Gralla: How to handle Win10 updates

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Good roundup by Preston Gralla. This article (registration required) takes you through all of the tricks of the patch blocking trade, up to and includ
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Maybe I don’t visit CW often enough to be aware of it, but this is the first time I’ve ever been asked to give an e-mail address in order to read anything on CW.

 

Keep Running Windows 7 Safely for Years to Come  
Make Windows 10 look and work like Windows 7

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tommyb0y

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Their special reports require an email id.

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HiFlyer, Cybertooth

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woody wrote:

Their special reports require an email id.

Tried to sign up…..registration hung….wouldn’t continue to password.  Guess they didn’t like my masked email.

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Sadly I’m having the same problem as HiFlyer.  It takes forever to recognize that the email as valid, and then just hangs after entering (what might be way to much to ask) information.
I tried the page a second time and it’s just hung the email.
BTW, I’m not using a masked email.
Just saying.

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columbia2011

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In retrospect I’m starting to realize that it’s more of a pain to update (or not update) Win10 than it is to dodge the minefield of everything before it while still having granular control. And Win10 was supposed to simplify everything, remember? Ugh.

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Cybertooth

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woody wrote:

Good roundup by Preston Gralla.

This article (registration required) takes you through all of the tricks of the patch blocking trade, up to and including Win10 1803.

Have any tricks to add? Hit me in the comments.

“And you can only do it on PCs that are connected to a network via Wi-Fi — if you have an Ethernet connection, it won’t work.
…
If you’re connected to a network via Ethernet, you can’t use this technique.”

Someone should tell Preston Galla that it’s been possible to set an Ethernet connection as metered for more than 15 months (1703).

(I can’t, because ComputerWorld very usefully disabled both comments and contact links.)

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HiFlyer, BobbyB

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Points well taken. I’ll make sure Preston gets the message.

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Not really sure what to suggest as a good tip as Win10 Pro and above are well taken care of with GPOL and the 30 + 365 settings in WUD GUI. Probably i’ll confine my tips for Win10 Home users as they have “the greatest Mountain to climb.” I have found that WUMT (Windows up date Mini Tool) combined with setting your Web connection to metered works about the best. Hiding the real Howlers coming down the “update chute” its quick and painless just like WUSHOWHIDE from M$, although I am seeing WUMT is way more flexible insofar as it gives you a more detailed description of what’s heading your way although the reported sizes in the Prog. seem to be a little inaccurate. Depending on the version of WUMT you get it comes with a “Script” to disable WUD components, your choice if you use it to disable WUD and just use WUMT alone. I am loathe to do this as a rule for a couple of reasons, the next Cumm. update may reset the modifications and I am not a big fan or dismembering WUD as you really never know when you may need it and unforeseen consequences. Pretty much with Win10 Home you have to be quick as soon as you boot up your machine or resume from sleep should there be anything in the UD Dept. that you don’t want. So as a reminder why not set a Scheduled Task to fire up WUMT when you resume from Sleep or Boot up? They aren’t hard to do and it serves either as a reminder to Check and or Hide, it shouldn’t really have too much of a detrimental effect on boot and resume times. As we all know with Win10 Home you don’t get an “inkling” as to really what’s going on with updates until you get a reboot reminder or the Machine goes in to reboot unannounced. Any ways just a thought you can always rely on the state of play with the knowlegble comments in here and the ever present “DEFCON” state of play.

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HiFlyer

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My neighbors computer got hit with 1803 home (from 1709) last weekend despite having the metered connection set and 1803 hidden with wushowhide. So far no phone calls about something not working. What I couldn’t find in 1803 is the metered connection setting for ethernet so it may be gone.

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Nope. Still there.

To set a wired Ethernet connection as metered, head to Settings > Network & Internet > Ethernet. Click the name of your Ethernet connection.
Activate the “Set as metered connection” option for the network you’re connected to.

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HiFlyer, woody

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Main tip Install Windows 7 and tell M$ to stick 10

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HiFlyer

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The train of thought Microsoft has in terms of Windows 10 updates and upgrades is littered with control issues no matter how many beta testers you recruit. There will always be a percent of devices that will experience problems. The fact we have always known this and had the ability to uninstall a problem update is the hallmark of Windows being very solid for users. The fact you can regress to a stable point is why users still use Windows.

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Take ownership of update files, then deny Windows access.

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BobbyB wrote:

I have found that WUMT (Windows up date Mini Tool) combined with setting your Web connection to metered works about the best.

When I had it (early days), resolving WUMT issues became monthly chore.  I gave it up and went simpler.  The process now is unblock WUD at my convenience, run WUShowHide immediately and hide unwanted updates. Update. Block WUD. Windows Update blocker is a recent addition that makes blocking update easy.

Group A (but Telemetry disabled Tasks and Registry)
1) Dell Inspiron with Win 11 64 Home permanently in dock due to "sorry spares no longer made".
2) Dell Inspiron with Win 11 64 Home (substantial discount with Pro version available only at full price)

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Microfix

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I wonder if this Windows Update Blocker works with Windows 10 Home Edition? If it only turns the Windows Update service off then it won’t be any good because (as I found out recently) Microsoft will just turn the service back on again without your permission and download and install updates.

I even had it disabled with O&O’s ShutUp10 and had everything I could find also disabled in Task Scheduler – including a couple of tasks under Windows Update  (something about “healing” and turning the Update service back on when needed) but that didn’t make any difference. Updates still downloaded and installed.

If this tool does actually work with W10 Home then I might consider installing W10 again on my 12 year old laptop because it did run rather well (even if a little slow) up until Microsoft force installed updates last week and caused the laptop to blue screen.

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Carl D wrote:

I wonder if this Windows Update Blocker works with Windows 10 Home Edition?

Yes. That’s what I have it on.

Carl D wrote:

If it only turns the Windows Update service off then it won’t be any good because (as I found out recently) Microsoft will just turn the service back on again without your permission and download and install updates.

With the blocker doing it’s job, wuauserv is disabled, other services required for update remain running. It is possible to switch off more services using the instructions on the website however, it is probably unnecessary. Checking the ‘Protect Service Settings’ box in WUB probably takes care of Microsoft efforts to switch update back on.

Carl D wrote:

If this tool does actually work with W10 Home then I might consider installing W10 again on my 12 year old laptop.

Your decision. I’m only a happy WUB user and don’t know details of it’s operation. So far, it works for me. Other than giving me the choice when to fight Windows, I can’t say it improves anything on my 2Gb RAM Atom device but it certainly doesn’t make it any less tolerable.

 

Group A (but Telemetry disabled Tasks and Registry)
1) Dell Inspiron with Win 11 64 Home permanently in dock due to "sorry spares no longer made".
2) Dell Inspiron with Win 11 64 Home (substantial discount with Pro version available only at full price)

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HiFlyer, Carl D

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