Disable automatic maintenance in Windows 11 or 10

Stefan
Disable automatic maintenance in Windows 11 or 10

If you do not use your computer for a longer period of time, maintenance will be started automatically. Automatic maintenance usually starts at 2:00 AM, but can run at other times depending on when the computer is used.

Automatic maintenance ensures that your computer is regularly maintained without you having to take manual action. This maintenance keeps your computer safe, and keeps it running smoothly. It consists of various tasks that run in the background, often when you are not using your computer, to ensure there is minimal disruption to you.

  • Your computer automatically checks and installs updates for Windows and installed apps, ensuring the latest security patches and performance improvements are applied.
  • Windows Defender and other security tools perform regular scans to detect and remove malware, viruses, and other threats.
  • Windows checks for system errors or problems that the performance and tries to restore them automatically if possible.
  • As part of maintenance tasks Windows defrag the hard drive (if necessary) to optimize file storage and improve access speed.
  • To free up space and improve system performance, delete Windows automatically creates temporary files and other unnecessary files.

Although automatic maintenance is intended to cause you minimal disruption, you can choose to disable it to have more control over when and how your system is updated or maintained. You can then still start it manually. However, it is important to remember that disabling automatic maintenance can lead to outdated software, unresolved system errors, and an increased risk of security issues.

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Disable automatic maintenance in Windows 11 or 10

You can disable automatic maintenance through the Windows registry.

Disable automatic maintenance via Windows registry.

To begin open the Windows registry. Then go to key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\Maintenance

Right-click on “Maintenance” and click on “New” and then on “DWORD (32-bit) Value”.

new value

Name this value:

MaintenanceDisabled

Double-click “MaintenanceDisabled” and set the value data to “1” to disable automatic maintenance.

MaintenanceDisabled

Now restart your computer to disable automatic maintenance.

Manually start automatic maintenance

You can always choose to manually start automatic maintenance when it suits you.

Open Control Panel. Go to System and Security > Security and Maintenance > Maintenance and click “Start Maintenance”.

Manually start automatic maintenance

I hope this helped you. Thank you for reading!

Read more: 16 tips for Windows Explorer.

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