Updating Win10 - how much actually worthwhile, overall?

Harmand said:

When carefully reading through all the "changes" and "new features" of the various Win10 "updates" (1709, 1803, 1809...) I always found many and many things which actually are of no use to a simple... desktop user like I am, that is a person who just needs a bare and robust operating system capable of doing well his core job: delivering the best possible performance from a quite "normal" desktop PC to be used just with old-fashion mouse and keyboard (no touchscreens, pens or whatever).

The feeling I get from those readings is always the same: no significant gains in the operating system's "core business" and a lot of added useless (to me) things which risk to produce, overall, just a heavier (and maybe even slower) system.

I'm like you in many respects. I have no interest in anything other than a rock-solid OS in which I can install the programs that I want, in order to do the work that I want.

As a result I've locked down my Win 10 installs so I don't have to suffer from any MS auto-update (or data-slurping) tomfoolery.

I've yet to see any new Win 10 feature that adds value to me or how I choose to work (helloo 3D Objects, Paint 3D, games, random lockscreen images downloaded using my bandwidth and other such nonsense).

Instead, I have older Win 10 installs (my main workhorse Win 10 PC is still on 1709) and I update very, very slowly and cautiously. I also use an ever-lengthening AutoHotkey script to automate all the changes I want to my own preferences (so it takes me minutes rather than hours to make all the changes)... such is the pace of MS's wishes to standardise my use of my devices. (This is why I frequent this forum... to keep up with the frequent changes.)

Remember when Windows used to work for you instead of against you?

Hope this helps...

RickC said:

I'm like you in many respects. I have no interest in anything other than a rock-solid OS in which I can install the programs that I want, in order to do the work that I want.

As a result I've locked down my Win 10 installs so I don't have to suffer from any MS auto-update (or data-slurping) tomfoolery.

I've yet to see any new Win 10 feature that adds value to me or how I choose to work (helloo 3D Objects, Paint 3D, games, random lockscreen images downloaded using my bandwidth and other such nonsense).

Instead, I have older Win 10 installs (my main workhorse Win 10 PC is still on 1709) and I update very, very slowly and cautiously. I also use an ever-lengthening AutoHotkey script to automate all the changes I want to my own preferences (so it takes me minutes rather than hours to make all the changes)... such is the pace of MS's wishes to standardise my use of my devices. (This is why I frequent this forum... to keep up with the frequent changes.)

Remember when Windows used to work for you instead of against you?

Hope this helps...

Good plan but support for v1709 ends on 9 April at which time you might want to 'upgrade' to v1803

Steve C said:

Good plan but support for v1709 ends on 9 April at which time you might want to 'upgrade' to v1803

And no doubt I will... but slowly, and at my pace.

Steve C said:

Good plan but support for v1709 ends on 9 April at which time you might want to 'upgrade' to v1803

Well, I don't think in such a scenario the end of "official support" matters that much.
Once RickC has "locked down [his] Win 10 installs", together with "any MS auto-update", he has also decided to... refuse any support, obviously accepting to take the related risks.

At that point, when he decides to, he can jump directly to any later release, 1803 or 1809 or even 1903 when available.

I think it all comes down to being or not being pleased with "automatic" things or, in other words, things "decided by someone else". Some people seem to like them very much, whatever they do, not only in computers but also elsewhere; just see, for example, what is happening with cars switching headlights on and off when they want, not to mention the widespread enthusiasm concerning any announcement about vehicles that will even drive themselves (maybe while you, the owner, will still be legally responsible for any caused harms).

In my little, I think that the activation of any "non essential" automatism should be decided by the owner or user of a device, especially when it has nothing to do with other people. I'm not saying enhancements and automatisms should be absent, abolished; they can actually be much useful and even beneficial. I'm just saying there should always be a way to enable them when actually desired: always, sometimes or even... never.

dalchina said:

... Do smartphone owners ever rant about frequent app or even OS updates? It makes an interesting comparison. Both are, supposedly, consumer products. ...

That's a perfect example of what I was referring to when I mentioned the widespread enthusiasm about "automatic" things. Anyway, as far as I know, it's not so difficult to find some smartphone owners [1] ranting about their life-essential device having suddenly stopped working "properly" with no apparent reason and then [2] finding out that the problem was triggered by some unasked updates.
Indeed, precisely that is often the occasion when [3] they realize that the shining medal has also a back side, not necessarily as pleasant as the front one. Then maybe, driven by basic logic and natural self-defense instinct, they think [4] "I'd better prevent further similar experiences" and so they look for instructions about disabling or at least controlling those intrusive updates; that's when [5] they may discover that such a task is much more complicated then expected, if not even impossible.
Finally [6] they may be temped to ask: why?
What a mistrustful and ungrateful question!!
For their own sake and security and safety and joy, of course.

If anyone fancies an eye-opener, I recommend Nir Sofer's NetworkUsageView to have a look at the amount of Win 10's profligacy even when it's just sat there supposedly doing nothing. It might make your eyes water if you're on a data plan.