Computer Hope

Microsoft => Microsoft Windows => Windows 10 and 11 => Topic started by: Accessless on July 04, 2016, 07:12:03 AM

Title: Windows 10 Updates
Post by: Accessless on July 04, 2016, 07:12:03 AM
Does Windows 10 professional allow me to control what updates I receive? Because I will not use Windows 10 without some complete control.

(This will no doubt be either be a really long or really short thread)
Title: Re: Windows 10 Updates
Post by: DaveLembke on July 04, 2016, 08:27:55 AM
http://www.thewindowsclub.com/make-windows-10-notify-you-before-downloading-or-installing-windows-updates

May or may not work. Some people commenting below the article ran into some issues .. mixed results etc. some were issues where the people dont have pro, others ran into other issues. If it works your golden if it doesnt then it doesnt. But microsoft didnt make it at all easy to have control of this.  ::)
Title: Re: Windows 10 Updates
Post by: patio on July 04, 2016, 08:39:23 AM
Also Here... (http://www.thewindowsclub.com/turn-off-windows-update-in-windows-10)
Title: Re: Windows 10 Updates
Post by: Allan on July 04, 2016, 12:10:29 PM
Windows 10 Pro allows you to control whether or not updates install automatically. To choose which updates you want, you can use show/hide updates (http://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-releases-tool-to-hide-or-block-unwanted-windows-10-updates/)
Title: Re: Windows 10 Updates
Post by: BC_Programmer on July 04, 2016, 12:24:08 PM
The answer here is- yes and no, and yes again.

Yes, because, as Allan points out, you can explicitly hide updates, through the use of the "troubleshooter" mentioned in Ed's article, which provides functionality which used to be part of Windows update.

With previous Windows versions, you had several options for how the system receives updates; Automatic, which would check for, download, and install updates automatically. Never, which would never check for or download updates automatically, as well as two options to notify the user that new updates are available; one of which will also download the update in the background but wait for the user to initiate the installation. Windows 10 has removed all the options here and left only "Automatic" updates available through the user interface.

As it happens, however, the lower level setting still supports all the configuration options. The Windows Update options can be access in Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) under Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Windows Update in "Configure Automatic Updates". I've set mine to download and notify myself and it is well-supported via notifications that inform but take no action. (Group Policy editor itself is actually just a gussied up registry editor in some respects, so for Home Editions it is possible to change policies directly via the registry to get this change in place)
Title: Re: Windows 10 Updates
Post by: Accessless on July 05, 2016, 04:27:23 AM
So basically no. I'm not going to the effort of fighting updates and any other unwanted features with 3rd party software. I've tried Win10 before, only to realise that I was spending so much time trying to get it to work the way that I wanted it to that I might as well just use Win7 which does work the way I want it to.

So on your bike Microsoft, I'll keep my copy of Win7. You keep your free copy of Fail10.
Title: Re: Windows 10 Updates
Post by: BC_Programmer on July 05, 2016, 09:40:14 AM
Quote
So basically no. I'm not going to the effort of fighting updates and any other unwanted features with 3rd party software
What? Nobody has mentioned any third party software.
Title: Re: Windows 10 Updates
Post by: Allan on July 05, 2016, 10:03:55 AM
What? Nobody has mentioned any third party software.

Agreed. The utility for showing / hiding updates is a troubleshooting tool provided by Microsoft. And the options regarding how to handle delivery of the updates is done through the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) as explained by BCP in his post above (btw, I also have mine set to "download & notify"). While this process is admittedly more complex than it needs to be (especially for experienced users or power users), no third party software is involved.
Title: Re: Windows 10 Updates
Post by: Accessless on July 07, 2016, 05:22:11 AM
Sorry, I did misinterpret the software tool as being 3rd party. It still doesn't change the fact that I would have to spend yet more time making more changes to basically make it work like Windows 7.

I'm aware that drivers will most likely be an optional update, but I don't want to risk being forced into receiving an update which results in blue screens. An issue which I have experienced a few times (always graphics drivers), but was able to remove and hide the update.
Title: Re: Windows 10 Updates
Post by: BC_Programmer on July 07, 2016, 08:53:14 AM
Sorry, I did misinterpret the software tool as being 3rd party. It still doesn't change the fact that I would have to spend yet more time making more changes to basically make it work like Windows 7.
It only takes a bit more time than adjusting the update option in Windows 7. We're talking a one-time time delta of less than a minute.

Quote
I'm aware that drivers will most likely be an optional update, but I don't want to risk being forced into receiving an update which results in blue screens. An issue which I have experienced a few times (always graphics drivers), but was able to remove and hide the update.

The "Installed Updates" feature is still present in the same place as on Windows 7. The Right-Click "Hide Update" feature from 8.1 and earlier appears to have been removed or at least moved into the tool Allan linked. I'd argue that is easier to use. (Though not being built in is strange).

It's interesting that you would want Windows 10 to function like Windows 7, given  that your complaints about Vista long ago were not addressed by Windows 7.