How long does the pause last? That depends. That action immediately stops all updates, with the exception of Windows Defender definitions (which are typically small and don't require a restart). (Beginning with Windows 10 version 1903, the Pause Updates button moves to the main Windows Update page, as shown here.)
To avoid that unpleasant possibility, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Advanced Options and click the Pause Updates button. If you're about to hit the road on a business trip, the last thing you want is to deal with an unexpected update when you're rushing to finish packing or finalize an important presentation. The semi-annual feature updates involve much longer delays, leaving you unable to access apps or data for up to an hour, and occasionally even longer. Even the routine cumulative security updates that arrive on the second Tuesday of each month (Patch Tuesday) require a restart followed by at least a few minutes of downtime as the operating system complete the installation process. For Insider builds like this one, you can pause updates for up to 7 days, compared to 35 days for public releases
