Fear Of Allowing Win 10 Update Because Of Past Bad Experiences

Win10Newbie1023 · 20 Jul 2020

Hello,

I recently (within the last 4 days) received a notification that Win 10 needed to update because of something dating back to a last-supported date of April. I don't recall the exact wording because my 'notification' panel is not showing anything -- most likely I closed that panel and the notification disappeared.

I am in mortal fear of allowing the update because in the past 'all hell broke loose' when I did so! This has happened at least 2 times. These are the issues I have experienced:

(1) All my laboriously-created settings were either changed or re-initialized to something Microsoft decided to set them
to.

(2) I was forcibly presented with a kind of 'dark theme' which to me was quite ghastly and I resented it greatly.

I had no idea if there was some kind of setting in the new (updated) Win 10 as to how to reset everything back to the way it was before. In each case (twice) I ended running a 'restore' to get Win 10 back to way it was before and I was extremely happy!

I don't like having these updates shoved down my throat. Even if the support is no longer there I want to be able to make my own choice as to whether I will update or not.

Can someone kindly tell me if there is a way to have my Win 10 maintain my current settings if I go ahead and accept the update, or if there is a way to disable the update process from taking place? I am in mortal fear of doing a 'shutdown' or 'restart' because of my bad experiences in the past.

My thanks to all in advance!

dalchina · 20 Jul 2020

Hello, this sort of question is often asked. How do you defend yourself?

I will assume you have Win 10 Home.

First- and so, so often recommended- use disk imaging routinely and regularly. This protects you, your PC and possibly your sanity from failed updates/upgrades/disks/ potentially fire, theft and flood if you safely store your backups.

Macrium Reflect - free/paid- + large enough external storage. Use that to give you a second chance in many cases without technical help.

Second: there are - and have been for several years- ways of taking full control of Windows update. E.g.
Sledgehammer (free) - disables Windows Updates, manual scan for updates, you choose what you want.
Download Sledgehammer - MajorGeeks
Also see
Enable or Disable Windows Update Automatic Updates in Windows 10
Option 7

Third: there are two basic methods built in to Windows to 'go backwards'.
a. System Restore - which you need to enable- each major upgrade tends to turn this off. But note, it can fail to restore when you need it, no harm done. Tutorial on scheduling it available.
b. 'Go back to the previous build' - by default, within 10 days of applying a feature update- can be extended.

Fourth: you can uninstall most updates, and similarly the now to be annual 'enablement package' feature update.

Fifth: you can perform an in-place upgrade repair install which takes your major build back to the build number of the iso file (or perhaps bootable disk) used. Tutorial available.

jamis · 20 Jul 2020

I have a similar trepidation of MS updates and prefer to wait until I see what sort of impact an update has before allowing WU to have at it. I also use regular system image saves as suggested earlier to give me some insurance in the event that something goes south. I have a rather simplistic approach to this. I have WU currently paused until 10/15/2020 with the pause options on the WU pages. I just watch the CUs here until I am comfortable with one. I then do a system image save, unpause WU, let it do the update, re-pause WU and increment the date out to a comfortable date.

Bastet · 21 Jul 2020

+1 on downloading & regularly using imaging software. My preferred is Macrium Reflect. It’s easy to recover from any Windows problems encountered after an update.

ClippyBeer · 21 Jul 2020

There are many schools of thought on this topic but I wholeheartedly empathize with you. I have been badly burned by updates not just on Windows 10 but other platforms, recently updating from 1809 to 1903. HP wireless printer stopped working. Uninstalling/reinstalling did nothing. Tried other drivers suggested, nothing. Of course this happened when I needed to print something important. Grrr. Several hours of fighting with this and productivity wasted only to have to restore image of 1809 I did prior. Weeks later I did a fresh install of 1903, everything is working perfectly, made drive image and DISABLED UPDATES. Over 1 year later same PC working perfectly, no complaints unlike other hapless users who updated to 2004. Lesson learned? I will update to a newer build someday, but it will be a FRESH INSTALL, not from Windows Update. You better believe I will image my system before that!

Bottom line is - do I really need/want this update? If yes, image that drive with Macrium as Dalchina suggests. After the update be prepared for extensive troubleshooting of any issues that may arise. Worst case scenario restore the drive image you made and wait a few weeks for the issues with the new build to be (hopefully) fixed.

The important thing to remember is that you are rolling the dice with any update and unless you have a way to undo those changes you will be pulling your hair out trying to fix the unfixable.

If you've never imaged a drive it's time to learn especially with Windows' incessant update cycle. Drive imaging will save your butt.

Backup and Restore with Macrium Reflect

Follow Dalchina's link for disabling Windows Updates (use the Win10Man tool as suggested).

Helmut · 21 Jul 2020

(1) A few minor changes that's all.
(2) It was just to demonstrate a new dark theme, very popular with many people.

Those are very minor changes and you can change them back easily enough. Most people have zero fear over that.

We all know what you mean, but you are vastly over-exaggerating the situation. Mortal fear, 'all hell broke loose' that is just silly.

At the end of the day what you actually use is Applications not Windows.

Your examples are so minor that mentions of Imaging is vastly over the top.

f14tomcat · 21 Jul 2020

Helmut said:

(1) A few minor changes that's all.
(2) It was just to demonstrate a new dark theme, very popular with many people.

Those are very minor changes and you can change them back easily enough. Most people have zero fear over that.

We all know what you mean, but you are vastly over-exaggerating the situation. Mortal fear, 'all hell broke loose' that is just silly.

At the end of the day what you actually use is Applications not Windows.

Your examples are so minor that mentions of Imaging is vastly over the top.

Thank you for this calming-down post. Everything is not perfect, but it certainly is not Armageddon. If taking the proper precautions of having a good backup prior to any update of anything is followed, then the fear factor should drop to near zero. You will know you can go back, untouched, unscathed, in one piece.