MS-DEFCON 2: Make sure you have Automatic Update turned off

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Patch Tuesday is here. Time to make sure all of your doors are locked. Make sure you have your Vista, Win7 and 8.1 Windows Update set to “Notify but d
[See the full post at: MS-DEFCON 2: Make sure you have Automatic Update turned off]

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Did it last night ahead of time. 🙂 Also you gonna make a new post about what this month’s KB is that speeds up windows update?

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“Download updates but let me choose” is ok too right, as long as you have this set so the install updates at shutdown isn’t default?

“HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsWindowsUpdateAU” NoAUAsDefaultShutdownOption

OR
NoAUShutdownOption
(hide install updates at shutdown altogether)

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It’s OK IF you’re advanced enough to turn off install at shutdown.

Most people will find it much easier to nip it in the bud…

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I’ll post it, if I get the info – but so far I don’t have a clue….

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Some things a technically savvy person may not be realize until they start answering the cries for help from the average User:

Because it is by default on Automatic, the average User MAY be aware that there is such a thing as Windows Update.
The average User MAY be aware there is a Control Panel, but has never gone through any of the settings to see what the PC is doing (including Windows Update).
The average User has never heard of the Registry much less the Registry Editor.
Editing the Registry can cause havoc to the Windows operating system.
The average User should not be allowed near the Registry editor!

This is a hard concept for someone “in the know” to realize or accept, but I can vouch for its validity.

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It makes more sense to me to defer downloading until you actually intend to install an update.

The cumulative size of the update offerings (including Office) has often approached or exceeded 1GB. What’s the rush to download and then wait?

And what will you do to rid yourself of any updates that were downloaded but ultimately not installed?

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Thought I’d do a “before” check on Windows Update. 3 minutes to search, with only the Office patches sitting around. We’ll see what happens tonight.

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No “Download updates but let me choose” here, I want no download even if not installed. No automatic updates, and I even disable the Windows Update wuauserv service (a bat file to set to auto and start, another to stop and set to disabled) which is overdoing it but has a good irrational effect on my nerves, like locking a door even if you know closing it is enough. Or is it? With Microsoft I’m prepared to a wide range of fantasies.

So : Patch Tuesday. Evolution, progress but on a large scale because in between the big jumps of humanity we remain confronted to falls, and Microsoft, at least with its “updates” is on a counter-progress vector.

I’ll be sticking around, so to say, to grab as always this valuable information here which is a real life saver, be it for Windows Updates, be it for preventing Windows 10’s upgrade nasty business, be it for all. ‘nough said, no kiss & no tears, not in love, but really a nice guy in a nice place. I won’t name the guy, I don’t wanna make him feel embarrassed 🙂

Let’s do it to them (MS) before they do it to us!

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Just leave your computer set to “check for updates but let me decide to download and update them” The read http://www.askwoody.com on a regular basis and see whats going on with the updates.
Wait until Woody gives the go ahead to do the updates. Turn on the “check for updates but let me decide to download and update them”. Run them and then turn the “check for updates but let me decide to download them and update them” back off.
If you do other then that you do at your own and your computers peril.

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Another trick I find works for bypassing the ‘Shutdown and install updates’ option on the shutdown button, close all open windows, then alt-f4, a box with a dropdown list will come up, just select the plain ‘shutdown’ option & hit ok. The computer will shut down like normal but not install any updates that have finished downloading. Great for those that vehemently refuse to alter their Windows Update options. Though tedious to do over & over every time you want to shutdown with updates downloaded and waiting to be installed, it saves the user a major headache from having to install updates before you give the all-clear.

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KB3161664 is a similar patch with the previous ones which were claimed to fix slow Windows Update. Still early, who decides to experiment now against the good recommendations in the MS-DEFCON should obviously be aware of potential downsides.

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It is not clear to me how this is set default on Automatic out of the box. My fresh installations all default to an undetermined state asking for configuration. I did and still do for testing a lot of fresh installations. That undetermined state does not have the relevant registry keys set yet. There may be differences between various distribution ISOs? Or other software does the settings on Automatic like Office or Silverlight?

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Absolutely right PKCano, “The average User should not be allowed near the Registry editor!”.
Unfortunately many of us tend to get carried on and recommend changing registry keys and/or Group Policies. The Group Policies having a GUI editor are easier to roll-back though.

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There is no rush to download, I think the recommendation is to only set for checking and not downloading. There may be merit in downloading in the background especially for those leaving the computers turned on all the time with the condition to be careful not to install by mistake at shutdown.
Otherwise, I am all in favour of setting the Windows Update to Never check… if there is absolutely no temptation to install early.

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I personally think that Never check is a better setting than Ckeck only for most people who have absolutely no interest in wasting time with researching updates and just follow MS-DEFCON. Both are good enough settings though.

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Technically Never check is better than stopping wuauserv, but if it feels better that way, so be it 🙂

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For the “after”, I started checking at 5:15 PM, and it’s still looking. Sigh. Now to download KB3161664.

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