Problem with updates

I asked this earlier once, but I want to give it another shot.

I'm running Win10 PRO.

I tried doing the run->gpedit.msc and changing the "configure automatic updates" to option 2 ("Notify me...") and option 4 ("Allow local admin..."). I clicked update in Windows Update, as you're supposed to, to have the change take, but it never does. It still says "Available updates will be downloaded and installed automatically."

It always says that, no matter what I do.

I even tried to set it to "notify" with Winaero Tweaker, but even that didn't take.

I have updates available now, a whole stack of them, and I can seemingly defer them forever, Win interrupts me periodically and says updates need to be installed, I click the button and it just takes me to Windows Update, where I'm supposed to click Download, but I don't have to.

Trouble is, I WANT to install SOME of these updates, but not all of them, but I don't have an option to pick and choose. If I click Download it'll just download all of them.

Why is it that I can't change the update setting through run->gpedit.msc?

Alfred001 said:

I have updates available now, a whole stack of them ... Trouble is, I WANT to install SOME of these updates, but not all of them, but I don't have an option to pick and choose. If I click Download it'll just download all of them.

Microsoft don't really want you to cherry pick updates...

In Windows 10, rather than receiving several updates each month and trying to figure out which the organization needs, which ultimately causes platform fragmentation, administrators will see one cumulative monthly update that supersedes the previous month’s update, containing both security and nonsecurity fixes. This approach makes patching simpler and ensures that customers’ devices are more closely aligned with the testing done at Microsoft, reducing unexpected issues resulting from patching.

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/.../waas-overview

What updates to you want to exclude? And why?

It's not really about ducking a particular update, it's that all over the internet they give you instructions to go to group policy and you can set automatic updates to "notify me" or "allow local admin to set..." which allows you to control the updates, to pick what you want and when and what you don't, but for some reason, it doesn't work for me even tho I follow the instructions exactly.

You are misunderstanding that setting.The "notify me" option in Group Policy Editor, makes Windows Update indicate when updates are available. When they show up, all available updates will be listed but they will not be downloaded and installed. You can choose to download and install them at that point or hold off and download and install them later. If you choose to download and install them, you cannot select individual updates to install as in previous Windows versions. It will download and install all of them. I use that setting and usually wait a day or two to do the download and install after I see what damage may be inflicted by them.

JohnD

So there's absolutely no way in 10 to pick and choose? No way to, for ex., not download updates for the Malicious Software Removal Tool (no way short of not installing any updates at all)?

EDIT:

Did some googling and turns out you're right. However, there is a trick for picking and choosing. Look at step 2b:

Taking Back Control Of Windows 10 Updates – Techgage

Well, personally I'd download the MSRT for reassurance - it does get updated each month, after all.

Microsoft have issued a tool to hide specific updates. Currently I'm using it to hide the latest CU KB4013429 because of known issues with MPEG-2 codecs.

Hide or Show Windows Updates in Windows 10

Bree said:

Well, personally I'd download the MSRT for reassurance - it does get updated each month, after all.

Microsoft have issued a tool to hide specific updates. Currently I'm using it to hide the latest CU KB4013429 because of known issues with MPEG-2 codecs.

Hide or Show Windows Updates in Windows 10

You beat me to it :)

But does anyone use the MSRT? I don't even know where that thing is.

EDIT: Also, I'm being asked to update a bunch of things I don't even think I have installed.

For ex:

Security Update for Skype for Business 2016

I think I don't have Skype installed, certainly I didn't install it, I don't know whehter it comes natively with 10.

Then all these Office components that I don't have installed, like Access. Someone explained here to me once that, supposedly, that Access update is somehow tied to core Office functionality or something like that, I forget, so I guess that's justified.

Alfred001 said:

But does anyone use the MSRT? I don't even know where that thing is.

Yes. We all do. It runs automatically once downloaded, not that you'd realise it - it will only make itself known if it finds something.

So does anyone know why I'm being offered updates for things I don't have, Access, Skype etc.

Should I be installing these?

Bree said:

Yes. We all do. It runs automatically once downloaded, not that you'd realise it - it will only make itself known if it finds something.

So there's no way to remove this thing? I mean, usually people recommend you install an antivirus so I'd imagine once you have an antivirus you don't need this thing.