Blocking W10 auto-updates is now possible; manual management remains available. What functions still operate?
Blocking W10 auto-updates is now possible; manual management remains available. What functions still operate?
Dear reader, Windows suddenly forced a blue screen and pushed an update during working hours without notice. While I was using the system, I’m exploring ways to regain manual control over their update process and policies. I also want to avoid the risky situation of "Will this update ruin my system or data?" I tried using Debotnet scripts, running them with both user and admin rights, but it didn’t work. My setup has a 365-day delay for feature updates. I’ve discovered several methods and tools (some links might be outdated), but I’m unsure if they still function effectively—updates seem to stop around 2018. Here are a few: 1. 2. https://winaero.com/comment.php?comment.news.1836 3. 4. https://www.wintips.org/how-to-turn-off-...rmanently/ 5. https://www.mirinsoft.com/ms-apps/debotnet Anyone have experience with these or similar approaches? Which would be most reliable? Thanks, JB
I won't be opening every link to check what's available, but I know what helps: choosing a metered connection and avoiding updates there. You can also adjust a registry key so all connections are limited by default, unless you modify it yourself. This avoids needing to change each new connection manually—useful for laptops with multiple Wi-Fi networks or VPN users.
According to @SpaceGhostC2C, also adjust group policies to turn off automatic updates and restarts.
I adjusted it to metered, but didn't realize a VPN could interfere (which I'm using) and that it might bypass this restriction. I've seen similar issues with other systems that had metered networks and received updates. Could this affect the optional 'experience(?)' or feature updates? I plan to check the registry and GP edits, thanks. Security updates remain active.
The situation involves configuring your original network settings. Setting them as metered affects how the VPN connection is treated, often triggering a Windows prompt about network type. Once this happens, the new connection may revert to standard unless explicitly changed. By defaulting it to unmetered for every connection, you ensure updates work properly. This approach avoids issues with updates, whether critical or not. If you prefer different settings for various updates, you might be able to restrict certain features, but otherwise everything remains impacted.
It's interesting to note that since 1809 you can disable automatic updates using registry keys, and this doesn't revert like in earlier versions. I don't recall the exact keys now, but you can set them via the GUI with OO ShutUp 10. After restarting, updates will be blocked. You can still apply updates manually by pressing a button. Leave these options unchecked. The result is that automatic app updates in the Microsoft Store are turned off.