Windows 10: Selective Win10 Updates (as in Win7)

Yah but that's from KB303885 (I think) - Google "remove GWX" and the first result will tell you which package it is. Remove that, then block it in WU and you'll be fine.

 

Thanks! I found this and it seems reasonable - How to remove the Windows 10 GWX upgrade nonsense
what do you think? I don't care any more actually cos I managed to solve the issue by blocking the prompt win-10 upgrade update in WU and deleted all entries of gwx so for now it looks like it is resolved. I didn't have to resort to the sort of violence that guy from the above-link had to resort to .... but who knows ... maybe someone reading this will find the link useful. Do u think it's a good one?

 

BTW any idea why when I go to 'View installed updates' I only see updates from a day ago or so. I'm sure I installed LOADS of updates earlier on ... like a week ago or so and now I can't see them ... ? I mean .. how far back in time should it stretch? On my other OS, Windows 7 that is, I see like a year back in the past, when I open 'View installed updates'. OK, still .. it's not the full picture, but better to have it a year ago than a day ago ... could it be because yesterday Win10 found some major update and while installing it it sorta reset a lot of stuff ... the process of downloading/installing the update in question was different than usual. It had it's own black screen with loading % and saying how many % are copied and % installed on a black background. Was the 1st time i ever see such fanciness for a Win Update.

 

So here is the W10 update workflow that i've figure out so far and it seems to work. Gives control, at least, as W7:

Beware that once Windows Update sees an update and lists it as available for download, then even if you hide that update in 'wushowhide.diagcab', WU is still going to download and install that update. What you can do in that situation is to let WU install it and then uninstall that update from 'View installed updates', then don't open the 'Windows Update' window. Then in 'wushowhide.diagcab' hide the update in question. This way, the update is not installed and WU should no longer list it as available for download.

Therefore the workflow for checking for updates for the future is first to run 'wushowhide.diagcab' and see if any updates need to be hidden and only then go to WU, check for updates and instal them.

Hope that helps someone! *Smile And thanks for the help of everyone who contributed so far!

 

Yeah I've noticed that sometimes wupdatehider selectively applies the updates I choose to hide, i've had to do exactly what you described.

 

I don't think you can stop MS from updating if they want to. I had mine set to never and MS over rode that setting. I finally disabled it in services and MS turn it back on and set updates to automatic and that was on my W 7. I tried W 10 but went back to W 8. I have a W 7 desktop, a W 8 laptop and a W 8.1 desktop.

 

Naaah ... W10 is much better than both 8 and 8.1, IMO. 8/8.1 was a bigger fail even than Vista. Besides ... in w7 you do have FULL control over what updates are installed from MS and if you don't want them you can achieve that. You just need realize the fact that now and then MS push updates and service packs and stuff like that which indeed does change the switch of how your updates are installed. That means that if you set it ask you before it downloads and installs updates, some updates you install can change that switch and set it to have updates automatic. What you need to do is basically check every time before updating what the setting is set to. It happens only very seldom that MS release such updates but ... it happens. Other than that I don't see why one does not have control over updates in w7. As to w10 ... this thread has so far SORTA shown that we can have some control.

But yes, in general you are right. If the WANT to be asses they can achieve it and annoy the hell out of you.

 

So yes @Emma ... just tested it again ... in the group policy editor keep the 'Config. automatic updates' settings to Disabled (and nothing else but that) and this way you'll get no prompts no nothing .. no tray pop-up urging you that you need updates. This way the only time you'll see updates is if you intentionally go to check for them. That is great, I think, cos it allows for the following strategy (as discussed earlier in the thread):

- before you go ahead and check for updates run the diagcab tool and with it detect possible updates that you don't want installed. Hide them. This way these updates should not be detected at all by Windows Update. Then go to check for updates and Windows Updates should only list as available updates the ones you did not hide with the diagcab tool ...

now THAT finally makes some sense to me. Until we get a proper way of doing it ... this seems the be the workaround.

 

Thanks soewhaty, I guess I am just stubborn, I want to do it my way and I really dislike them removing options and giving users the ability to do it our way.

I have to admit I didn't mind MS doing it when I reformatted, because I needed the updates for MS Office and Windows live mail, they installed only what I needed. They also turn them one for no reason one time. That is what made me mad. If a PC works with only 51 updates why do they insist on your installing 200 on an old PC.

 

I am just as stubborn as you are, friend! : ) And I FULLY agree with you. I can't tell you how much I agree with this - 'I really dislike them removing options and giving users the ability to do it our way'. This is basically the reason I am annoyed with them and am willing to fight to get to the truth and to the right way of how things should be *Smile Sometimes they lack sense ... and they substitute it with greed ...

 

Thank you soewhaty, that makes me feel better. Sometimes I feel it's just me feeling like that. I have stated this before but will do it again. I got my first PC in 1996 and after a tech told me I couldn't hurt the PC and if I changed something I did not like and could not fix.......... I could reformat and make it like new again. After that I jumped in with no fear. LOL I loved the challenge of a new OS and bought a new PC every time a new system came out. I had them all except 2000 and had no problems with any of them. W 7 is my favorite even though it was missing a couple of things I liked. W 8 and up are still challenging, but the fun is not the same. Hopefully my favorite W7 will out live me. I have a W 8.1 as a back up if it doesn't. *Smile

 

Thank for your comments, Emma! : )

I have win 10 as a back-up if win7 does not outlive them cos I feel 10 is much better than 8 and 8.1. But i totally feel you. 7 is awesome. In 10 however, they've improved the explorer.exe a bit as well as the UI is more responsive which gives a better feel. But just that. Have added a few other fancy things which are now and then useful, but other than that there isn't a more stable MS OS than 7, IMO. My main OS is still 7 and I multi-boot between it and 10.

 

I'm thinking things are the same now as they have always been.

What ever operating system Microsoft comes up with all we want is the ability to set things as we want them.
I and many others just want to choose varies things to work or not to work. Updates is a example. I like to choose what to update and when. I have always done updates manually for everything. I see no good reason to change my methods.
To me a program of any kind should give options that one can choose from if they desire.
I don't believe that is to much to ask for.

 

And u r absolutely right! Good point! MS need to understand that point once and for all .. but they are stubborn ... too stubborn ...

 

LB Everything I have read and heard about W 10 is that we will have no control over W 10 updates, you can't pick and choose anymore and that includes drivers. I heard that it is the most invasive OS every made and you can't turn it off. Has MS changed any of that? I had W 10 for a while, but went back to 8. When and if the time comes I will of course use it, I also think they will eventually start charging for the updates.