Windows 10: How to control updates to conserve bandwidth?

I volunteer in a senior center where we have 10 Windows Home computers connected via ethernet to provide computers with internet connectivity. We also have 4 stations where the seniors can plug in their own equipment.

Our computers are all configured to treat this network as Public.

1) If we set one of our computers to share its downloads with other computers on the network, will this work with the network connection set to public?
2) Do the receiving computers also need to have that setting? Or can we just designate one of our computers to share and leave the rest alone?


My other question involves how to move our senior facility to Windows 10. All 10 of our computers are set to load a static system image each time they are booted. This ensures that all user data is erased each time the computer is shut down, and settings such as left handedness, magification level and malware they introduced is wiped out. The computers are booted 2 or 3 times a day minimum. We have been updating the images with security patches every Saturday when the senior center is closed. When one of our computers received a bad patch and our recovery media for that machine was corrupted we brought it in for servicing. We had it reloaded with Windows 10 so we could have a way to demonstrate Windows 10 so our users could try Windows 10 before they were forced to update. We were under the impression that Windows Update Service could be disabled and then enabled for the Saturday Updates. We now know that causes the computer to hang, so now once an update becomes available, it downloads the available updates 2-3 times a day until the computers can be thawed on Saturdays.


We would like to upgrade all of our computers to 10, to take advantage of the free upgrade, but having 10 computers downloading the updates 3x a day seems like it will be a problem in our future.

So in a case like ours, what is the recommended route if we want to have Windows 10?

We don't have a server nor PRO licenses.

We don't have wireless capability on any of our computers. I understand that wireless users can defer upgrade type updates, but installing wireless cards on all our computers, and then finding wireless channel that will offer reliable connectivity seems to be nuts. Especially so since we operate in an area where the wireless environment is down right hostile.

Our equipment tends to last a long time, so we'd like to have it updated with the Windows 10 while it is free. We are a very budget conscious group. I have the feeling the "free" upgrade is going to cost us a fortune, but I hate to stand in the way of "progress".

3) So what is the Microsoft solution to our need to control updates in a situation like this where we know the downloaded update is just a total waste of bandwidth?

:)

 

HELP!! - Toshiba driver update for Toshiba Hotkey Driver - Error 0x800f0203

I'm now running Windows 10 upgraded from Windows 7 & I have the same continuous problem with the update

• Toshiba driver update for Toshiba Hotkey Driver - Error 0x800f0203

I tried your Method 1 to fix it which said changes have been made to my computer & to try & update again which failed.. again & the same message above came up again. My laptop is secure as I run Norton 360, so what should I do next to try & fix this problem?
My laptop is a Toshiba satellite L650.

Thank you

David

 

N97 Startup applications - how to control

Anyone know how to control which applications startup on a reboot. Mine is launching log and contacts and others that I don't need open at boot time. Trying to conserve memory.

 

Hi given that your PCs are reset each day to a fixed image, I believe you should do main the upgrade to Win 10 manually using a single download of the Win 10 ISO. Burn that to a disk or create a bootable USB as you like. That minimises your bandwidth use for the 3.6Gb or so download.

It also gives you control- you can then update your base image to which the PC will be restored, once you have validated the function of the PC.

Before you start the upgrade, create a disk image (Aomei Backupper is easier to use in my opinion than Macrium Reflect (free)). That means should the upgrade go wrong, you can revert to exactly how the PC was, using its boot disk and external backup media (e.g. USB disk).

Bear in mind upgrading to '10 takes around 3 hours. You then may experience a variety of issues, and you will need to test that PC thoroughly before making it available again. During that process you would not wish to be refreshing its configuration daily.

If all your PCs have the same hardware, your life will be easier, of course, as once you have upgraded one successfully, it is likely the other will be straightforward.

After that comes the matter of any other routine updates; in Win 10 Home there is no way to defer those that do NOT require updates.
Those that require restarts can be delayed or scheduled.

**** I would question why you would wish to inflict Win 10 on older people... the start menu is unfriendly (ok, opinion) - I replace it with Classic Shell.

The appearance may prove harder for people to manage- very narrow borders, and whitish title bars for all inactive windows.

Not to mention familiarity... e.g. the default browser is Edge- but you can change that of course..

 

In my dreams. No this is not going to be straight forward at all

Actually, I think the very casual user would find the new menu with huge icons for a handful of applications might find this easier. If they want to get to the controls, well that is a whole different situation. I pity the casual user that needs to clear the printer que when they print three copies of a 50 page document at 10¢ a page.

While that might be a difficulty for average users, the casual user that only uses one app at time, and never multi-tasks isn't going to have an issue with this.

In our situation we need discourage the use of Edge browser, because it can't be set to clear the history upon exit. We still use Chrome and IE where we can protect the user's privacy, by clearing browser history, cookies, form data on exit.

 

My point on similarity - and you've not said if your PCs are similar- is that if they are similar, then any driver issues etc you have and resolve on the first would enable you to configure the next much more readily.

The method - of creating installation media common for all addresses your bandwidth and distribution issues and more exactly.

 

No none of them are similar. They have the same software and all have a 64 bit operating system. Beyond that the similarity ends. Different graphics catds' different optical drives' some have SD slots, different monitor sizes. Quite a hodge podge

 

Ouch, now I see the fun you're going to have... each one will have to be upgraded and tested separately... oh joy, oh joy...*Think

 

The upgrades are going to be a problem, but they typically come in staggered, and you can create media.

I'm more concerned with the regular updates. According to the usage report, the "System" typically uses 500MB to 750MB a month. Nothing too horrible, until you can't control when those updates come in. So if the regular updates come in on Tuesdays and we lose those updates until Saturday, we are just squandering data bytes. So that system updates will now download the updates 3 times a day for 4 days before we can actually download and update the image. We are now looking at 6GB per month, per machine. So that is 60GB of wasted downloads per month.......

 

In this it would be probably best to disable Windows update completely, like disable WU service.
In addition, you need to disable Microsoft tasks in \UpdateOrchestrator and \WindowsUpdate folders.
Not sure, if it works though, if not, you can always block windows update servers to block downloading.

 

Agreed- especially as in your case you always restore your PCs to the same state each day.
E.g.
Completely disable Gamers
Ignore the odd title= "Completely disable "Windows update" service in Windows 10"

You can then choose- say- every 3 months- a point at which you enable updates and update your base state.

Note the comment in that article that Windows defender would not be updated. You might then wish to consider which AV solution is appropriate.

 

We don't need to worry about viruses. The computers are updated with the latest virus definitions and scanned every week when we reimage. The system is static at that point for the next week.

The problem with the disable updates is that after the November update disabling the update service causes the system to freeze.


Am I the only one having this issue? Every article that suggests disabling updates was written prior to November. I had tested this and thought this was going to work. Since I got the November update the test machine hangs when waking if the updates are disabled. It wakes fine if the update service is running. I just assumed those articles were old news. Windows constant updates make it really difficult to research solutions.

 

So you could try:
1. firewall rules
2. use the hosts file to block destinations
Free hosts file editors- hostsman, bluelife Simplify Your Pc Usage
(a trick often used to block bad sites/advertising)
3. IE, Tools, Internet Options, Privacy, Sites

You would need to research what you need to block and caveat- I've not tried to do this, so offered in principle only.

Should you then wish to apply updates, you could download one copy and apply manually, but in your situation, security updates are probably irrelevant.