Disable windows updates

Submitted ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨s38b35M5@lemmy.world⁩ to ⁨nostupidquestions@lemmy.world⁩

I haven’t run windows since 2019. However I need to boot my old drive to grab some data. I really need to make sure this system doesn’t update ant windows components, but I’ll need it to have internet access for a portion of the time.

On a different system, I used to have two reg keys that I would run to disable or enable updates when I found that disabling the services only worked until the watchdog would re enable them. Those resulted in updates saying something was wrong, which is perfect by me.

Now that web searches for stuff like this are all AI-gen’d SEO BS, can anyone tell me or point me to a reliable resource for truly disabling updates on Win 10?

PS - Bonus points if Anyone can link me to the page I used a few years back that had all sorts of privacy enhancing and telemetry disabling option on the left side and would create a reg file for applying those changes on the right. It might have been a purple theme, I forget.

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Comments

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folekaule@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Is moving the drive to another computer as a secondary drive an option? Or put it in a separate USB enclosure? That way you don’t need to boot it at all, unless it’s encrypted or something.

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- XeroxCool@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Would plugging a drive with an OS on it into a running computer just show a list of files like normal?
  
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  - folekaule@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Yes, unless it is encrypted, in which case you need a way to decode that. You can even boot an OS from a USB thumb drive to recover files from a hard drive.
    
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Blizzard@lemmy.zip ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I tried every suggested way of disabling Windows Updates, including changing dedicated settings in Windows Update, registry, group policy, disabling services, blocking it in firewall, adding WU domains to HOST file and some other trick I can no longer remember - Windows just ignores it all and updates itself anyway.

The only thing that seem to have worked is to set your internet connection as metered and then set WU not to update over metered connections.

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fah_Q@lemmy.ca ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Chris Titus?

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- s38b35M5@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  That is similar to the web page I was thinking of. Thx. I’ll check it out.
  
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http417@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

Bonus points if Anyone can link me to the page I used a few years back that had all sorts of privacy enhancing and telemetry disabling option on the left side and would create a reg file for applying those changes on the right

privacy.sexy

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- s38b35M5@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Yes!!! ⭐ ⭐
  
  And it isn’t remotely purple! Thank you for sharing!!!
  
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Kit@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Everyone here is dramatically overcomplicating the solution. Simply:

Turn on the PC without an Internet connection

From an elevated cmd, run > net stop wuauserv

Connect the network and copy your files

This stops the update service and will absolutely prevent windows updates from running. BUT it reverts at the next boot, so be careful.

Source: More than a decade as a sysad with a focus on endpoint patching
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- Reygle@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Hate to be “that guy”, and maybe OP’s no updates since 2019 exempt them from this, but modern 10/11 both immediately auto-restart the Windows update service when it’s manually stopped.
  
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  - s38b35M5@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    No, you’re absolutely right. That’s what happens when you have the WaaSMedic service running, which cannot be easily disabled in services.msc. I would think I had finally gone the “full-nuclear” option and broken al updates by disabling and stopping the update services (that I knew about), but they would re-enable themselves without fail.
    
    This comment explains where you need to disable it (if you want to go that route).
    
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  - Kit@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    This is not my experience on Windows 10 Pro
    
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NaibofTabr@infosec.pub ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
InControl by Steve Gibson allows you to set a specific Windows release version and prevent further feature updates, but does allow security updates:

InControl controls Windows automatic updating/upgrading system by targeting it to a specific major version and feature update release. By default, the current release will be used. So if you “Take Control” with the major version and feature release shown in the boxes in the lower left, Windows will remain right where it is – only installing monthly security updates – until you “Release control”.

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- s38b35M5@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  God bless Steve Gibson! Security Now! I used Spinrite back in 92. I’ve used his other utilities (when they were relevant), and ShieldsUP too. That man is a treasure. Thanks for the link. I know he gets it.
  
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  - NaibofTabr@infosec.pub ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Yeah, I started listening to the podcast a couple years ago, and based on that I’d trust Steve’s opinion on basically everything related to computers & networking - largely because I know he’d be able to explain in detail why he has that opinion.
    
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- FauxPseudo@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  I was thinking boot from a different media and access the file system. But the moment I saw Steve Gibson had a different way I felt like my option was stupid. That is the power of Steve Gibson.
  
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  - NaibofTabr@infosec.pub ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Steve is one of those guys that has done so much with computers that if you have a problem it’s highly likely that he’s already dealt with that problem too and has a solution or workaround.
    
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Brkdncr@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Just disable the windows update services.

You could also use a allowlist firewall rule to restrict access to what you need.

Also why the paranoia? What do you have against windows updates?

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- algorithmae@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  
  What do you have against windows updates?
  
  Forced windows 11 upgrades, breaking VPNs, breaking recovery partitions, intentionally targeting and breaking the win10 start menu for win11, installing unwanted software, enabling ads, adding additional telemetry, adding half baked AI nonsense that nobody asked for, restarting without a prompt and losing progress or canceling a running program… Should I keep going?
  
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  - Brkdncr@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Win11 isnt forced.
    
    Breaking vpns was a result of security fixes and was addressed. This is normal for all OS’s that get patched.
    
    There’s no restarting without prompting.
    
    Copilot is optional.
    
    I don’t need to go on.
    
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- BearOfaTime@lemm.ee ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  After 30 years of running windows boxes, I’ve never been hacked.
  
  But I’ve lost thousands of hours to update fucking my shit up.
  
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- lemann@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Deleting documents from insider branch users a few years back, forced installation of HP SMART printer utility, constantly switching users’ default browser back to Edge, even bypassing my employer’s GPO to do so at one point in a Teams update
  
  Not to mention their habit of making practically everything opt-in by default. And what is up with the new Aptos “cloud” font that only works if you have an active Office 365 subscription?
  
  I don’t know tbh, Windows just doesn’t cut it for me anymore personally, mainly because of Microsoft. Stuck with it on my desktop though because of sim hardware.
  
  I still have XP on an airgapped old PC for nostalgia ☺️
  
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adespoton@lemmy.ca ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Put it behind a PiHole that drops all traffic to Microsoft servers?

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algorithmae@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Download and install sysinternals suite: learn.microsoft.com/en-us/…/sysinternals-suite

then run:

psexec -i -s services.msc

and disable Windows Update, Update Orchestrator, and WaaSmedic if it’s there.

Alternatively, do the same psexec but regedit instead of services, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services, find those same services I listed above, change the Start value to 4 to disable. I went to the next step and neutered all the registry entries for each of those services to make sure they stayed dead.

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- Thorry84@feddit.nl ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Why would you need psexec to run services.msc? You can just open the services by running it directly or even from the start menu.
  
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  - algorithmae@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    To run as System and prevent permission issues from wagging its finger at you and saying “nuh uh”. Yes obviously you can open Services the normal way if it wasn’t windows update BS
    
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- s38b35M5@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  WaaSmedic must be that watchdog that kept re-enabling update services after I disabled them years ago. I just remember my OS would start a multi hour encode or compile, and I’d come back hours later to a login screen and update history telling me it rebooted when I didn’t have automatic updates enabled.
  
  Thx for the reply.
  
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  - algorithmae@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Eeyup, same exact situation here. I leave my work computer overnight reencoding video pretty frequently, and would lose so much productivity due to restarts I didn’t ask for.
    
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RisingSwell@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
There are programs like net limiter that you can use to just block access entirely for windows updates, every time one pops up to use data you can just block it, i think there’s like 6 processes windows will try to use to update various things. It’s not exactly what you are looking for, but it should solve your problem anyway.

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Glide@lemmy.ca ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I just install DoNotSpy after a fresh install of Windows and have never had an issue with Windows Update ignoring me and doing whatever it wanted.

Obviously the system has to be offline until it is installed and probably restarted, but after that you can plug in a cable and be fine, to my experience. Mind you I am still using an old, old, copy of 10 as the installer, so I am uncertain how newer fresh installs will handle it.

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Contramuffin@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
What I’ve done is to go to group policies and edit the policy for updates to turn off automatic updates. It works just fine for me. No updates (unless I manually click update).

The option for automatic updates is several layers deep in a nested menu tree, and I don’t fully recall what the path to get there is. But you should be able to find it online.

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KillingAndKindess@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
One thing that has worked for over a year on ky backup laptop at leasy, is to use the only setting Microsoft seems to not be able to take away without being in trouble: Windows Update Setting: Don’t download over metered connections. Then, any network you connect to go into the networks settings and set as a metered network. The only thing that has made it through from updater was a tiny security update that it was able to download cause I was a bit forgetful once, pretty easy if u ask me

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kindenough@kbin.earth ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Disable through gpedit.msc

https://monovm.com/blog/disable-windows-update-from-group-policy/

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jak2k@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Use something like NextDNS and block the update-domains.

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BearOfaTime@lemm.ee ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
O & O Shutup on a thumbdrive

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Toes@ani.social ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I’m not sure what the purple app was.

But disabling the relevant services should be enough or modifying your host file to block all the Microsoft domains for it.

I am curious why you need it to go online at all.

If you’re looking to copy files just use your phone or USB drive?

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- s38b35M5@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  
  I’m not sure what the purple app was.
  
  It was a website, and after a Lemmy user reminded me of privacy.sexy, I realized it is decidedly un-purple.
  
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