---
title: "AUOptions 2: make Windows Update ask before it downloads and installs"
description: "AUOptions is the Windows Update policy that decides how updates arrive. What the tweak changes, when it helps, when it hurts and how to undo it."
url: https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/windows-update-notify-only
author: Frost LIVE, Founder of Frozen Tweaks
published: 2026-10-08
updated: 2026-10-08
category: "Windows"
source: Frozen Tweaks (https://frozentweaks.com)
---

# AUOptions 2: make Windows Update ask before it downloads and installs

**Short answer:** AUOptions is the Windows Update policy that decides how updates arrive. The value 2 means notify before download: Windows tells you an update is ready and waits for you. This tweak sets that policy. In the registry it sets NoAutoUpdate to 0 under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU, and 1 more value.

## In the app

- Switch: Windows Update: Notify Only (Windows, Free, Standard)
- Undo: Yes. Switching it off sets a standard Windows value, which may not be exactly how you had it.
- Catalog row: https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks#t-1024

## What it does

AUOptions is the Windows Update policy that decides how updates arrive. The value 2 means notify before download: Windows tells you an update is ready and waits for you. This tweak sets that policy.

In the app the switch is called "Windows Update: Notify Only", described there as: Prevents surprise downloads/restarts; set updates to Notify.

## When it helps

- Stopping update downloads and restart prompts from starting in the middle of a session.

## When it hurts

- Updates, including security fixes, wait until you start them. You have to remember to do it.
- On Home editions Windows may not honor every update policy.

## What it writes

Read from the app's source. "Switching it off" is what the app writes when you turn the tweak off again.

Registry values:

| Key | Value | With the tweak | Switching it off |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU` | `NoAutoUpdate` | `0` | Not set (the value is deleted; Windows decides) |
| `HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU` | `AUOptions` | `2` | Not set (the value is deleted; Windows decides) |

Source: Tweaks/windows_update_notify.hpp in the app's source, app 2.0.0, checked 2026-10-08.

## The same change by hand

Run in a Command Prompt opened as administrator. Make a restore point first.

```bat
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU" /v "NoAutoUpdate" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU" /v "AUOptions" /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /f
```

Put it back:

```bat
reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU" /v "NoAutoUpdate" /f
reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU" /v "AUOptions" /f
```

See what it is set to now:

```bat
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU" /v "NoAutoUpdate"
```

## How to undo it

Switch the tweak off in Frozen Tweaks. It deletes NoAutoUpdate, AUOptions, so Windows uses its built-in behavior again.

## Verdict

Good for control, as long as you still update regularly.

## Questions

### What does the "Windows Update: Notify Only" tweak change in Windows?

In the registry it sets NoAutoUpdate to 0 under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU, and 1 more value. The full list is in the table on this page, read from the app's source.

### Is "Windows Update: Notify Only" safe to switch on?

Good for control, as long as you still update regularly. The main cost: Updates, including security fixes, wait until you start them. You have to remember to do it.

### How do I undo it?

Switch the tweak off in Frozen Tweaks. Switching it off sets a standard Windows value, which may not be exactly how you had it.

### Is "Windows Update: Notify Only" free in Frozen Tweaks?

Yes. It is one of the free tweaks, with no time limit.

## Related guides

- [Windows 11 Gaming Optimization: What Still Works in 2026](https://frozentweaks.com/guides/windows-11-gaming-optimization)
- [How to Increase FPS on PC: The Complete 2026 Guide](https://frozentweaks.com/guides/how-to-increase-fps-on-pc)

## More tweak explainers

- [Automatic Maintenance](https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/disable-automatic-maintenance)
- [Mouse acceleration](https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/disable-mouse-acceleration)
- [Toast notifications](https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/disable-notifications)

---
Written by Frost LIVE, founder of Frozen Tweaks. Canonical version: https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/windows-update-notify-only