Windows 10 Help with update

[suebat]

I have Windows 10 reserved but not installed. Today I went to windows update to get the updates for 8.1. It has windows 10 update ready to download. I unchecked the windows 10 update but it won't give me the windows 8.1 ones without downloading 10 first. We don't want to download 10 until we've backed up our computer. Is there any way to just get the 8.1 updates? Thanks.
Sue

 

[davehc]

Open up Windows Update and click on "View update history."
Click on "Installed Updates." Top right.
In the search box in the upper right corner type in kb3035583. The update should show up in the results.
Right click on the KB3035583 entry in the list of installed updates and select uninstall. You will be asked if you are sure you want to uninstall it. Click Yes to remove it.
You will need to restart to complete the removal.
Now, the tricky part. Make sure, in the first instance, that you are not on automatic updates. Choose the option to "check but let me choose...etc."
Now , you must keep an eye on the offered updates and, when you see that same uåpdate offered again - this could be the same day or a few days later.take the option, by right clicking, to "Hide" it. This will prevent it being installed again, until you are ready and "unhide" it.

After you have hidden it, you can change back to your chosen/default method of applying updates.

I don't have Windows 7/8 to hand at the moment, so some of the above wording may be very slightly different.

 

[suebat]

Thank you so much! I will do that now.

It didn't work! When I checked for updates after removing it, I got an error code 80200056. I ran update troubleshooter & it fixed the problem. I managed to hide the update but when I tried to download the win 8.1 updates it started downloading the upgrade to win 10. It doesn't appear in the update history list anymore though. Looks like maybe I'm stuck with it.

 

[suebat]

The icon is also gone from the taskbar.

 

[suebat]

I solved my own problem - did a system restore.

 

[Saltgrass]

After I rolled back from 10, I experienced the same situation. It would not download the 8.1 updates until it downloaded 10. After doing several things, including changing the Update settings, it finally stopped offering the Windows 10 download.

The things I did were not something I would recommend anyone else do, but they included registry changes and folder deletions... I was very disappointed with Microsoft that they set up a system where even after having recovered prior OS, it did not allow that 8.1 install to update normally...

 

[suebat]

Thanks for the response. I'm glad you solved your problem too. I didn't roll back from 10 & now I'm kind of scared to even get it!

 

[Saltgrass]

You did do as Dave suggested and changed the update settings to only Check for updates, but not download them? I don't know exactly what cured mine, but if the system only downloads the updates you choose, it may remove the Windows 10 download requirement. It may take some time.

There is also an option at the bottom of the little window to check for other updates. When I select that, it showed me the Windows 8.1 updates.

 

[davehc]

I have been experimenting with fresh installations of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. I agree with saltgrass that it is thoughtless of MS to provide such a convoluted method of accepting or, worse, stopping the upgrade. I found that unchecking/not checking the ofer to upgrade, in the Windows update, was not enough. On reboots, it still attempted the downloads. I tried my own suggestion, and found it did not work.
I explored the MS TechNet pages and, in the end, came up with this "final" solution.
First. Open the "Programs and features" and, over on the left, the update history. Look for these three files, and uninstall them. You will probably find you only have the first, as the other two are part of the "accumulative " update. Now, this is important. You must have your update set at check but do not install. The next time , which will be almost immediately, you will see these same (or just the first) updates offered again. Thios time you right click and "Hide" them. They will not be offered again.
KB3035583, KB2990214, and KB2952664.

Now, open the Task manager, scroll down the processes and stop/terminate, the GWX.exe process

Now go to the Windows\System32\GWX.

You must rename the GWXUXWorker.exe and GWX.exe to .old (Eg. GWX.exe.old). You will find you do not have permission to do this, so it is necessary to open the properties - Security and change the security to a lower level. This is a simple process, but a little work required. If you are not knowledgeable in this procedure, I or another member will advise in another post. It is NOT for the amateur.
Reboot and you are done.

The usual proviso. Make and image or backup before attempting the above.

 

[suebat]

Thanks for this Dave. I will hang on to your instructions in case I run into trouble again. What started this whole thing is I think I may have accidently started the windows 10 download by clicking on the wrong thing through the icon on the taskbar & cancelled it. By doing the system restore I suspect it went back to before I screwed up.
I do not know how to change permissions.
I'm also totally confused about backing up & making an image. I have backed up my pictures, documents, etc on an external hard drive. Is that enough?

 

[Saltgrass]

You may not have clicked on the "wrong" thing.

When my system was registered for Windows 10, I never actually hit a button to do that and I was being very careful. I did, however, select the "Learn More" button which is what I believe committed my system. Twenty four hours later I got the same "Get Started" in Windows Update but no other notification. Microsoft seems intent on getting folks to upgrade and may, intentionally or unintentionally, have things set up to do just that.