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Hello PKCano, just want to report that I followed your suggestion to copy C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download folder in a different location, delete the contents of the original folder leaving the folder itself and run the procedure in AKB2000013.

At first nothing seemed to change and the Windows Update screen still showed the CU as available for download. However, on rebooting the system once more, the Windows Update screen changed to “up to date” status and the CU is now listed in the update history as having failed installation with error code 0x8024200d.

On the other hand, Windows Update now shows a message offering to update to 1903 with a “when you are ready you can download and install”. No way I’m going to click on download and install for the time being…

Win10 1803 Home here and I’m hoping that metered connection and wushowhide will be enough to block the feature update once it is actually pushed to my system. So far, Windows Update is only offering to update to 1903 with a “when you are ready you can download and install” message, just like the one seen in the screenshot attached to bishbash’s post above. No way I’m going to be ready at least until 1903 is declared (more or less) safe to upgrade to here…

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Fred

I’m relatively sure that the CU was downloaded, but not installed. Below is what my Windows Update screen looks like since last Tuesday. Since then the CU is not shown in ‘View installed update history’ and Windows did not prompt to “Update and shut down” or “Update and restart” at any time.

A literal translation of the text between the Windows Update title and the Download button reads as follows:

“Updates available
Last check: 11/06/2019, 19:01

2019-06 Cumulative update for Windows 10 Version 1803 x64 (KB4503286)
Status: Awaiting download

Updates are available. The download will take place when using a non-metered connection or you may download 82.02 MB on the current metered connection (charges may apply). Some updates may require connection to a non-metered Wi-Fi network”

Despite claiming that the update is yet to be downloaded this is what I found in the C:WindowsSoftwareDistributionDownload folder:

The folder that pertains to KB4503286 is about 300 MB in size, so I don’t think this is a container of metadata, but the files that were downloaded (and not installed).

Anyway, I’ll follow your suggestion to copy the Download folder elsewhere, delete the original and re-run the AKB2000013 procedure to see what happens.

Thanks for the explanation PKCano!

So, the bottom line is:
1) it’s normal for Windows Update to automatically check for updates when the connection is set to metered;
2) it’s a good idea to run wushowhide multiple times after updates have been released to ensure that everything I want to hide is set to hidden;
3) it’s (always) necessary to clear the update queue for the hiding to be effective.

The only “mystery” that remains unsolved is why Windows Update actually downloaded (but did not install) the KB4503286 update despite the connection being set to metered. It’s a bit silly for Windows Update to warn me that costs may be incurred if I choose to download the update on a metered connection when it actually already downloaded that update. Well, think I don’t really need to solve this mystery: after all it’s Windows Update we are talking about, so strange things are bound to happen!

[Berserker79]

Hello, I’ve got a question regarding “making sure that Windows Update is de-fanged”.

I’m on Windows 10 Home 1803 and I’ve set my Ethernet connection to metered as suggested here for Home users in order to “de-fang” Windows Update. In Settings\Update & Security\Windows Update\Advanced Options I have also set to ‘Disabled’ that ‘automatically download updates over metered data connections (charges may apply)’ option. I have no Wi-Fi connections on this machine.

Last Tuesday first thing I did after booting up was running wushowhide and hid all new updates that showed up as available. Notably, ‘KB4503286 – 2019-06 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1803’ did not show up wushowhide. Out of curiosity I went to Settings\Update & Security\Windows Update and noticed that Windows Update was in the middle of checking for updates of its own initiative. Am I wrong or this should not happen considering I’ve set my connection to metered?

Probably I should have shut off my machine before Windows Update completed this unsolicited check for updates, but I didn’t. Anyway, a minute later the check was complete and Windows Update showed a message noting the availability of KB4503286 and that because my connection is set to metered the update would not be downloaded until I hook to a non-metered connection or I hit the “Download” button. What bothers me is that when I looked in ‘C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download’ I found a folder with all the files needed to install KB4503286! So, to add insult to injury, not only Windows Update did an unsolicited check for updates, but also downloaded the update on a connection that is set to metered while claiming that no update has been downloaded because the connection is set to metered. Just more Windows Update crazyness? Good thing I’m not on a “truly” metered connection… Also, at least the update was not automatically installed (I suppose that would happen if I press the ‘Download’ button).

Assuming the above should not happen when setting the connection to metered, did I miss some important step to “de-fang” Windows Update? If so, can anyone please suggest what to do to make sure Windows Update stops this kind of behavior? Alternatively, does Windows Update perform the automatic check regardless that the connection is set to metered and then it’s just my bad luck that KB4503286 did not show up on wushowhide and thus was not hidden?

BTW, after Windows Update reported KB4503286 as available, I re-run wushowhide and sure enough that update (along with the Adobe Flash update) were available to be hidden. That’s annoying that 5 minutes earlier wushowhide had failed to list all of the available updates…

• This reply was modified 5 years, 11 months ago by Berserker79.

Hello, Win10 Home 1803 user here who has been following with interest this blog from the past several months and I couldn’t be happier to have finally found some guidance to assist me figure out when it’s (sufficiently) safe to install updates rather than letting WU throw me whatever it likes whenever it likes.

Interestingly enough, I realized when reading this post that the “Update for Skype for Business 2015 KB4464593” was not part of the May patches that had been green-lit for installation. Before installing the May patches last Tuesday wushowhide did not list KB4464593 among the patches available to be hidden, so I was kind of surprised that WU installed it together with the May patches that I had previously hidden. Is it possible that updates available on WU are not immediately “detectable” by wushowhide? Guess this is one reason to avoid installing patches on any of the patch Tuesdays and maybe wait for the next day…

BTW, with all the screwed up patches over the past months I thing I couldn’t agree more with the recommendation that “Consumer patching should be more cautious”. I see the logic (and the benefit for business users) of having consumer users field-testing the patches, but at the same time I’m no longer willing to risk the stability of my system (and my own nervous system) if the patches are put out there with apparently no effort to curb the worst bugs. In other words, in the (unlikely) scenario that there will no longer be enough consumers acting as unpaid beta testers for the patches, I suppose we know who is to blame.

Oh, one last thing: I noticed that opening any page on AskWoody at this time of the day (I’m currently on UTC+2 and it’s 19.30 here) is very slow, while I have no trouble at other hours of the day. Maybe this is just due to heavy traffic on the site at this hour, but I thought to mention this in case it’s something someone wants to look into.