Turn Windows Features on Or Off

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In this Window where you have the option to turn items on or off, is there any Features that a person should not really mess with?
I am particularly interest in the .Net Frame Work 3.5 & 4.5  I was going to try unchecking these boxes to see if that would correct the problem of Windows Automatically installing updates that I have Not selected.

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Could you please let us know which version of Windows you are using (type winver into your Windows search box, click on winver.exe)?

You appear to be referring to the Win7/8.1 WinUpdate Important/Recommended selection of updates to install – is that correct? If so, Important updates (up to the June patches, if you are cautious, and following the MS-Defcon installation recommendations) can be installed per AKB2000004. Recommended updates, on the 2nd, separate, page can be skipped unless you have a specific need to install them.

You may find additional information to help in AKB2000011

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BobbyB

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The PC is an upgrade from W8 to W8.1

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As we are expecting a change from MS-Defcon 2 in coming day, you may choose to wait for Woody’s detailed instructions, when the coast is clear for the most recent updates to be installed.

Also: AKB2000010: Windows 8.1 Tips
Group A (Win 7 and 8.1) might be missing updates if don’t hide unwanted updates

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Thank you so much for your info

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NET Framework has nothing to do with updates, auto or manual.

.NET is really just a software library to make coding faster – you use the library functions instead of building your own. Some programs require .NET to run and if you remove it your programs will fail.

cheers, Paul

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Microfix, BobbyB

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Never remove/ untick .Net if it’s installed in W8.1 unless you wish to bring issues to your programs.
As @PaulT has stated, programs that rely on certain versions of .Net WILL stop working.
I’m also on W8.1 and have not ventured past v4.52 .NET, all programs work as intended here so, there is no need for me to install newer versions UNLESS a program specifically does so at installation setup.

Security issues are still covered in older .NET versions which will come down the WU chute or downloaded via the MS catalog which should be installed when DEFCON system states it’s safe to do so. If you choose not to update these security patches, that’s entirely at your own risk.

Windows - commercial by definition and now function...

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@anonymous – It’s possible that Windows Update is installing updates that you don’t want it to install because you haven’t told Windows Update that you don’t want it to do that.

I don’t and haven’t used Windows 8 or 8.1, only Windows 7, but the following might be worth a try. Open Windows Update. On the left should be a link for “Change Settings”. Click on that. Near the top of the resulting page you should see a scroll box that has several choices for how you want Windows Update to install updates. Make sure you have an option checked that says to let YOU decide whether to download and/or install updates. If you don’t check an option like that, Windows Update will do whatever it want to do, including installing updates IT thinks are important even though you don’t want them.

It strikes me that if the Windows Update behavior you describe just started happening after you switched to Windows 8.1 from Windows 8, that you might have forgotten to make the change outlined above.

Also, note that my directions above are for Windows 7, although I think 8.1 should work essentially the same way. Maybe an actual 8.1 user can give more explicit instructions.

Hope this helps.

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Elly, Microfix

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Good advice above.

As a Win 8.1 user myself, I can add this:

Any Windows Update that completes, whether you requested it or somehow it happened on its own, as a last step will actually re-enable a number of scheduled tasks that can in turn start Windows Update in the future. These can be found in the Task Scheduler under:

Task Scheduler (Local)
  Task Scheduler Library
    Microsoft
      Windows
        WindowsUpdate

As someone with a fair bit of experience managing Windows systems, and with a decent tool in place for detecting changes, I choose to disable those aforementioned tasks after every update, so that I can retain full control of whether and when my system will next do updates. Microsoft had already started down the road to WaaS (Windows as a Service) in Win 8.1, and there are quite a few tasks scheduled that may cause your Win 8.1 system to do things unexpectedly.

I also have two other mechanisms in place that will result in a Windows Update occurring only if and when I request it: I disable the Windows Update service (so that I have to specifically Enable and Start it before an update can occur) and I reconfigure my 3rd party firewall software to disallow communication with Windows Update servers (so that I have to do a trivial reconfiguration before an update can occur).

Since about 2012 Microsoft has had no qualms about changing your configuration and manipulating your system. Win 7 was the last version where they kept a mostly hands-off-your-settings policy, though with suitable tweaking of settings, augmenting with 3rd party software, and taking back of control I’ve found Win 8.1 to be the best, most professional system they’ve released. I haven’t yet been able to say the same for Windows 10, though v1803 isn’t the worst they’ve released.

-Noel

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Elly, DrBonzo, Microfix

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Thank you once again for your insight. You are a WEALTH OF INFORMATION!

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Microfix wrote:

…I’m also on W8.1 and have not ventured past v4.52 .NET, all programs work as intended here so, there is no need for me to install newer versions UNLESS a program specifically does so at installation setup.

Same here on Win7.

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