Update changed MY customizations

CJW · 23 May 2018

Does anyone know how to fix it so that when Microsoft does updates, NONE of MY customizations are changed, undone or replaced?
I just found out that the latest update changed MY sound scheme, removed settings I had in place & reinstalled files & folders I PURPOSELY deleted (the damn windows sounds, wallpapers, themes & some fonts). It also uninstalled/deleted older programs & games I installed that work just fine on 10.
Is there a way to STOP updates through Settings or maybe the Registry?

Berton · 23 May 2018

Which update is involved? My experience is that Version Upgrades will do it such as from 1703 to 1709 or 1709 to 1803 [example is removing the older Win7 games] but that Builds [similar to the older Service Packs] don't always mess with too much. But then some file changes cause other files to have to be changed to retain compatibility and that can cause users some issues.

CountMike · 24 May 2018

Some customization does change from build to build, that happens during install/update and can't be interfered with. Going thru all insider builds since very beginning, less and less of that happens, may even disappear in time. Now I have to change only 2 -3 things after every build.
I have many registry hacks but now have to use only few:

Update changed MY customizations-image.png

CJW · 25 May 2018

Berton said:

Which update is involved?

When I run Winver, I now see: Version 1803 (OS Build 17134.48).
I know it was a different Version before the update, but I don't recall the actual number.

CountMike:
How well does your Never_Notify_or_Check_for_Updates registry hack work? And is there a website w/a list of hacks I can download/copy?

Berton · 25 May 2018

CJW said:

When I run Winver, I now see: Version 1803 (OS Build 17134.48).
I know it was a different Version before the update, but I don't recall the actual number.

That was the current version the other day but now it is Version 1803 Build 17134.81.

CountMike · 26 May 2018

CJW said:

When I run Winver, I now see: Version 1803 (OS Build 17134.48).
I know it was a different Version before the update, but I don't recall the actual number.

CountMike:
How well does your Never_Notify_or_Check_for_Updates registry hack work? And is there a website w/a list of hacks I can download/copy?

I applied it only once and that was long time ago but still works. Here are the contents, just make .reg file and apply or change values in registry or go to tutorial:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

; Created by: Shawn Brink
; Windows 10 Help Forums
; Tutorial: Enable or Disable Windows Update Automatic Updates in Windows 10 | Windows 10 Tutorials

[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU]
"NoAutoUpdate"=dword:00000001

dalchina · 26 May 2018

It also uninstalled/deleted older programs & games I installed that work just fine on 10.

Unfortunately MS seems to have a policy of checking for programs it deems incompatible with a build and so not carrying them forward when applying the upgrade. I've not seen this happen myself for a long time though, and I have a lot of programs installed.

CJW · 31 May 2018

I also found out that I can no longer find my user account pictures.
They were in: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\User Account Pictures, but now all I see are blanks as shown below:

And my computer does not have this many users, just 2. I don't know why so many are here. Can I delete the ones I don't recognize?

dalchina · 31 May 2018

Hi, that's not dissimilar to what I have in C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\User Account Pictures.

Just leave well alone as the space is insignificant. Granted, it seems untidy.

As a rule of thumb, reckon on system files and folders being restored to Windows defaults on an upgrade or repair install- if you 'hack' things that are not normally accessible via the GUI, make sure you have a quick and easy way of reproducing that hack- keep those all in one place, documented, so you can just redo them painlessly.

EdTittel · 01 Jun 2018

The apparent duplication comes from showing no visual difference between bmp and png versions of the same icons/graphics. I have file extensions showing on my PC and it clearly distinguishes between the two. I agree with @dalchina: leave this alone. These are just graphics that Windows uses for its own purposes.
--Ed--