The "PauseFeatureUpdatesStartTime" setting in Windows is a crucial configuration for system administrators and users who need to manage when feature updates are paused. This setting allows you to specify the start time for pausing feature updates, giving you control over when updates are deferred. This can be particularly useful in environments where system stability and uptime are critical, such as in enterprise settings or for users who need to ensure their system is not disrupted during important tasks.

Understanding how to configure "PauseFeatureUpdatesStartTime" can help prevent unexpected system reboots and ensure that updates occur at a more convenient time. This article will guide you through the steps to configure this setting using Command Prompt (CMD) and Windows PowerShell.

Examples:

Configuring PauseFeatureUpdatesStartTime via CMD

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator:

• Press Win + X and select "Command Prompt (Admin)" or search for "cmd" in the Start menu, right-click, and select "Run as administrator".

2. Set the PauseFeatureUpdatesStartTime:

• Use the reg add command to set the registry key that controls the start time for pausing feature updates. For example, to set the start time to a specific date and time, you can use the following command:
  

   reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate\UX\Settings" /v PauseFeatureUpdatesStartTime /t REG_SZ /d "2023-10-01T12:00:00Z" /f



• In this command:
  
  
  
  • HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate\UX\Settings is the registry path.
  
  
  • /v PauseFeatureUpdatesStartTime specifies the registry value name.
  
  
  • /t REG_SZ specifies the type of the registry value (string).
  
  
  • /d "2023-10-01T12:00:00Z" sets the data for the registry value (the desired start time in ISO 8601 format).
  
  
  • /f forces the command to overwrite the existing value without prompting.
  
  

Configuring PauseFeatureUpdatesStartTime via PowerShell

1. Open PowerShell as Administrator:

• Press Win + X and select "Windows PowerShell (Admin)" or search for "PowerShell" in the Start menu, right-click, and select "Run as administrator".

2. Set the PauseFeatureUpdatesStartTime:

• Use the Set-ItemProperty cmdlet to set the registry key. For example:
  

   Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate\UX\Settings" -Name "PauseFeatureUpdatesStartTime" -Value "2023-10-01T12:00:00Z"



• In this command:
  
  
  
  • -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate\UX\Settings" specifies the registry path.
  
  
  • -Name "PauseFeatureUpdatesStartTime" specifies the registry value name.
  
  
  • -Value "2023-10-01T12:00:00Z" sets the data for the registry value (the desired start time in ISO 8601 format).
  
  

Verifying the Configuration

After setting the PauseFeatureUpdatesStartTime, you can verify the configuration by checking the registry value.

1. Using Command Prompt:

   reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate\UX\Settings" /v PauseFeatureUpdatesStartTime

2. Using PowerShell:

   Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate\UX\Settings" -Name "PauseFeatureUpdatesStartTime"

These commands will display the current value of PauseFeatureUpdatesStartTime, confirming that your configuration has been applied correctly.