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Windows 10 updates and reboots, even with updates turned off

Ron Obvious

Graduate Poster
Ron Obvious
Joined
Mar 2, 2019
Messages
1,535
Location
Pacific Northwest, USA
I'd been wondering why my server had been rebooting for a few weeks. For various reasons I don't need to go into, I don't want it to reboot when I'm not present right now. So I went into "advanced options", and paused updates for a couple of weeks and now only check for updates manually.

It still rebooted a few days ago, around the same time as my (W10) laptop did also, so I became suspicious but still suspected a bad power supply or something.

I just happened to be sitting at the monitor when I saw it installing updates anyway, even while the yellow paused button was visible on the same screen.

WTF, Microsoft? I know both Apple and Microsoft these days appear to regard the user as a retarded child who shouldn't be trusted with a computer in the first place, but really? I do know what I'm doing, you know.

Anyway, just a heads-up if you're in the same position.
 
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Welcome to Microsoft, where "My Computer" means Microsoft, not you.

I would look around on the web for free and open-source Windows 10/11 update blockers. I can't make any recommendations because I'm running Linux, primarily so I don't have to put up with this sort of nonsense.
 
Ron Obvious said:
I'd been wondering why my server had been rebooting for a few weeks. For various reasons I don't need to go into, I don't want it to reboot when I'm not present right now.
So I went into "advanced options", and paused updates for a couple of weeks and now only check for updates manually.
It still rebooted a few days ago, around the same time as my (W10) laptop did also, so I became suspicious but still suspected a bad power supply or something.

I just happened to be sitting at the monitor when I saw it installing updates anyway, even while the yellow paused button was visible on the same screen.

WTF, Microsoft? I know both Apple and Microsoft these days appear to regard the user as a retarded child who shouldn't be trusted with a computer in the first place, but really? I do know what I'm doing, you know.

Anyway, just a heads-up if you're in the same position.
Click to expand...
Not sure what you expected when you merely paused updates - they were obviously going to "unpause" at some time.

"​
How do I stop Windows 10 from updating automatically?​
​
​
Navigate to “Computer Configuration” > “Administrative Templates” > “Windows Components” > “Windows Update.” Double-click on “Configure Automatic Updates” to open the settings. Select the “Disabled” option to turn off automatic updates. Click on “Apply” and then “OK” to save the changes.4 days ago"​
 
Blue Mountain said:
Welcome to Microsoft, where "My Computer" means Microsoft, not you.

I would look around on the web for free and open-source Windows 10/11 update blockers. I can't make any recommendations because I'm running Linux, primarily so I don't have to put up with this sort of nonsense.
Click to expand...

Yes, we know you run Linux. Everyone is aware. There is never a windows thread created that you don't take the opportunity to climb up on your horse and look down at every windows user and remind them of your Linux usage.

Anyway, if it's just a standalone server that you have full control over you could probably just disable the Windows Update service all together. It's kind of a roundabout way to do it but I had to do exactly that to get one of my home servers to stop updating while I was downloading...things. Then I would just turn it on when I wanted to do some updates.
 
plague311 said:
Pretty sure that's the one. It's been a hot minute since I did it. He seemed tech savvy enough so I figured he could track it down.
Click to expand...
Yeah I figured that and he does just wanted to clarify for others. As I've said before I know some really obscure stuff because I needed to dig to solve problems and also miss stuff that other people with more knowledge in that area assume is well known.
 
Ron Obvious said:
I'm guessing that's because you frequently check for updates manually. I do too, but this is on a server machine that I access when I'm away from home.
Click to expand...
Nope. When Windows has an update ready I get a little icon in the corner to let me know. If I click it, I get to apply the update now, or overnight, or schedule for a later date. At no time has it initiated without my telling it to.

ETA: some updates will quietly install in the background, and then when I select the Power option to shut down or sleep, I get options to apply updates and shut down, or apply updates and restart. My choice.

EATA: In case you're wondering, I'm running Windows 11 Pro version 24H2.
 
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Darat said:
Not sure what you expected when you merely paused updates - they were obviously going to "unpause" at some time.

"​
How do I stop Windows 10 from updating automatically?​
​
​
Navigate to “Computer Configuration” > “Administrative Templates” > “Windows Components” > “Windows Update.” Double-click on “Configure Automatic Updates” to open the settings. Select the “Disabled” option to turn off automatic updates. Click on “Apply” and then “OK” to save the changes.4 days ago"​
Click to expand...

Yes, but not when I paused updates until March. I certainly didn't expect it to ram updates down my throat anyway when the updates were still paused, else what's the point of "pausing"?
 
plague311 said:
Yes, we know you run Linux. Everyone is aware. There is never a windows thread created that you don't take the opportunity to climb up on your horse and look down at every windows user and remind them of your Linux usage.
Click to expand...
I'm also pointing out there are alternatives to Windows—and all of Microsoft's shennigans—that about 80% of the computer users out there can use, as long as they aren't into playing computer games. And I also don't like that way too many are drinking the Microsoft kool-aid.

Microsoft is a crappy company pushing a crappy product. I'm bewildered that so, so many people insist on using it.
 
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Blue Mountain said:
And I also don't like that way too many are drinking the Microsoft kool-aid.
Click to expand...
It's not "drinking the kool-aid" most people just don't care, they go out and buy computer and it does what they want then they stop thinking about it.
Other times people may have looked into it and found Linux to be overly complex with an, at best, condescending attitude towards helping newcomers, even something as simple as "Which one?" (and I'm not asking) normally leads to both distro bickering or cries of "Do your own research".
Or maybe people have looked into it and Linux doesn't do what they want, how they want to do it;

 
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Mongrel said:
It's not "drinking the kool-aid" most people just don't care, they go out and buy computer and it does what they want then they stop thinking about it.
Other times people may have looked into it and found Linux to be overly complex with an, at best, condescending attitude towards helping newcomers, even something as simple as "Which one?" (and I'm not asking) normally leads to both distro bickering or cries of "Do your own research".
Or maybe people have looked into it and Linux doesn't do what they want, how they want to do it;
Click to expand...
Darat said:
Not just games.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the replies.

I want to apologize to the posters in this thread for the derail. The next time a thread about Windows pops up, I'll resist the urge to post something about Linux.
 
It's funny. I've been in IT all my life. I've never found Windows to be especially onerous to work with. Windows, Mac, Linux... horses for courses, it's all the same to me.

Microsoft has a lot of good "it just works" solutions for larger enterprises and the people who work there. Including the Windows OS. Developing a personal animus towards the product line just seems counter-productive to me. I use Windows at home, and it just works. Win11 has been painless for me. I use Mac for work, and it just works. I use Linux for enterprise computation, and it just works.
 
Indeed, I believe in the right tools for the right job. At my business we run pretty much all the operating systems you can think of, or have had to work with them. Our office runs on Windows. Our creative team uses Mac. Most of our other equipment runs on Linux where appropriate. We have a smattering of real-time and/or embedded operating systems such as FreeRTOS. We have a combination of in-house IT and and IT contractor to make it all work.

We did have one situation one time where a Windows machine auto-updated when it shouldn't have. It was a problem because that machine was tied to a process that required extensive validation, and therefore should not have been modified. So we were angry, of course, but it was ultimately a setting a technician had missed. We have similar problems with all the other COTS operating systems. The solution for us is to go slow and check each step.
 
Blue Mountain said:
...as long as they aren't into playing computer games.
Click to expand...

That's a pretty huge caveat in 2025 lol

I, like a few others here, have multiple linux boxes between work and home as well. I don't have to touch them much other than updates, and they do what they're supposed to do just fine. I mainly work on windows servers at work, but we have linux there too, and I spend a large, large amount of my time in vCenter with ESXi. I get your point, it just really doesn't do much to address the OP.
 
I ran Ubuntu Linux for my main desktop for several months. It worked great, until it didn't any more. I had no clue how to get it working again.

Windows is a good middle ground. MacOS is great for people who have no idea how computers work and don't care. You push the button and the shiny thing lights up and gets the job done. Linux is for people who love to tinker, recompiling kernels and bashing out lines of code. It's very powerful if you have that kind of analytical mind. If you're neither of those kind of people (and I'm not) then Windows is just right.
 
arthwollipot said:
I ran Ubuntu Linux for my main desktop for several months. It worked great, until it didn't any more. I had no clue how to get it working again.

Windows is a good middle ground. MacOS is great for people who have no idea how computers work and don't care. You push the button and the shiny thing lights up and gets the job done. Linux is for people who love to tinker, recompiling kernels and bashing out lines of code. It's very powerful if you have that kind of analytical mind. If you're neither of those kind of people (and I'm not) then Windows is just right.
Click to expand...
Now this is a religious war I can sign up for. All three OSes fit all three needs. I know hundreds of professional software engineers who develop for Linux, on Macs.

But really, they mostly develop for AWS. The OS that ultimately runs their JVM is almost incidental. Or even entirely incidental. AWS now offers the ability to run modules in your favorite language directly, without concern for OS, or even a dedicated virtual machine.

Writing config-as-code that automagically deploys and terminates whole infrastructure stacks, complete with their data sources, executables, et al. is where it's at. AWS and Azure are the new world operating systems.
 
Darat said:
O/S 2 Warp!

:boxedin:
Click to expand...
I was a fan from early days and was a beta tester for Galactic Civiliaztions on it. I have an old laptop and an OS/2 install image and some day when I'm bored....
Otherwise I've worked with BSD, MVS/370-z/OS, AIX, HPUX, Solaris, Windows NT server v3-4, VM/CMS. At home now I use a Windows desktop (Games) and for portability have a laptop running Ubuntu Mate, another with win 10 and a refurbished 9-year old Mac Air I bought to try writing an iPhone app. I have a couple of grumbles with Windows - when I fire up something that hasn't been run for a while, how intrusive the update process is. The other is how many things aren't documented - like window visibility - you'd think you just have to check the IsWindowVisible() function but no. You have to check the windows style as well for the Mail and Store apps. That was documented in an article that had a common theme of "Windows just behaves the way it does".
And gently down......
 
theprestige said:
Now this is a religious war I can sign up for. All three OSes fit all three needs. I know hundreds of professional software engineers who develop for Linux, on Macs.

But really, they mostly develop for AWS. The OS that ultimately runs their JVM is almost incidental. Or even entirely incidental. AWS now offers the ability to run modules in your favorite language directly, without concern for OS, or even a dedicated virtual machine.

Writing config-as-code that automagically deploys and terminates whole infrastructure stacks, complete with their data sources, executables, et al. is where it's at. AWS and Azure are the new world operating systems.
Click to expand...
My last job I developed for AWS Linux instances on a Linux machine until work gave me a Windows machine. Both ran IntelliJ the same, some tiny tweaks to my config files and off I went. I still used my Linux laptop to test some weird scripts I had to write with awk and stuff but that wasn't my core job.
I have about 11 chefs knives in my kitchen and I usually use the one best suited to a task but if I'm away I use whatever's handy. (Okay I grumble a little)
 
My windows 11 updates deleted my activation for windows. Seems that the last few updates from windows kind of ◊◊◊◊◊ up your computer sometimes
 
I just put an old Acer with Win8.1 back up. It has automatically put in every update it could, without asking, and now tells me I have to voluntarily put win 10 on it or no more updates. Don't want them, I refuse to let a phone new in 2023 update anything because it works fine already. I disabled most of the things it would be updating anyway.

Finally. It's stable and runs smoothly now without messing itself up. MS will give up eventually it seems and let you be happy.
This computer cannot run good on 10 at all.
 
8enotto said:
I just put an old Acer with Win8.1 back up. It has automatically put in every update it could, without asking, and now tells me I have to voluntarily put win 10 on it or no more updates. Don't want them, I refuse to let a phone new in 2023 update anything because it works fine already. I disabled most of the things it would be updating anyway.

Finally. It's stable and runs smoothly now without messing itself up. MS will give up eventually it seems and let you be happy.
This computer cannot run good on 10 at all.
Click to expand...

As an IT professional it's not a great idea to be running an OS that hasn't received a security update in the better part of 20 years. The security has to be severely outdated, and if you're cruising the web you'll be at significantly higher risk of malware, viruses, etc.

If you're looking for an alternative you could just format the computer and put something like Ubuntu (pretty user friendly for people familiar with windows), CentOS is another good one along with Mint, on it and still have a speedy laptop with up-to-date security.

Windows 10 is actually sunset later this year (October) as well. Upgrading to 10 wouldn't help, and if the laptop is running windows 8.1 I'm going to assume your processor doesn't have TPM 2.0 so you can't go to Windows 11. I would just be weary of where you go and what you do with the laptop given its age.
 
It will be offline used as a ssllooww video editing machine. I can't afford another right now.

It was the one my wife used for ten years before she had to retire it for current software versions.

I can get Shotcut in a version for 8.1 yet.
 
Worth noting that if a machine currently running Win 7/8/8.1 hasn't at some point been updated to 10, the free option to do so isn't available (having been retired in autumn 2023), and you'd need to pay for a licence.
 
Blue Mountain said:
Welcome to Microsoft, where "My Computer" means Microsoft, not you.
Click to expand...
Exactly.

You can only delay but not stop updates with Win 10 Home version (or whatever it is called now). Pro version you can. Or so I hear.
 
commandlinegamer said:
Worth noting that if a machine currently running Win 7/8/8.1 hasn't at some point been updated to 10, the free option to do so isn't available (having been retired in autumn 2023), and you'd need to pay for a licence.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't take it for free. Win 7 was the best version ever IMO...
 
bigred said:
I wouldn't take it for free. Win 7 was the best version ever IMO...
Click to expand...

Lol Why? What did windows do to hurt you or is this just more of the standard "Microsoft is evil" as if every single electronic device you use doesn't collect data on you?
 
plague311 said:
Windows 10 is actually sunset later this year (October) as well. Upgrading to 10 wouldn't help, and if the laptop is running windows 8.1 I'm going to assume your processor doesn't have TPM 2.0 so you can't go to Windows 11. I would just be weary of where you go and what you do with the laptop given its age.
Click to expand...
Not that it applies to 8enotto but "There are two editions of Windows 10 that are not going out of support yet. One has two more years ahead, and another has seven years of updates still to come."
www.theregister.com

Windows 10 LTSC – the version that won't expire for years

: Can't run Windows 11? Don't want to? There are surprisingly legal options
www.theregister.com www.theregister.com

However note there are caveats like needing an Enterprise license so for people with at least 5 PCs.
 
I must have had a sneaky Windows 11 update or something because my login cookies were all gone, and I had to sign into everything again. This does happen when I run a Spybot or Malwarebytes scan and remove those cookies, but I hadn't done that (and it's not supposed to be done automagically).
 
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