Windows 10 That Sneaky Auto Update

[cMc214]

When I first got my PC I got it all set up the way I liked it then created a system image. I then followed every guide I can find on the internet to disable auto update and telemetry. This worked great for about a year until today. I went to turn off my PC and boom there it was, "Restart and Update." Somehow it got around all of the registry changes I made and downloaded the updates. Now before I restore with my system image I was wondering if anyone knows a tried and true method to prevent this again in the home version. This is the method I used for update don't remember the one I used for telemetry but it was something similar in the registry.
How To Turn Off Automatic Updates In Windows 10 Via Registry

*Note this PC exist to play 1 game and 1 game only. I don't go on the web and I don't check email. The stress removed from dealing with Windows updates far outweighs the risk of not updating in this very specific case. I do everything of importance on my Mac.

Thanks in advance your time is appreciated

 

[davehc]

I have not, so far, had any serious consequences from the automatic updates.

But, maybe of some significance, similarly, I have not found a need to make any registry alterations. IOf I have done so, in order to experiment or possibly deal with something I have read, then I make a registry backup. Naturally, under the circumstances, I would not dare to put this copy back after a cumulative update.
Not much help, possibly, but perhaps as you suggest, it is better to leave the registry alone and, as they say "go with the flow"

 

[livix07]

It seems it is not possible to disable auto updating anymore (read the comments)

 

[kemical]

I used to always turn auto updating off simply so I could monitor which updates were being installed. Sadly we now have to accept whatever is coming down the pipe and is annoying as hell.

 

[davehc]

You can, worst case, at least control when it happens., by changing your active hours, and for how long you wish to delay.

 

[cMc214]

It seems it is not possible to disable auto updating anymore (read the comments)

I see that but one has to wonder if I have had everything disabled properly for over a year, how did the scripts or whatever it was that turned it all back on get in there?

 

[cMc214]

I have not, so far, had any serious consequences from the automatic updates.

But, maybe of some significance, similarly, I have not found a need to make any registry alterations. IOf I have done so, in order to experiment or possibly deal with something I have read, then I make a registry backup. Naturally, under the circumstances, I would not dare to put this copy back after a cumulative update.
Not much help, possibly, but perhaps as you suggest, it is better to leave the registry alone and, as they say "go with the flow"

I ended up applying my image anyway and it went smooth. Kept it offline, turned off the service, and followed a guide make a key in the registry to prevent it. So far it seems to be working. While it is not downloading any new updates at the moment it seems to know I need them. I know it sounds silly this obsession with stopping the updates. But I am a married hard working man with very little time to enjoy playing my computer game. When I do find a little time I have no patience to wait for updates to do their things or spend hours fixing it because its not if, its when I get an update that cost me hours of fixing it. Thank you for your insight it is appreciated.

 

[cMc214]

Thank you everyone for your insight into my issue.

 

[kemical]

Nice job cMc214!

 

[Neemobeer]

My two cents on this issue will always be that it's a terrible idea to disable auto updates as people will just not install the updates and then run the risk of a compromised system. The updates are 30-40% smaller now in build 1709 due to differential updates and most of the time don't require reboots anymore.

 

[cMc214]

My two cents on this issue will always be that it's a terrible idea to disable auto updates as people will just not install the updates and then run the risk of a compromised system. The updates are 30-40% smaller now in build 1709 due to differential updates and most of the time don't require reboots anymore.

You are 100% correct for the people who use their PC as intended. Advice I would offer others. In my very rare case this PC does nothing but play 1 game not available on Mac that I have years invested in. It does not go to websites and it does not check email. If not for this game there would be no Windows machines in my home. I’m just not in to the direction MSFT went with its policies on W10. More than the eventual headache an update will cause, I cant have an update undoing all the changes I made under the hood to attempt to limit data collection.

 

[cMc214]

I give up... I quit... I have lost. No matter what I do to the registry, what services I change, or 3rd party programs I install It still find a way to update after a few days. Even turns of metered connection itself. Once again about a half hour to play my game and I got to watch an update instead. It would not even let me launch the game until I did a restart as it somehow disabled it. I swear the day Star Trek Online closes its servers is the last day I ever boot up a Windows based PC that I own. I know most of you have better things to do than read a rant but my wife doesn't want to hear it and I needed an outlet ;-)

 

[ussnorway]

a few patchs back Microsoft added a default scheduled update... this will reenable the update service if you had it disabled and the work around is to simply delete the scheduled event

of course Microsoft will come up with some bull shit new reason to enable auto updates again but the point is yes you can disable them if you know how

 

[cMc214]

Ok so I have made some new progress and its been holding for a few days. @ussnorway I have deleted all the scheduled task under Windows Update and Windows Update Orchestrator. I changed the log in info in the service, see picture below. I also deleted the DiagTrack service and the dmwapppushsvc. To keep my machine safe I am running an image restore bi-weekly to known good state, running Avast, and of course doing nothing but playing my game. I feel confident that I will now have the experience I want of actually being in control of my machine.