Windows 10: Tell Windows to give up on Feature updates

The "season" has arrived again.


https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...tes-into/e89f9319-5068-40c5-a7f9-301194449c79


Two years ago, after much contortion, I was somehow able to clear out just enough disk space on my mother's HP Stream 11 to allow for update to Windows 10 1803. I wasn't looking forward to the next feature update, and turned out right that Windows takes up more space than ever.


Nowadays the laptop is continually drowning in disk space deficiency as Windows Update regularly tries to download 1903 but ultimately bail out due to no more space. - 0 bytes.





This time round I've went so far as to uninstall all HP software, Brother printer drives, Google Chrome, several Intel/Realtek driver + software packages, every Visual C++ redistributable edition, and even more Microsoft Store apps. Practically much down to the bare minimal of software installations mainly for device drivers.


Even went the route of manually stopping Windows Update service so I could get rid of C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution wihch manage to get approx 10.6 free space. However trying the feature update again only bloats it up as usual and still pops up the UI demanding for more space. The actual required space is around 2-3GB more so perhaps around 13GB; but hardly anything more to squeeze out those extra GBs..


Can't even install new Microsoft Edge because its instlaler expects either version 1903 or 1909 operational first.


So how can Windows be instructed to nevere download Feature updates again, since they can't even be downloaded completely and installed, why waste time/bandwidth performing this downloads over and over in vain.

:)

 

Intel E5200 Gets Updated, R0 Stepping Coming Up

Intel's Pentium Dual-Core E5200 processor is getting on course for a specifications update. The chip will feature in a new, improved Wolfdale-2M core, spec'd out as the R0 stepping, from its current M0 stepping. The new stepping is intended to add new instructions, power-management features, and bring about changes in the chip-package. A short list of known changes is as follows:

• CPUID changed from 10677 to 1067A
• Power State Indicator (PSI) support with Intel 4 series chipsets
• New instructions - XSAVE and XRSTOR
• New S-spec and MM numbers
• New halide-free chip package

Due to the changed CPUID, users may require BIOS updates to detect the CPU. According to the company, E5200 R0 should be out by April 13.

Source: TechConnect Magazine

 

Windows 7 top feature request list leaked to the public

With Windows still managing to find its way to over 95 percent of the desktop computers sold each year, it's not surprising that one can find plenty of people interested in giving their feedback about what future versions of Windows should be able to do.

A few years ago, before Windows Vista had even shipped, Microsoft sent out a wish list form asking people what features they would like to see in the next version of Windows, currently code-named Windows 7. The top wished-for features in this list were recently leaked to the public and have popped up at various sites (e.g., Neowin). While anonymous sources at Microsoft tell us that they bear no relationship to the actual feature set Microsoft is currently writing for Windows 7, the list does provide interesting insight into what the Windows-using public most wants from Windows.

The features are listed in no particular order, but they break down into various categories depending on what part of Windows the feature request falls under. Many requests for improvements in Internet Explorer, such as a session restore function, are fairly obvious wishes for features that already exist in competitive products such as Firefox and Opera. Other suggestions, such as a tabbed Windows Explorer, look for features from web browsers to migrate into the general user interface.





Some of the feature requests are clearly unrealistic, such as the desire to "back up" Xbox 360 games to the PC (yeah, I don't think Microsoft will be doing that one). Others are minor user interface enhancements that would be nice additions but wouldn't really change the Windows experience, such as a progress bar when hibernating the system. However, there are a few that make good sense and would be welcome additions to the operating system, such as a built-in video and audio codec manager.

A Windows 7 insider who wishes to remain anonymous told Ars that the leaked feature list was gathered before any real development on Windows 7 was started, and readers should not expect to see requests from the list necessarily implemented in Microsoft’s next major Windows release.

 

Intel Gives Core i3 and Core i5 Dual-Core Processors K0 Stepping Update

Intel is giving some existing 32 nm "Clarkdale" based Core i3 and Core i5 processors an update. The processors will transition to the new K0 stepping from the existing C2 stepping. The parts that will be made on the K0 silicon are Core i3 models 530 (new sSPEC: SLBX7), 540 (new sSPEC: SLBTD) and Core i5 models 650 (new sSPEC: SLBTJ), 660/661 (SLBTK/SLBTB), 670 (SLBTL). Newer and upcoming models such as the i3-550, i3-560, i5-665K, and i5-680 are already being built on the K0 stepping die. Motherboards will require a BIOS update to support the new K0 stepping processors.

The K0 stepping change includes the following highlights:

• New S-spec and MM numbers for the converting products
• Extended CPUID will change from 0x00020652 to 0x00020655
• Host RevID will change from 0x12 to 0x18
• K0 stepping package is pin compatible with C2 stepping package
• Adds Processor Context ID (PCID) support

The revised older SKUs that are built on K0 stepping will be market-available by October 16.