 for 1809.</p>

  • epguy40

    18 July, 2019 - 4:15 pm

    <p>known issue with 1903 noted in past certain blogs:</p><p><br></p><p>www.askwoody.com/2019/win10-version-1903-disappearing-update-settings-described-but-not-explained/</p><p><br></p><p>borncity.com/win/2019/05/27/windows-10-v1903-the-broken-defer-update-options/</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

  • epguy40

    09 November, 2019 - 11:25 am

    <p>hello to all.</p><p><br></p><p>INSTALL THE KB4522355 UPDATE FROM OCT. 24 – NO QUESTIONS ASKED!</p><p><br></p><p>The KB4522355 update seems to permanently restore the missing Windows Update deferral option.</p><p><br></p>

  • ghostrider

    11 November, 2019 - 11:42 am

    <p>From my perspective, I've always wanted to know why 'Check for Updates' in Microsoft's mind means 'Check, download and install any updates it finds'. Doesn't seem right to me!</p>

  • epguy40

    12 November, 2019 - 6:32 pm

    <p>even this Bleepingcomputer.com article confirms that the missing WU deferral options re-appear for good after installing at least the KB4522355 update for 1903:</p><p>www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-fixes-windows-10-missing-deferred-update-settings-bug</p>

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