Once a year update? They do it each "patch-tuesday".
How do you avoid updating? MS (sic! Multiple sclerosis) does not allow you to block updates.
Imho the only possibilities are
a) you have a server-client network that allows a Wsus server to postpone or block updates for the clients, usually only works when you have a registered company and a permanent IP address
b) you have the enterprise edition (above professional and much more expensive) that allows you to completely block certain or all updates
c) you have the professional edition and de-install updates after installing, which is time-consuming, quite idiotic and hard to do; and even after this remnants of some update may still spoil some programs. And MS may still try to install this again later.
