Laptop with Win10 decides when to update, causes failures/corruptions

SandyAmandy · 21 Nov 2017

Hi everyone :)
I'm hoping someone can give me some more information about what controls I have over how my computer decides to update, and why it seems to be able to start and update without me interacting with the computer.

My problem comes from the fact that it often will wake itself up out of hibernation to start updating, however its a laptop and might have 15% battery while not being plugged in. While in the middle of updating, the battery will die, and this will cause my computer to not even be able to boot up afterwards. On multiple occasions I have had to call HP support and reinstall bios files that had been corrupted during the failed update. Other times, my computer will be sitting alone in hibernation mode, and I'll take it to class and open it up only to find its in the middle of an update it decides to do on its own and I am unable to use it for 20 minutes or more while it fights for wifi with 300 other computers in the room. On the more mundane side, sometimes it messes up driver settings and just general computer settings, and sometimes there are things I want to back up or ready before engaging an update.

I have gone through every obvious setting menu for updates settings and scheduling, and it doesn't really seem to have anything thats a true option of telling it to never update without me interacting to confirm it. Is that even an option anymore at this point with Windows? If it's not smart enough to recognize it doesn't have more than ten minutes of battery left, don't start a twenty minute update, why is it doing this?

I feel like I'm being shut out of even having control over my own device and I'm honestly getting frustrated going to use my computer only to find out it started an update while I closed it and left. Thanks for reading I appreciate any feedback or guidance! As of right now my computer is up to date, I had to wait 10 minutes to use it to post this :))) haha

Caledon Ken · 21 Nov 2017

Hi Sandy. Welcome to the TenForums @SandyAmandy

Lack of control over updates is a pretty common beef. There is virtually no way to stop updates on Windows 10 Home. Sure you will find registry hacks but I tend to avoid these.

Some things that you can try to get some control. Set your connections, either Wireless or Wired to Metered Connection. This tutorial explains. I believe it will let critical security updates through but most will be held.

Set Wireless Network as Metered or Non-Metered in Windows 10

The problem with this strategy is you leave one wireless access point where you have Metered turned on and enter another place with a different Wifi SSID and it will say hey, this isn't metered so it starts downloading. Sure this can be overcome by setting every wifi / wired connection to Metered.

If you go this route I would set up an automated calendar entry to remind you to check for updates and answer the boxes to process. It looks for updates and then asks can I download. (Maybe just shut Metered Connection off for and evening.)

Next, and you may have already done this, you can change the time maintenance is run.

Change Automatic Maintenance Settings in Windows 10

Saw your comment on scheduling, wasn't sure if it was this scheduling you performed. If you change the maintenance timing hopefully you will be interacting with device and can deal with power. (I like your idea, why do updates even start if there isn't enough juice. Apple performs this check and even if you initiate updates, if you don't have enough energy it says plug me in. )

The only real way to get control is to use Windows Pro. You can defer specific types of updates 180 days, or pause all for 35 days. Again I would use a calendar entry every so often to remind myself to perform.

You can upgrade your license.

https://www.howtogeek.com/234946/how...-professional/

Hope other members add their comments.

Ken