Select when Quality 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 quality updates. You can defer receiving quality updates for up to 30 days. To prevent quality updates from being received on their scheduled time, you can temporarily pause quality updates. The pause will remain in effect for 35 days or until you clear the start date field. To resume receiving Quality Updates which are paused, clear the start date field. If you disable or do not configure this policy, Windows Update will not alter its behavior.
Registry
HKLM
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate Value name: DeferQualityUpdates
Enabled: DeferQualityUpdates = 1
Disabled: DeferQualityUpdates = 0
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Update/DeferQualityUpdatesPeriodInDays Multiple CSP matches are possible; the first one was selected.
Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
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 Quality Updates are received
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016 or Windows 10
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate]
"DeferQualityUpdates"=dword:00000001
"DeferQualityUpdatesPeriodInDays"=dword:00000000
"PauseQualityUpdatesStartTime"=""More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Select when Quality 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 'DeferQualityUpdates' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DeferQualityUpdatesPeriodInDays' -Value 0 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'PauseQualityUpdatesStartTime' -Value '' -Type StringIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Update/DeferQualityUpdatesPeriodInDays
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="DeferQualityUpdatesPeriodId" value="0"/>
<data id="PauseQualityUpdatesStartId" value=""/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Select when Quality 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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate' -Name 'DeferQualityUpdates' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate' -Name 'DeferQualityUpdatesPeriodInDays' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate' -Name 'PauseQualityUpdatesStartTime' -Expected '' -Kind String)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Select when Quality 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 'DeferQualityUpdates' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DeferQualityUpdatesPeriodInDays' -Value 0 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'PauseQualityUpdatesStartTime' -Value '' -Type StringSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Select when Quality 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 Quality 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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate' -Name 'DeferQualityUpdates' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate' -Name 'DeferQualityUpdatesPeriodInDays' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate' -Name 'PauseQualityUpdatesStartTime' -Expected '' -Kind String)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Select when Quality 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 'DeferQualityUpdates' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DeferQualityUpdatesPeriodInDays' -Value 0 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'PauseQualityUpdatesStartTime' -Value '' -Type StringBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.