I recently downloaded windows 10 in my second computer just to have a taste of it,but, considering its privacy problems I think of going back to other solutions. The problem might be MS insist to install W10 in my main pc which runs Win7, as I've read around it's happened to many,who have found to their dismay in spite of never having asked for it,all the 6Gygas files of the install in Downloads. I would like to keep my main pc absolutely free of any install attempt by Microsoft, so what I ask is: what about if I nuke Windows Updates for a year, until the time W10 stops being free and ,arguably, MS will not try anymore forced downloads? I feel rather secure with Shadow Defender, Sandboxie and AppGuard and I dont think I run too many risks with these three programs,plus an antivirus on demand. I have a friend who is doing the same thing with his Windows XP since perhaps two years and nothing wrong happened to him. He is doing it on a permanent basis -I would do it just until the downloads are no longer free. Am I wrong? Help from people in the know very much appreciated. karad
I'm usually advising people to update their system to avoid being hit by exploits but lately I also pick updates I want to install. If you practise safe computing those three tools should make you safe. Not 100% safe but IMO safe enough. I would only add system image now and then to restore your OS if anything goes wrong. I also hope MS will stop this upgrade nonsense after free upgrade period will expire.
Thanks for replying Minimalist. I'm glad you think like I do about this matter. As a matter of fact, I dont take the issue of depriving my main pc from MS updates lightly, and,as you said, I feel 'safe enough' only, but -having just now read the previous thread Windows 10 Issues, Problems & solutions (especially Dedoimedo posts) I feel I can run the risks involved in it.
I won´t upgrade my Windows 7 computers to 10, but I will continue updating them, and will of course continue using Shadow Defender and imaging. I assume the latest MS tactics to push W10 (which may not necessarily involve Windows Update, I think), will continue to be discovered and reported in the web, along with the corresponding countermeasures.
I've read the entire thread i mentioned before, which deals precisely with all possible countermeasures to be taken to avoid W10 download,but ,unfortunately,there is no guarantee of a definitive solution. I hope saying goodbye to updates until july next year could be a solution. Obvously, you shouldnt do this on a pc where you make experiments with malware or join dubious sites.
I ran an install of Xp for several years with no updates. It was locked down enough that the updates weren't completely necessary from a security perspective. I'm considering disabling Windows update completely and just manually updating a few times a year. I'm having a growing conflict with software that insists on updating itself constantly and a hardened LUA approach to security where all the code in a system is locked down and no changes to the code are allowed unless consciously done by the administrator. I've had to disable all the automatic updates in my browsers and at this point, I'm thinking that should extend to the system.
I doubt it. MS will either extend the Win 10 upgrade or send you a nag update to download Win 10 every other week. All those who had Windows 10 downloaded and installed without the users consent, I can see the class action lawsuit soon. Sorry I don't like Tiles or WinStore Apps on my Desktop Computer or not to have a choice on what MS updates to download.
I turned off all automatic updates on all our windows computers and the ability and reliability has improved a million orders of magnitude. Since adopting that policy many years ago I may occasionally do a manual update with select items.
You can try this script to apply before and after WU applies its updates, it prevents the huge Win10 download and disable GWX/telemetry things. Launch your notepad and copy-paste the next code, then save as <anynameyoulike>.cmd Then right click and run as admin: Code: reg add HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Gwx /f /v DisableGwx /t REG_DWORD /d 1 reg add HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate /f /v DisableOSUpgrade /t REG_DWORD /d 1 schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Application Experience\Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser" /DISABLE schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Application Experience\ProgramDataUpdater" /DISABLE schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Application Experience\AitAgent" /DISABLE schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Setup\gwx\launchtrayprocess" /DISABLE schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Setup\gwx\refreshgwxconfig" /DISABLE schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Setup\gwx\refreshgwxconfigandcontent" /DISABLE schtasks /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Setup\gwx\refreshgwxcontent" /DISABLE sc config DiagTrack start= disabled net stop DiagTrack With that script you can install them all and disable what they provide (DiagTrack service, Schedule Tasks, reg policy to prevent GWX and upgrade). No issues or adverse effects so far. Credits to abbodi1406
We've done similar on some customers desktops for years (on their request) and have had no problems so far. AFAIK no infections happened because of this.
From day one I changed my W7 laptop Updates from "automatic install " to " notify me" and disabled CEIP ( telemetry ) in Task Scheduler. Thanks to the info posted by users of this forum I have always discarded any updates related to GWX and telemetry . Result - I have never seen a single W10 "upgrade" prompt or nag screen. Of course I still suffer every month with PMS ( Pre Microsoft Syndrome ) , but it is now just a matter of looking out for the ever returning nuisance updates and hiding them. I think the same , my guess is that M$ are never going to stop pestering users who refuse W10. Why would they ? It doesn't cost them anything except continued loss of goodwill , and they don't appear to give a toss about that . And as for the " get w10 free during the next year " .... I think the "year" will last indefinitely
Thanks everyone who replied giving support to the turning off of WU. I plan to do like Keatah does, occasionally revamping updates -if REALLY needed- for something important. In the meantime I disabled the WU service and set updates to NEVER. I also said bye to the System Restore,which I kept going only for avoiding problems with said Windows Update, which I never used in the last 15 years anyway as I've always relied on Imaging with Acronis,Paragon,Macrium,AX64 or similar ones. In order to give the 'coup de grace' or just to rub it in, today I will also run the script kindly provided by @Mister X, just in case MS decides to directly hack my pc or it gets 'contaminated' by the existing W10 pc in the LAN, which I will keep only for a few weeks more: I plan to go back to Linux Mint in that computer asap.
Good decision. I didn't go so far, I only install updates that are not connected to Win 10 or telemetry data collection. I also run Autoruns before and after updating. Compare option quickly shows all differences (services, drivers, tasks, autostart) that were made during update. So far so good.
That would be interesting. All those old XP computers that struggled with an upgrade to Vista like my computer was (yeah that's an old computer) because it didn't have the power, had to go back to XP. MS would try to get you to download Win 10 on it. I better not laugh to loud. Like you said, MS may try it. My Trust in MS now is
I have played with W10 on my Laptop dual booting it, but I am reluctant to install it on my main machine and so a few weeks ago I turned off updating. Checking my system disk today I find that the $Windows~BT folder has been added 2 days ago. So far only 88MB. How else can I stop it downloading?
The script already posted by Mister X works: https://www.wilderssecurity.com/threads/no-ms-updates-for-a-year.379798/#post-2525340
Thanks, but I am not sure why it is d/l this when I have never check for updates. Think I will go back to an earlier image pre W10. Could do with clearing out some mess anyway.
@ronjor I checked and found that- having disabled WU service- I no longer have the 'WindowsUpdate' part of Subkey: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate and also of Subkey:HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\OSUpgrade as mentioned in Blocking the Automatic Download of Windows 10 Upgrade Files so I consider myself safe 100%, but I will save your suggestion for the moment I might be forced to re-enact WU for something of the utmost importance.
how can i add a "wait" command? (is that amigados?) so i can read it for 10 seconds to see that it worked?
