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How to remove the Get Windows 10 app permanetly and keep it off?

Is there a way to remove the GWX.exe app and keep it from re-downloading onto my computer? I tried Win10, and it was a horrible buggy mess, and worse of all, it was on a BRAND new computer, less than a month old, but with a lot of RAM and HD space. I have Win7Pro on this computer(legal copy of course, which I bought with the new computer). Within a week of dealing with settings and the horrible Edge browser, I turned on Win10 and All my apps(except one) were not only not working, but all my shortcuts were gone, AND Edge was not available or listed anywhere. The only working thing was the GWX app, which I used to recover my old Win7 and revert back. Never, EVER will go back to Windows 10. The reports on the November patch harming Win10 users only strengthens my resolve on this matter.

But I STILL get that GWX.exe app on my system tray. I know how to end the process, but it is annoying having to do that every single I turn on my computer.

Is there a simple, easy way to remove and KEEP it from re-downloading the GWX.exe app?

Thanks.

Answer
Answer

 . . .

While there are applications written by others out there that do what I am about to show you - you don't get to see what they are doing, so I personally cannot recommend such a method.

  

Copy and paste the text below (and above) the obvious markers into a text file, save it as 'DisableGWX.reg' (<-- changing even the file extension - if you cannot see it, you'll have to change your Windows Explorer view a bit to make this easier) and then use that (right-click on it, MERGE it into your registry) to disable the upgrade 'pushiness' you are seeing.  Restart to get the full effect.
   

---------------- COPY EVERYTHING BELOW THIS LINE ----------------

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\GWX]
"DisableGWX"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate]
"DisableOSUpgrade"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\OSUpgrade]
"AllowOSUpgrade"=dword:00000000
"ReservationsAllowed"=dword:00000000

---------------- COPY EVERYTHING ABOVE THIS LINE ----------------

 

Once that is done, you should be without the notification and your Microsoft Updates should return to it's normal state.  If you ever want to upgrade to Windows 10 again (remember, it is a work in progress and if you upgraded already on that system and activated - then there is a license for Windows 10 you will never have to pay for tied to that individual machine for the life of that individual machine) you could likely use the Media Creation Tool to do so *or* reverse the registry values above (all dword:00000001 becomes dword:00000000 and all dword:00000000 becomes dword:00000001) and save that file and MERGE it again.  Restart and you are back where you were before.

   

*TIP* for everyone out there.  One thing I have not seen advertised about the 30-day rollback option you have with Windows 10 is that *if* you run the Media Creation Tool at any point in those 30 days, it BREAKS the ability to rollback - even if you did it just to create an ISO image so you would have installation media to keep.  This is because that tool recreates the '$Windows.~BT' and '$Windows.~WS' folders on the root of your C drive and those two folders and their original contents after the upgrade along with the 'Windows.OLD' folder (the only 'visible by default' one of the three) are all necessary for the rollback process to work.

 

This is a little 'reflective', but pictures (animated ones) might be worth at least whatever number of words are above this line . . .

(Animated GIF - should view in a web browser for full effect.)

  

. . . and JUST IN CASE someone doesn't know how to (in Windows 8.1) set up their system so they can see File Extensions (the letters after the period in the filenames) --> here's a GIF showing you how:

 

(Animated GIF - should view in a web browser for full effect.)

(Yes, there are similar settings in Windows 7 to see the file extension.)

.-
Shenan Stanley
MVP 2005-2011 & 2013-2015
Insider MVP 2016-
.-

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Question Info

Last updated February 15, 2023 Views 924 Applies to: