Guide To *Actually* Disabling Windows 10 Upgrades
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2018 22:24
Hi Guys,
This is going to be a lengthy post for a lengthy problem. Sorry in advance.
Microsoft has really screwed me hard this last weekend.
There have been some basic practices of how Window's core system operates and how services are implemented
and Microsoft has really dropped the ball in Windows 10. I spoke to my old rep and he flat out told me they
really screwed up in the way they implemented these new changes.
I'm here to call out those changes to bring awareness to you guys, as well as offer up a solution.
First and foremost, ... I will not be held responsible for any damages done to your machine, having you followed my guide.
This is a totally "do it at your own risk" sort of thing. We will be digging into the core of Windows operations and if you
go outside of what we are addressing in this guide, you could potentially turn your machine into a paper weight until you format and start fresh.
If you are not comfortable with any of these steps (read before you start diving in and changing anything) please do not attempt changing anything.
Use common sense here folks. Work within your comfort level.
This method is for Windows 10 HOME Edition. If you have Windows 10 Pro, you can use Group Policy Editor (gpedit), to do this process in about 3 steps lol. If you're on Windows 10 Home Edition, well you're about to find out there's about 65 more steps involved.
OK... So back in the day (Pre-Windows 10). If you as a user with administrative credentials, went into Windows Services and turned a service off. That service would remain off until the end of time.
Or in some rare cases, if you did a Service Pack Update, that service would be turned back on by default. But non-the less, when an admin says "Hey you! You are turned off!" that service would remain off.
End of story!
Welllllll....... Good 'ol Microsoft decided to change this practice in Windows 10 AND DIDN'T BOTHER TO TELL ANYONE!!!!!!
Thanks’ Uncle Bill....
What we are addressing here is Window's Update. If you are new to Resolume or any sort of performance graphical software in general. Let's get you caught up:
With the new Windows Fall Creators Edition Update, it pretty much takes you FPS performance down to 30fps and locks it. Which really sucks when you're trying to play files built around 60fps.
Or, if you game, and want to take advantage of your 120fps monitor, you’re screwed. There have been instances in the new updates where it has taken one of my client’s machine all the way down to 12fps, playing 1 video file at 720p.
So, Windows Updates on Windows 10 = No good.
You will always want to test new updates in a Sandbox environment before you implement it for live use.
Just a side note, most people will keep their live Media Servers off the internet to avoid updates, virus's, malware, and other things.
This is a GREAT practice, And I'm 100% behind this. Do it when you can.
My personal Laptop (which I use live to VJ with), is also my office Laptop I build content on, and build show design's on, and post cool forum posts (like the one you are reading) on.
So, I require it to be on the Internet, but I monitor it very strictly. So sometimes you just can't get around it.
This client's machine rebooting, due to an update, during a show, and they couldn't stop it. This is a nightmare!
My computer just started to update last week, when I know I turned off the Windows Update service within the core shell of Windows, not your typical home user method of going through Control Panel.
So, there is a MAJOR problem here.
I can't have Microsoft tell me when I need to update, when they have ZERO clue of how damaging their updates are for me. When I as an Admin turn off Updates, there is a really good and important reason why.
For them to ignore the changes an Admin does, and to go rouge and do whatever the hell they please, is just bad system control on their end. (Microsoft even came out and agreed with me on this.)
Their reasoning was "In previous versions of Windows, when end user's left a service disabled for too long, the service would become corrupt". I call BS on this, but neither here nor there, they have completely
re-wrote how things operate in Windows 10, and left people like me under the assumption that nothing has changed (like it's been for over 15 years).
Well, you know where assuming got me.....
So.....
Here is a guide that I came up with the disable Windows Update, in a manner that can be turned back on at any point you would like in the future.
There are several safeguard steps and backup steps to really ensure that the service is indeed disabled.
I had posted this topic before with another method (that works) of disabling Window's Update by taking ownership of the Windows Update Download folder and completely locking out any other user, including the System user. This, in my opinion
Is a really bad practice, as if you want to do a future Windows update, you kind of shot yourself in the foot, as the System can't download the update since it's locked out of its own folder.
You would have to remember or know exactly how the ownership privileges were setup initially or you will never be able to do an update. (which might be fine for some people, but I really think there is a better, safer way of going about this)
If you would like to disable my method, just go back through the instructions and turn anything that was off or disabled, back to on and enabled.
This guide will remove Scheduled Tasks, Startup Processes, and add Scheduled Tasks, add a startup Batch File, And Modifying the Registry to remove the option to update when you reboot or power down.
Here is a link to the Instructions via 68-page PDF:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/5j5jvnvgblukw ... s.pdf?dl=0
Here is a link to files you will need to download. I have written a Batch File and a Registry Edit File you will need to use towards the end of the instructions:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/5nudir83ltci ... 4GmZa?dl=0
Or if you want a link for everything:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6a8ogfccd635 ... 7X_Va?dl=0
ALSO, if anyone else has a simpler way of stopping the Windows Update service from running, until an Admin tells it otherwise, I would love for this thread to be a brainstorming thread as well. I'm open to any and all idea's.
I know Window's 10 Updating has been a problem for a lot of people, and since Microsoft isn't addressing it (as "we" are only 5% of the user base, and the other 95% isn't complaining), I figured we could get creative and try to find a
solution that isn't damaging to the system, and can be reversed if needed.
Also, if you have a Professional version of Windows, you could just use Group Policy Editor to do this and save a bunch of steps. But for me (and most end users), I’m running the Windows Home edition.
Sorry again for the novel. This has been an issue that's really been bugging me for a while now and I feel I should help address it to the best of my abilities. And sometimes I just ramble. I just wanted everyone well informed and to know the backstory of it all (from my perspective)
*** Anytime you want to test your system and see if the update service was turned back on, just press the Windows Key + L to lock your computer. Upon logging back on, you will get the batch files to run. This will show if the services was enabled for if they remained disabled.
And remember, If you don't want to see the batch files, Just right click on them to edit, and just delete the last entry labeled "PAUSE", and this will make the batch files run, but not remain active for you to close out via keystroke. ***
This is going to be a lengthy post for a lengthy problem. Sorry in advance.
Microsoft has really screwed me hard this last weekend.
There have been some basic practices of how Window's core system operates and how services are implemented
and Microsoft has really dropped the ball in Windows 10. I spoke to my old rep and he flat out told me they
really screwed up in the way they implemented these new changes.
I'm here to call out those changes to bring awareness to you guys, as well as offer up a solution.
First and foremost, ... I will not be held responsible for any damages done to your machine, having you followed my guide.
This is a totally "do it at your own risk" sort of thing. We will be digging into the core of Windows operations and if you
go outside of what we are addressing in this guide, you could potentially turn your machine into a paper weight until you format and start fresh.
If you are not comfortable with any of these steps (read before you start diving in and changing anything) please do not attempt changing anything.
Use common sense here folks. Work within your comfort level.
This method is for Windows 10 HOME Edition. If you have Windows 10 Pro, you can use Group Policy Editor (gpedit), to do this process in about 3 steps lol. If you're on Windows 10 Home Edition, well you're about to find out there's about 65 more steps involved.
OK... So back in the day (Pre-Windows 10). If you as a user with administrative credentials, went into Windows Services and turned a service off. That service would remain off until the end of time.
Or in some rare cases, if you did a Service Pack Update, that service would be turned back on by default. But non-the less, when an admin says "Hey you! You are turned off!" that service would remain off.
End of story!
Welllllll....... Good 'ol Microsoft decided to change this practice in Windows 10 AND DIDN'T BOTHER TO TELL ANYONE!!!!!!
Thanks’ Uncle Bill....
What we are addressing here is Window's Update. If you are new to Resolume or any sort of performance graphical software in general. Let's get you caught up:
With the new Windows Fall Creators Edition Update, it pretty much takes you FPS performance down to 30fps and locks it. Which really sucks when you're trying to play files built around 60fps.
Or, if you game, and want to take advantage of your 120fps monitor, you’re screwed. There have been instances in the new updates where it has taken one of my client’s machine all the way down to 12fps, playing 1 video file at 720p.
So, Windows Updates on Windows 10 = No good.
You will always want to test new updates in a Sandbox environment before you implement it for live use.
Just a side note, most people will keep their live Media Servers off the internet to avoid updates, virus's, malware, and other things.
This is a GREAT practice, And I'm 100% behind this. Do it when you can.
My personal Laptop (which I use live to VJ with), is also my office Laptop I build content on, and build show design's on, and post cool forum posts (like the one you are reading) on.
So, I require it to be on the Internet, but I monitor it very strictly. So sometimes you just can't get around it.
This client's machine rebooting, due to an update, during a show, and they couldn't stop it. This is a nightmare!
My computer just started to update last week, when I know I turned off the Windows Update service within the core shell of Windows, not your typical home user method of going through Control Panel.
So, there is a MAJOR problem here.
I can't have Microsoft tell me when I need to update, when they have ZERO clue of how damaging their updates are for me. When I as an Admin turn off Updates, there is a really good and important reason why.
For them to ignore the changes an Admin does, and to go rouge and do whatever the hell they please, is just bad system control on their end. (Microsoft even came out and agreed with me on this.)
Their reasoning was "In previous versions of Windows, when end user's left a service disabled for too long, the service would become corrupt". I call BS on this, but neither here nor there, they have completely
re-wrote how things operate in Windows 10, and left people like me under the assumption that nothing has changed (like it's been for over 15 years).
Well, you know where assuming got me.....
So.....
Here is a guide that I came up with the disable Windows Update, in a manner that can be turned back on at any point you would like in the future.
There are several safeguard steps and backup steps to really ensure that the service is indeed disabled.
I had posted this topic before with another method (that works) of disabling Window's Update by taking ownership of the Windows Update Download folder and completely locking out any other user, including the System user. This, in my opinion
Is a really bad practice, as if you want to do a future Windows update, you kind of shot yourself in the foot, as the System can't download the update since it's locked out of its own folder.
You would have to remember or know exactly how the ownership privileges were setup initially or you will never be able to do an update. (which might be fine for some people, but I really think there is a better, safer way of going about this)
If you would like to disable my method, just go back through the instructions and turn anything that was off or disabled, back to on and enabled.
This guide will remove Scheduled Tasks, Startup Processes, and add Scheduled Tasks, add a startup Batch File, And Modifying the Registry to remove the option to update when you reboot or power down.
Here is a link to the Instructions via 68-page PDF:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/5j5jvnvgblukw ... s.pdf?dl=0
Here is a link to files you will need to download. I have written a Batch File and a Registry Edit File you will need to use towards the end of the instructions:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/5nudir83ltci ... 4GmZa?dl=0
Or if you want a link for everything:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6a8ogfccd635 ... 7X_Va?dl=0
ALSO, if anyone else has a simpler way of stopping the Windows Update service from running, until an Admin tells it otherwise, I would love for this thread to be a brainstorming thread as well. I'm open to any and all idea's.
I know Window's 10 Updating has been a problem for a lot of people, and since Microsoft isn't addressing it (as "we" are only 5% of the user base, and the other 95% isn't complaining), I figured we could get creative and try to find a
solution that isn't damaging to the system, and can be reversed if needed.
Also, if you have a Professional version of Windows, you could just use Group Policy Editor to do this and save a bunch of steps. But for me (and most end users), I’m running the Windows Home edition.
Sorry again for the novel. This has been an issue that's really been bugging me for a while now and I feel I should help address it to the best of my abilities. And sometimes I just ramble. I just wanted everyone well informed and to know the backstory of it all (from my perspective)
*** Anytime you want to test your system and see if the update service was turned back on, just press the Windows Key + L to lock your computer. Upon logging back on, you will get the batch files to run. This will show if the services was enabled for if they remained disabled.
And remember, If you don't want to see the batch files, Just right click on them to edit, and just delete the last entry labeled "PAUSE", and this will make the batch files run, but not remain active for you to close out via keystroke. ***
