On Windows 10 we can't avoid installing updates but you can postpone the automatic restart so we don't lose the work we are doing
When an update is ready to be installed on our computer with Windows 10 operating system a notification alerts us of the automatic restart that will happen at the end of the completion of the download of the new version. If we are working on the PC this can be a real nuisance.
Unfortunately it is possible to postpone the automatic restart so we don't lose the changes on the files and documents we are working on. To do so, we'll have to set our PC's Activity Hours. In this way Windows will apply the restart necessary to complete the installation of the new version outside of our working hours. We won't be able to block automatic updates on any computer with Windows 10, but with this feature at least we'll no longer have inconveniences. We will be able to indicate up to a maximum of 18 hours per day that are "off limits" for restarting updates.
How to prevent automatic restart
To activate the feature just press the Start button (the one with the Windows window icon in the bottom left corner of our screen). Here we look for and select the Settings item. On the page that appears we have to click on the heading Update and Security. At this point we will be redirected to the page named as Windows Update. Here we scroll down to the heading Update Settings and click on "Change Uptime". This will open a popup menu where we'll have to select the start time of our work and the end time. During these hours (let's remember a maximum of 18) the PC will not be restarted. To confirm, just click on the Save button at the bottom. If we did something wrong, just click Cancel.
Restart Options
Once per update we can also avoid the time limit. In this way we can tell the PC when we are free to restart to download the new version of the operating system. To do this we always go to Settings and then to the Update and Security section. Here from Windows Update on the pane of Update Settings we select the heading Restart Options. In the new menu we activate the function by putting the check and select a specific time when the computer will be restarted. As a reminder we can also set a reminder that just before the restart we can save any work documents. If, on the other hand, we have finished our work earlier and want to restart the PC at the moment, all we need to do is go to Windows Update and select Restart Now from the update settings.