disable-windows-updates.ps1

Set-StrictMode -Version Latest
$ProgressPreference = 'SilentlyContinue'
$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
trap {
    Write-Host
    Write-Host "ERROR: $_"
    ($_.ScriptStackTrace -split '\r?\n') -replace '^(.*)$','ERROR: $1' | Write-Host
    ($_.Exception.ToString() -split '\r?\n') -replace '^(.*)$','ERROR EXCEPTION: $1' | Write-Host
    Write-Host
    Write-Host 'Sleeping for 60m to give you time to look around the virtual machine before self-destruction...'
    Start-Sleep -Seconds (60*60)
    Exit 1
}

# disable automatic updates.
# XXX this does not seem to work anymore.
# see How to configure automatic updates by using Group Policy or registry settings
#     at https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/328010
function New-Directory($path) {
    $p, $components = $path -split '[\\/]'
    $components | ForEach-Object {
        $p = "$p\$_"
        if (!(Test-Path $p)) {
            New-Item -ItemType Directory $p | Out-Null
        }
    }
    $null
}
$auPath = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU'
New-Directory $auPath 
# set NoAutoUpdate.
# 0: Automatic Updates is enabled (default).
# 1: Automatic Updates is disabled.
New-ItemProperty `
    -Path $auPath `
    -Name NoAutoUpdate `
    -Value 1 `
    -PropertyType DWORD `
    -Force `
    | Out-Null
# set AUOptions.
# 1: Keep my computer up to date has been disabled in Automatic Updates.
# 2: Notify of download and installation.
# 3: Automatically download and notify of installation.
# 4: Automatically download and scheduled installation.
New-ItemProperty `
    -Path $auPath `
    -Name AUOptions `
    -Value 2 `
    -PropertyType DWORD `
    -Force `
    | Out-Null

# disable Windows Update Delivery Optimization.
# NB this applies to Windows 10.
# 0: Disabled
# 1: PCs on my local network
# 3: PCs on my local network, and PCs on the Internet
$deliveryOptimizationPath = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeliveryOptimization\Config'
if (Test-Path $deliveryOptimizationPath) {
    New-ItemProperty `
        -Path $deliveryOptimizationPath `
        -Name DODownloadMode `
        -Value 0 `
        -PropertyType DWORD `
        -Force `
        | Out-Null
}