How to stop Windows 10 2004 from auto-installing things?

tbessie · 28 Sep 2020

dalchina said:

I would advise you not to try to run multiple means of blocking updates simultaneously, and not to change from one to another without taking great care over the transition.

Oh no worries - I'm installing Windows from scratch for each attempt I make... my procedure is like this:

Delete all partitions
Run the Windows installer
Install all motherboard drivers
Reboot
Follow one "block updates" procedure from your list of options
Reboot
Plug in network cable
Observe the results

So far, none of the methods I've tried (all the registry updates and/or the Group Policy changes, vs each of the apps/scripts available) has done anything to stop updates from automatically happening, both in the Store and in Windows Update. Sledgehammer MAY have worked, but I'd need to test it again.

Sledgehammer is a more basic script -the GUI is functional, minimalistic. There is no need to think it is functionally deficient on aesthetic grounds. It incorporates other such tools.
Download Sledgehammer 2.7.2

WAU looks a lot more polished, covers the same ground.

Good to know; though that wouldn't explain why WAU didn't work, but Sledgehammer did. Though, again, I'll have to try Sledgehammer again to make sure I saw what I thought I saw.

- I think it's been pointed out to you that Store updates and Windows updates are two separate things.

I think I quoted the tutorial about Store updates near the start of this. I personally wouldn't choose to disable that if using any.

Yes, I know they're different things. I just want to be able to block ALL updates except when I initiate the update manually, and then only choose what I specifically want to update, the way things used to be in earlier releases of Windows 10.

The way things are going, it doesn't look like this is going to be possible, at least with release 2004. It hasn't even been possible to just leave updates to my manually initiating them - auto updates have been happening no matter what I try, with release 2004.

- Tim

Matthew Wai · 28 Sep 2020

tbessie said:

I just want to be able to block ALL updates except when I initiate the update manually, and then only choose what I specifically want to update, the way things used to be in earlier releases of Windows 10.

My scripts will automatically check for updates and notify you when updates are found, so that you can choose to install or hide (=block) them via Windows Update MiniTool as shown below:

Ghot · 28 Sep 2020

@tbessie

I'm running Win 10 Home (2004). I use WAU Manager, and it's working just fine. I don't use it's built in optional schedule. I just check for updates every once and a while, and ofc check for updates on or after MS Tuesday.
The program gives me the option to install or hide each and every update.

The only differences I can think of is that I removed all the apps and the Microsoft store. I removed Edge Chromium and left MS Edge. I run Bitdefender Internet Security 2020.

dalchina · 28 Sep 2020

@Ghot- what happens if you manually check for updates in Settings with that enabled? (Just curious)

Paul Black · 28 Sep 2020

Hello @tbessie,

Click here => Using CMD script and VBScript to control Windows Update

I think @Matthew Wai's script will do what you want. If it doesn't, you can just undo everything.

Quote from instructions:

(Note 1) If you want to run the command "sfc /scannow" mentioned on the above webpage, you firstly have to run the script "Undo everything", which will unlock the system files (hijackers) previously locked (disabled) by the script "Disable hijackers". Otherwise, errors will arise because the locked files cannot be read (checked) by System File Checker (sfc.exe).

After running the said command and finishing the related operations, you may re-run "Disable hijackers".

I hope this helps.

tbessie · 28 Sep 2020

Ghot said:

@tbessie

I'm running Win 10 Home (2004). I use WAU Manager, and it's working just fine. I don't use it's built in optional schedule. I just check for updates every once and a while, and ofc check for updates on or after MS Tuesday.
The program gives me the option to install or hide each and every update.

The only differences I can think of is that I removed all the apps and the Microsoft store. I removed Edge Chromium and left MS Edge. I run Bitdefender Internet Security 2020.

Huh, odd. When I used WAU Manager, it didn't stop either Store nor Windows Update downloads from happening. :-/

I just tried the Metered Connection approach, and though it doesn't let me select specifically what I want to download, at least it gives me a tiny amount of control over when I download updates.

I'll try @Matthew Wai's script and see how that works, too, in any case.

- Tim

Ghot · 28 Sep 2020

dalchina said:

@Ghot- what happens if you manually check for updates in Settings with that enabled? (Just curious)

That's a little weird. It checks for them, and only finds the security updates (WinAero Tweaker is set to block driver updates), Then it asks if I want to install the updates it found, and just to experiment, I said OK. It tries to install, even though they are already installed.
Then realizes, they are already installed, and just stops trying to install.

If I don't run the Settings > Windows Update, then IT'S list of updates, doesn't get... updated.
Both "View Installed Updates" and WAU Manager, have accurate installed updates lists, if I do or do not run Settings > Windows Update.

After all my messing around, sfc /scannow and DISM.... Restore Health, both come up clean.

tbessie · 28 Sep 2020

Paul Black said:

Hello @tbessie,

Click here => Using CMD script and VBScript to control Windows Update

I think @Matthew Wai's script will do what you want. If it doesn't, you can just undo everything.

I hope this helps.

I'll likely give it a try. I do have to say, I was still hoping to find something in the "standard issue" ways of doing things that would work (registry changes, Group Policy edits, etc), but it seems like Microsoft has eliminated all or most of those for automatic updates.

I wonder if I can somehow make my Windows install think it's part of a corporate network where it has to check with a management server to see what it's allowed to update. Probably overkill, anyway ;-)

- Tim

dalchina · 28 Sep 2020

Thanks @Ghot

@tbessie How update notification is supposed to be different in 2004:
Windows Update notification now much better in Windows 10 2004 - MSPoweruser

This is a very useful option to me (in 1903)

How to stop Windows 10 2004 from auto-installing things?-1.png

however I now recall thinking I read about there being a change to this in 2004... do you still see this in the GP editor?

WU10Man was updated a few days ago, yet you note it says not compatible with 2004 - curious.
GitHub - WereDev/Wu10Man: Enable/Disable Windows 10 Automatic Updates
- no warnings of that on MajorGeeks or Softpedia - and still current in the tutorial here.
That said, MS keeps changing things...

Ghot · 28 Sep 2020

dalchina said:

Thanks @Ghot

How update notification is supposed to be different in 2004:
Windows Update notification now much better in Windows 10 2004 - MSPoweruser

This is a very useful option to me (in 1903)

however I now recall thinking I read about there being a change to this in 2004... do still see this in the GP editor?

I don't have GPE, so I can't really say.