Unless you’re attached to a corporate network with a well-managed Update Server, Win10 will give you all of Microsoft’s patches, according to Microsoft’s schedule. You can usually keep the reboot limited to a time when you aren’t working, but the patches come whether you want ’em or not. Worse, if you uninstall a patch, every time you reboot or log on again, the same patch comes barreling at your machine. It’s like Sisyphus 10.0.

As long as Microsoft’s patches, that’s great. But the minute there’s a problem—a faulty driver, a cumulative update that refuses to install, a conflict between the patch and one of your programs—forced updating can cause mayhem.

Fortunately, Microsoft has a program that allows you to block and hide specific updates. Wushowhide, known by its cryptic Knowledge Base number KB 307930, scans to see which updates are pending and lets you hide individual updates.

To use it, head over to KB 307930, then download and stick wushowhide.diagcab on your machine. Next, follow these steps precisely:

1. Run wushowhide.diacab.

2. This part’s important: Click the link marked Advanced. Uncheck the box marked “Apply repairs automatically.” Click Next.

3. Wushowhide will run for a long time. When it comes back up for air, click the link to Hide Updates. You see a list like the one in the screenshot.

4. Check the update(s) you want to avoid, click Next, then Next again. The chosen patch(es) won’t be installed, until you go back and uncheck it.

Depending on your version of Win10, you may have options to slow down updates. No matter what Win10 says, this tool will block an update dead in its tracks—but watch out. If Microsoft releases a new version of a patch, it’ll switch off the “hidden” checkmark, so you have to go back and hide it again.