ABBREVIATIONS
WUP = Windows Update
W10 = Windows 10 Initial Release (v15xx
W10AU = Windows 10 Anniversary Update (v16xx
W10CU = Windows 10 Creators Update (v17xx
W10A8 = Windows 10 April 2018 Update (v1803
W10O8 = Windows 10 October 2018 Update (v1809
REFERENCES
=>Microsoft has given itself permission to install Win10 version 1809 on any Win 10 PC that "Checks for updates"
Supposedly we users agreed to this in the original Windows 10 EULA
Obvious conclusion: If you're running Win10, don't click "Check for Updates."
=>@See my post "How to REALLY Block Windows 10 Updates And Upgrades"
windowsforum.com
DISCLAIMER
This post is not for novice Windows users who only use their PC for email and browsing. You don't have to be a rocket scientist, but should be savvy enough to do things like open Control Panel, open Settings and open a cmd window.
THE PROBLEM
Well, Microsoft appears to have finally done what I have been dreading since the era of forced updates: made it impossible to block so-called "Feature updates" which are really MAJOR upgrades to Windows 10.
IMPORTANT: I am talking about Win10 Home, don't know about Pro and Enterprise which have other tools (such as Group Policy) to gain some control over these forced updates.
Now that Microsoft has completely taken over our PCs and allows us no control at all -- what's next? Subscriptions? Where we pay a monthly fee to use Windows? Adios, Microsoft. Hello Linux.
MY PROCESS
Ever since Win10 v15xx was released, I have been using the following methods to block FORCED Windows 10 Updates (and Upgrades)
=>Set a Metered Connection
This is easy on a laptop with Wi-Fi, but can be done with wired Ethernet.
if you have a Wi-Fi connection
------------------------------------------
open Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi
click on your Wi-Fi network name
Set As Metered Connection => On
if you have wired Ethernet
------------------------------------------
this requires editing the Registry (beware
=>Use Microsoft's WUShowHide tool to block updates
In the past, for almost as long as Windows 10 has existed, this tool has worked for both updates and more importantly upgrades. Until December of 2018, that is. In both Dec '18 and Jan '19 when I followed my normal process
1. Until ready to update, use the tool to Hide (Block) *ALL* updates
you can leave things like MSO and Flash unblocked but I wouldn't recommend it as Microsoft has dropped (and pulled) a lot of bad Office updates, too
2. When ready, use the tool to Show (Unblock) the updates you want to install
the updates you WANT to install will be shown under Hide Updates
3. Open Settings > Updates & security
click [Check for updates]
GUESS WHAT? Windows 10 October 2018 Feature update, v1809 immediately started to install!! I was not asked for my approval to [Download] I had to stop service UsoSvc (see below) to interrupt the install. Strangely, the next time I clicked [Check for updates] v1809 did *NOT* appear.
The important thing here is that with a Metered Wi-Fi Connection I should *ALWAYS* be asked BEFORE downloading commences. Apparently Microsoft now considers Feature updates to be critical and so they will install without our permission.
WHAT TO DO IF THIS HAPPENS TO YOU
Assuming the installation of a Feature update has just started, you can use the "SC" Service Control command line utility to stop the critical service "UsoSvc' used by Windows Update
in a cmd window
------------------
$ sc /help
$ sc stop "UsoSvc"
Don't worry, Microsoft will ignore your wishes and later turn the service back on.
WHY AM I CONCERNED?
This time, for the first time, a Feature update (in this case 'Feature update, v1809') does not appear in WUShowHide. This is very worrisome and I cannot find any mention of this evil new behavior anywhere.
If the above link (Microsoft has given itself permission to install Win10 version 1809 on any Win 10 PC that "Checks for updates") is true, it means that anyone (like me) who does not want Microsoft forcing updates down their throats ... is screwed.
UPDATE: IT IS TRUE; I have now had to interrupt the v1809 upgrade several times ... basically every time I click [Check for updates]
This is a terrible thing for Microsoft to do to its customers. As I said, it is possible to interrupt an unwanted 'Feature update' by stopping UsoSvc, but what if Microsoft takes this away? The only alternatives will be
1. Never click [Check for updates]
which means you must =>
2. Download all updates from M$ Catalog and install them manually
this is a giant pain in the --- and something we users should not have to do!
WUP = Windows Update
W10 = Windows 10 Initial Release (v15xx
W10AU = Windows 10 Anniversary Update (v16xx
W10CU = Windows 10 Creators Update (v17xx
W10A8 = Windows 10 April 2018 Update (v1803
W10O8 = Windows 10 October 2018 Update (v1809
REFERENCES
=>Microsoft has given itself permission to install Win10 version 1809 on any Win 10 PC that "Checks for updates"
Supposedly we users agreed to this in the original Windows 10 EULA
Obvious conclusion: If you're running Win10, don't click "Check for Updates."
=>@See my post "How to REALLY Block Windows 10 Updates And Upgrades"
Windows 10 - How To REALLY Block Windows 10 Updates and Upgrades
Here are the abbreviations used in this article: W10 = original release v15xx W10AU = Anniversay Update v16xx W10CU = Creators Update v 17xx W10A8 = April 2018 Update v18xx WUP = Windows Update ############ In May 2018, as I was starting to write this guide, Microsoft released W10A8...
DISCLAIMER
This post is not for novice Windows users who only use their PC for email and browsing. You don't have to be a rocket scientist, but should be savvy enough to do things like open Control Panel, open Settings and open a cmd window.
THE PROBLEM
Well, Microsoft appears to have finally done what I have been dreading since the era of forced updates: made it impossible to block so-called "Feature updates" which are really MAJOR upgrades to Windows 10.
IMPORTANT: I am talking about Win10 Home, don't know about Pro and Enterprise which have other tools (such as Group Policy) to gain some control over these forced updates.
Now that Microsoft has completely taken over our PCs and allows us no control at all -- what's next? Subscriptions? Where we pay a monthly fee to use Windows? Adios, Microsoft. Hello Linux.
MY PROCESS
Ever since Win10 v15xx was released, I have been using the following methods to block FORCED Windows 10 Updates (and Upgrades)
=>Set a Metered Connection
This is easy on a laptop with Wi-Fi, but can be done with wired Ethernet.
if you have a Wi-Fi connection
------------------------------------------
open Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi
click on your Wi-Fi network name
Set As Metered Connection => On
if you have wired Ethernet
------------------------------------------
this requires editing the Registry (beware
=>Use Microsoft's WUShowHide tool to block updates
In the past, for almost as long as Windows 10 has existed, this tool has worked for both updates and more importantly upgrades. Until December of 2018, that is. In both Dec '18 and Jan '19 when I followed my normal process
1. Until ready to update, use the tool to Hide (Block) *ALL* updates
you can leave things like MSO and Flash unblocked but I wouldn't recommend it as Microsoft has dropped (and pulled) a lot of bad Office updates, too
2. When ready, use the tool to Show (Unblock) the updates you want to install
the updates you WANT to install will be shown under Hide Updates
3. Open Settings > Updates & security
click [Check for updates]
GUESS WHAT? Windows 10 October 2018 Feature update, v1809 immediately started to install!! I was not asked for my approval to [Download] I had to stop service UsoSvc (see below) to interrupt the install. Strangely, the next time I clicked [Check for updates] v1809 did *NOT* appear.
The important thing here is that with a Metered Wi-Fi Connection I should *ALWAYS* be asked BEFORE downloading commences. Apparently Microsoft now considers Feature updates to be critical and so they will install without our permission.
WHAT TO DO IF THIS HAPPENS TO YOU
Assuming the installation of a Feature update has just started, you can use the "SC" Service Control command line utility to stop the critical service "UsoSvc' used by Windows Update
in a cmd window
------------------
$ sc /help
$ sc stop "UsoSvc"
Don't worry, Microsoft will ignore your wishes and later turn the service back on.
WHY AM I CONCERNED?
This time, for the first time, a Feature update (in this case 'Feature update, v1809') does not appear in WUShowHide. This is very worrisome and I cannot find any mention of this evil new behavior anywhere.
If the above link (Microsoft has given itself permission to install Win10 version 1809 on any Win 10 PC that "Checks for updates") is true, it means that anyone (like me) who does not want Microsoft forcing updates down their throats ... is screwed.
UPDATE: IT IS TRUE; I have now had to interrupt the v1809 upgrade several times ... basically every time I click [Check for updates]
This is a terrible thing for Microsoft to do to its customers. As I said, it is possible to interrupt an unwanted 'Feature update' by stopping UsoSvc, but what if Microsoft takes this away? The only alternatives will be
1. Never click [Check for updates]
which means you must =>
2. Download all updates from M$ Catalog and install them manually
this is a giant pain in the --- and something we users should not have to do!
