Microsoft releases Windows 10 tool to hide/block updates

This is the biggest problem in Windows 10 so I thought it deserves its own thread.

One of the controversies surrounding Microsoft's Windows 10 is the decision not to allow 'Home' users to swerve any software updates foisted upon them. It is Microsoft's plan to send feature and security updates to Windows 10 Home users in the background, meanwhile Pro and Enterprise users would have an option to choose and filter what updates are applied and when they get applied.

What if Windows Update pushes an update to your system that causes more problems than it fixes? If you don't have the option to review updates then you won't have the chance to wait and see if some updates have negative impacts.

A couple of days ago such an update was causing a stir in the news. Forbes reports that a new Nvidia driver was released last week and caused numerous headaches for users. The Nvidia driver update 353.54 variously broke multi-monitor setups, SLI (dual card) configurations "and can even stop PCs booting entirely". Ouch.



Now ZDNet reports that Microsoft has released a tool which can hide or block unwanted Windows 10 updates. It is noted that this tool has been released as a "well hidden" trouble-shooter package and works with the final (10240) preview build. KB3073930 has a simple interface which first asks you whether you want to navigate to a list of updates you can hide, or to a list of previously hidden updates(see screengrab below). On the next page of the UI you can toggle updates with check boxes.



It's a solution; albeit one that requires more considered steps from the end user. It will surely be welcomed by Windows 10 Home users of a more technical nature. In a related nugget of information, ZDNet's Ed Bott writes that System Restore is turned off by default in Windows 10. Turning it on will give the user an easy way to roll back from problematic updates like the Nvidia driver noted above. Then, thanks to this tool, you can delay the Nvidia driver update until it is replaced with a well received and tested one.


Source: http://hexus.net/tech/news/software/84977-microsoft-releases-windows-10-tool-hideblock-updates/

 

if it true then it's a start Micros#@!?

 

Let's hope, this was my biggest gripe for Windows 10

 

Thank you for posting this.

I'm still sitting and observing the entire picture very closely. Still very reserved.

 

Windows 10 Automatic Updates Enable/Disable script
http://mir.cr/F13A2RIZ

 

The tool would certainly be less convenient than preventing an update before it causes a problem, but provides an interesting middle ground. Net loss overall, but can be weighed against gains elsewhere when deciding whether to update. Fortunately my windows 8 is a pro copy, so I'm good this time. Still following the situation carefully because next time pro copies might not be so lucky.

Microsoft really has to have a means to do this kind of thing to prevent the exact situation described in the OP. Given all of the system configurations out there, it's difficult for there never to be a problem like that crop up for a particular brand of models. They'd have to step up their quality control significantly in order to make it a very rare occurrence.

Registry key change would be ideal if true. That would remove the problem almost altogether.

 

I still don't think this is what we are being led to believe it is. My interpretation is that if you have a problem after installing an update, you can uninstall it and then choose to hide it so you don't install it again. But it appears you will have to initially install everything then have the option to uninstall and hide once a problem is detected. Even the wording in the screen shot leads me to believe that is the case. After all, how could I tell windows update which updates aren't working unless I have already found out there is an issue with it. Hope I'm wrong but as of now, that's what it seems to me.

 

Apparently you install everything then as mentioned activate this. My usage would be to disable all internal drivers so that OEM drivers can be installed and maintained. Is this optimal no but it is a way to have our OEM drivers for now. This is as long as those OEM's even bother for long as now 99% of people from now on will be accepting stock drivers through M$.

Edit; this too could be just a temporary placation of enthusiasts to prevent a huge initial boycott by the community. In the end this will still eventually discourage vendor specific drivers etc.. I would not accept this as a cure but with a promise of a reversal of policy on the driver issue it could be a hold until that is realized.

 

would use it to disable all driver installs. OS updates i can live with.

 

Isn't disabling the service enough? It worked for me.

Like I said in the other thread, portableupdate works in W10.

 

This at least gives me some glimmer of hope for switching to Windows 10, cause if they're going to force updates I don't want then by no means am I upgrading. It's plain stupid to force updates given how many different hardware parts there is for windows.... They can't be Apple specially since they can't control all the hardware.

 

Wow, you are REALLY excited about Windows 10, RJ.

 

Problem is that this is a tool, and not part of Windows, which it should be. They can just as quickly take it away when they feel they've "fixed" it. Nobody wants forced updates. Even if Joe Shmuck doesn't care his IT "best friend" will care because he'll be the first to hear the whining when "it don't work no more".

 

From what I gathered there are now 2 things if you want to disable Windows Update - without external tools.

• Disable the "Windows Update Service" manually (done with 4 clicks or so). https://4sysops.com/archives/turn-off-automatic-updates-in-windows-10-build-9926/#disabling-the-windows-update-service
• And then it's also recommended to disable "Automatic Driver Update", somewhere in devices and printers section. I have not looked at it yet, since I haven't installed Windows 10 yet, but thought I mention it.

With these 2 things done, you can have at least an Update-free System.


EDIT: ok... people claim that the "Automatic Driver Update" installation cannot be prevented, even when disabling the option in the specific menu or changing the registry entry. Ridiculous. So this only works with the additional tool...

 

I have yet too have an issue with security updates, driver updates forcing my OEM drivers out would be an issue for me. There are tons of other issues as well but allot of these were forgotten with the forced driver update débâcle.

 

I'm not for a moment trying to suggest microsoft is going down the right road here, but I find it interesting how many people have reported (validly) problems with updates. From reading, it's moreso been on the driver side, rather than windows updates, but there are cases where updates will break a system entirely too. How much of the blame in this situation falls on hardware vendors for releasing drivers that don't work (to varying degrees)? How much of the blame does microsoft deserve for letting bad updates get through? It would be nice if those problems received more attention.

I've always thought it strange that I saw some drivers updates mixed in with my windows updates. I don't usually ever update my drivers this way, likely because I've never really subconsciously trusted windows update to get them right. I wish drivers came through a separate option with a bit more control, perhaps even a proper process for switching versions.

Don't get me wrong though, I understand the disappointment in that we have a perfect solution to this problem (manage it yourself) and that's being taken away.