Can automatic updates be switched off?

[silverback]

Here's the problem. We run a small Family History group which has a laptop which is used for presentations. The other day we switched the laptop on and it went into update mode i.e. Don't switch off your computer. 75 minutes later it finished and the laptop started. Now, if it hadn't been for the fact that some of us had arrived very early for the meeting and decided to set the equipment up there and then, we would have had a guest speaker arrived and ready to start but no laptop available for her to do her presentation.
Today, on my laptop, when I shut down it took over half an hour before the laptop switched off. Then, when I started it again, it took another 15 minutes (applying updates - do not switch off your computer) before it was ready to use.
This is completely unacceptable - essentially one cannot know if the PC is going to switch on/off quickly or go into this extremely time consuming mode.
Is there a way to control when updates are downloaded at a time of our choosing?
Thanks
Silverback

[HansV]

If you have the Creators Update (the update released this April) of Windows 10 Pro, see How to defer future updates in the Windows 10 Creators Update

Otherwise, see 2 ways to control Windows 10 automatic updates