Select when Preview Builds and Feature Updates are received
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Update\Manage updates offered from Windows Update Description
Enable this policy to specify when to receive Feature Updates. Defer Updates | This enables devices to defer taking the next Feature Update available for their current product (or a new product if specified in the Select the target Feature Update version policy). You can defer a Feature Update for up to 14 days for all pre-release channels and up to 365 days for the General Availability Channel. To learn more about the current releases, please see aka.ms/WindowsTargetVersioninfo Pause Updates | To prevent Feature Updates from being offered to the device, you can temporarily pause Feature Updates. This pause will remain in effect for 35 days from the specified start date or until the field is cleared. Note, Quality Updates will still be offered even if Feature Updates are paused.
Registry
HKLM
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate Value name: DeferFeatureUpdates
Enabled: DeferFeatureUpdates = 1
Disabled: DeferFeatureUpdates = 0
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Update/BranchReadinessLevel Multiple CSP matches are possible; the first one was selected.
Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
CSP values
-
2- {0x2} - Windows Insider build - Fast (added in Windows 10, version 1709). -
4- {0x4} - Windows Insider build - Slow (added in Windows 10, version 1709). -
8- {0x8} - Release Windows Insider build (added in Windows 10, version 1709). -
16 (Default)- {0x10} - Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel (Preview). Device gets all applicable feature updates from Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel (Preview). -
32- 2 {0x20} - Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel. Device gets feature updates from Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel. (*Only applicable to releases prior to 1903, for all releases 1903 and after the Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel and Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel (Preview) into a single Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel with a value of 16). -
64- {0x40} - Release Preview of Quality Updates Only. -
128- {0x80} - Canary Channel.
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Select when Preview Builds and Feature Updates are received
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate]
"DeferFeatureUpdates"=dword:00000001
"DeferFeatureUpdatesPeriodInDays"=dword:00000000
"PauseFeatureUpdatesStartTime"=""More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Select when Preview Builds and Feature Updates are received
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DeferFeatureUpdates' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DeferFeatureUpdatesPeriodInDays' -Value 0 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'PauseFeatureUpdatesStartTime' -Value '' -Type StringIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Update/BranchReadinessLevel
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="DeferFeatureUpdatesPeriodId" value="0"/>
<data id="PauseFeatureUpdatesStartId" value=""/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Select when Preview Builds and Feature Updates are received
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate' -Name 'DeferFeatureUpdates' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate' -Name 'DeferFeatureUpdatesPeriodInDays' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate' -Name 'PauseFeatureUpdatesStartTime' -Expected '' -Kind String)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Select when Preview Builds and Feature Updates are received
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DeferFeatureUpdates' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DeferFeatureUpdatesPeriodInDays' -Value 0 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'PauseFeatureUpdatesStartTime' -Value '' -Type StringSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Select when Preview Builds and Feature Updates are received
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Select when Preview Builds and Feature Updates are received
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate' -Name 'DeferFeatureUpdates' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate' -Name 'DeferFeatureUpdatesPeriodInDays' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate' -Name 'PauseFeatureUpdatesStartTime' -Expected '' -Kind String)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Select when Preview Builds and Feature Updates are received
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DeferFeatureUpdates' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DeferFeatureUpdatesPeriodInDays' -Value 0 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'PauseFeatureUpdatesStartTime' -Value '' -Type StringBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.