The "PauseFeatureUpdatesStartTime" is a setting that allows administrators to specify the start time for pausing feature updates in Windows. This is particularly important for managing updates in a controlled environment, ensuring that updates do not interfere with critical operations. By configuring this setting, administrators can better control when feature updates are applied, thus minimizing disruptions.

In the Windows environment, this can be managed using Group Policy or the Windows Update settings. Although there isn't a direct "PauseFeatureUpdatesStartTime" setting exposed to users, similar functionality can be achieved using Windows Update for Business policies or by configuring update settings via the Windows Registry and Group Policy.

Examples:

Using Group Policy

1. Open the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) by typing gpmc.msc in the Run dialog (Win + R).
2. Navigate to Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Windows Update -> Windows Update for Business.
3. Find and double-click on the policy named "Select when Preview Builds and Feature Updates are received".
4. Enable the policy and configure the deferral period for feature updates. This indirectly controls when updates are paused and resumed.

Using Windows Update Settings

1. Open the Settings app by pressing Win + I.
2. Navigate to Update & Security -> Windows Update.
3. Click on "Advanced options".
4. Under "Pause updates", select the date until which you want to pause updates. This sets a specific time frame during which feature updates are paused.

Using PowerShell

To pause updates via PowerShell, you can use the Set-WindowsUpdate cmdlet from the PSWindowsUpdate module. First, you need to install the module:

Install-Module -Name PSWindowsUpdate -Force -SkipPublisherCheck

Then, you can pause updates by setting the appropriate parameters:

Set-WindowsUpdate -Pause -StartDate "2023-10-01" -EndDate "2023-10-15"

This command pauses updates from October 1, 2023, to October 15, 2023.

Using the Windows Registry

1. Open the Registry Editor by typing regedit in the Run dialog (Win + R).
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate.
3. Create or modify the DWORD value named DeferFeatureUpdatesPeriodInDays and set it to the number of days you want to defer updates.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate]

"DeferFeatureUpdatesPeriodInDays"=dword:00000030

This example sets the deferral period to 30 days.