Windows 8 laptop not connected to internet but tries to check for updates and gets stuck in an update loop

Question

I'm using an Asus Windows 8 laptop offline, by choice. After turning the machine on and before getting to the usual desktop and login page, it started checking for updates. Apparently it could not tell that it was not connected to the network. After saying that the updates were 100% complete, it then put up a message that the updates had failed and it was resetting changes. After this it did a restart, the Asus logo appeared and I thought all was well. Not so. The idiot machine went thru the above process all over again. When it started this loop a third time, I shut the thing down by holding down the on/off button. How can I regain control of this computer AND tell it to stand down from checking for updates when it is offline?