Microsoft Abandons Windows 10’s Constant Forced Updates ("This is a big deal"-J.Biden)

How-To-Geek ^ | Apr 4, 2019 | Chris Hoffman

[dayglored]

Microsoft has a major announcement today: Windows 10 will no longer automatically install those big feature updates every six months. Home users can pause smaller updates, too. In fact, Windows will even let you pause updates after checking for them!

This is huge. It’s Microsoft’s biggest change in Windows strategy since the company released Windows 10. Microsoft is giving up on “Windows as a service” that is automatically updated outside of your control.

[Here's the announcement from Microsoft]

https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2019/04/04/improving-the-windows-10-update-experience-with-control-quality-and-transparency/

[dayglored]

> They can’t charge you for a new version if they keep updating the current one.

They'll figure out how to charge you, have no fear there.

But at the same time, they finally recognized that they'd introduced so many problems over the years with each new major release, that they decided, "No new major releases, just updates" so that users would still see the same version name ("Windows 10") and think "Oh, it's still the same, just updated".

In fact, the semi-annual "updates" have been in most cases major releases. But the trick has worked -- people think "Windows 10" and don't pay much attention to the version.

The fact is, as long as Microsoft leaves the desktop UI looking the same, they could substitute a pile of high-speed rabbit doots under the hood and people would still think it's Windows 10.

[daniel1212]

When you click “Check for Updates” in Windows 10, you can choose whether you want to install the resulting updates or pause updates for up to 35 days. This pause feature is new to Windows 10 Home, and was previously only available in Windows 10 Professional.

The last sentence explains why I thought this was old news. Years ago I bought a upgrade on NewEgg from XP to Win. 8 for $29.00 with the Visa card rebate, and later MS offered a free upgrade to 8.1, and then a free upgrade to Win.10. But I went from one PC to another during all this, taking the HD from one and hooking it up to the newer one, but installing the upgrade to a different HD.

And because the W/8 upgrade was considered Retail (though the XP was not) then the upgrade to W/10 was on the Retail path (to see yours run the command slmgr.vbs /dlv ), and thus I think I should be able to yet move it (not run concurrently) to a newer PC, if the Lord wills. I think 3 MS operating systems for $29.00 was a good buy, thanks be to God. May it only be used to His glory.

[daniel1212]

updates can only be “paused” and for only seven days at a time and only for five times before they’re auto-installed ... remember: friends don’t let friends update their windows .. Friends may help friends delay updates. I have been able to delay updates for up to 35 days (though I am running W/10Pro)

But I have also stopped updates for much longer in the past using Group policy which feature is only available by default on windows pro and higher editions. But you can Download Group Policy Editor for Windows 10 Home Edition ... www.majorgeeks.com/files/.../group_policy_editor_for_windows_10_home_edition.h...

Then if you are running W/10 before version 1809, see

How to Prevent Windows 10 From Automatically Downloading Updates

It says that this option seems to no longer work in the Anniversary Update for Windows 10, so see How to Disable Automatic Updates on Windows 10 Home 1809

[daniel1212]

Note: Every Windows product has a lifecycle. The lifecycle begins when a product is released and ends when it's no longer supported. Knowing key dates in this lifecycle helps you make informed decisions about when to update, upgrade or make other changes to your software.

By Windows 10 version, below are the availability and end of service dates segmented by edition.

Windows 10 version history	Date of availability	End of service for Home, Pro, and Pro for Workstation editions	End of service for Enterprise and Education editions
Windows 10, version 1809	November 13, 2018	May 12, 2020	May 11, 2021
Windows 10, version 1803	April 30, 2018	November 12, 2019	November 10, 2020
Windows 10, version 1709	October 17, 2017	April 9, 2019	April 14, 2020
Windows 10, version 1703	April 5, 2017	October 9, 2018	October 8, 2019
Windows 10, version 1607	August 2, 2016	April 10, 2018	April 9, 2019
Windows 10, version 1511	November 10, 2015	October 10, 2017	October 10, 2017
Windows 10, released July 2015 (version 1507)	July 29, 2015	May 9, 2017	May 9, 2017

Note: Not all features in an update will work on all devices. A device may not be able to receive updates if the device hardware is incompatible, lacks current drivers, or is otherwise outside the original equipment manufacturer’s (OEM) support period. 

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13853/windows-lifecycle-fact-sheet

[daniel1212]

The fact is, as long as Microsoft leaves the desktop UI looking the same, they could substitute a pile of high-speed rabbit doots under the hood and people would still think it's Windows 10.

You mean kind of like a certain airplane?!

[dayglored]

I am constantly amazed by the degree of ignorance (in the sense of lack of knowledge, not stupidity) of everyday people with regard to modern technology. Computers are like magic black boxes to most users, with a fancy picture on the outside. So they complain when the picture changes.

Then again, as one who in the 70's and 80's regularly worked on my own passenger cars, tore apart and rebuilt carburators, master cylinders, and hydraulic clutches, and replaced an engine and tranny in a '95 F150,.... these days I look under the hood of my car and mysteries abound. Someone could probably replace a third of those components with high-speed rabbit doots and I wouldn't know, either. :-)

[dayglored]

Thanks for posting the lifecycle info. Good to remember.

[Cvengr]

2 months too late.

Their Feb2019 forced update crashed by boot sector on my hard drive without backup. Still trying to find the original receipts and auth keys since it was the upgrade from Win 8.1 to 10 and I’ve gone through a couple of household moves since then and office moves in parallel.

Since the Win 10 was uploaded on a drive with an earlier version of XP in the partitioned drive, it now hangs on boot sector for the drive drivers and now won’t spin. Legacy files from the 80s through present were on the drive.

Thanks Microsoft. (a**holes)

[ducttape45]

And I will stay with Windows 7 even after support for it stops next year.