Multiple reports that Windows Update is overriding the “metered connection” setting

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I’m seeing reports from many different places that Microsoft’s long-standing (unspoken) policy of bypassing cumulative updates on machines with “meter
[See the full post at: Multiple reports that Windows Update is overriding the “metered connection” setting]

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John in Mtl, Elly, dononline, columbia2011, geekdom, WildBill

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“We’ll automatically download and install updates, except on Windows 10 metered connections (where charges may apply). In that case, we’ll automatically download only those updates required to keep Windows running smoothly.”

Smooth: Windows critical flaw: This security bug is under attack right now, says Microsoft

“Exploitation Detected”: CVE-2018-8174

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If Microsoft is telling the truth here, then it is strange that Woody is “seeing reports from many different places that Microsoft’s long-standing (unspoken) policy of bypassing cumulative updates on machines with “metered connections” has been broken.”

Of course, as you say, Microsoft states that they will ignore the metered connection setting if an update is “required to keep Windows running smoothly”, meaning that Microsoft can ignore the metered connection setting for all updates if they simply classify them as “required to keep Windows running smoothly”.

It looks like Microsoft has decided that “the one that brings Win10 up to build 16299.431” is, in fact, “required to keep Windows running smoothly”. In other words, it is pointless to set Windows 10 to defer updates because of a metered connection, because Microsoft will ignore that setting if they so choose.

Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server

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MrJimPhelps wrote:

It looks like Microsoft has decided that “the one that brings Win10 up to build 16299.431” is, in fact, “required to keep Windows running smoothly”.

I’m still not sure about that. Let’s see if other reports come in.

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@MrJimPhelps

Microsoft states that they will ignore the metered connection setting if an update is “required to keep Windows running

yeah and I have caught that over the years of, I was going to suggest running CMD
wmic qfe list but it makes no distinction as to how the update got there, unlike Win7, Win8.1?? (not got one handy here) Basically all Win displays,for installed Manually, by M$ (surepticiously), WUD and WUMT. Is NT AUTORITY\SYSTEM for all. Given, just lately, M$’s erratic display of installed updates in SETINGS, sometimes there sometimes not and occasionally, not even shown in the UNINSTAL. Its getting hard to keep track of what actually is going in to your Machine.

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That may be the rationale for overriding the long-standing practice. But note that CVE-2018-8174 has only been observed in “Yiddish-language” emails sent to specific Chinese foreign trade organizations.

http://blogs.360.cn/blog/cve-2018-8174-en/

It’ll spread soon enough, but for now it’s quite esoteric.

(BTW, could one of you who reads Hebrew take a look at the article and verify for me if it’s in Hebrew, or Yiddish?)

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From @Morty:

Very weird!
The few words that showed in the background of the image were Yiddish, not Hebrew. But some of the “words” were Hebrew/Yiddish letters interlaced with English letters. So they may have been truncated, or just garbage.

None of it seems to make any sense.

 transliterates as zei vet ich, which would translate “they would […] I.” That makes no sense. If it were a real phrase, it would be zei vet dich — they would […] you. And even that has no context here.

 is transliterated regirung, which means government. But, again, I have no context to make it mean anything.

It’s a mystery. Either cryptic or senseless. If the second, it suggests that it might not even have come from a Yiddish speaker.

Curiouser and curiouser.

Good luck!

 

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I have a report on Twitter from GG saying that his Win10 1709 Home machine, with connection marked “metered,” is NOT downloading this month’s cumulative update.

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columbia2011

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OK, I didn’t think about it last night when I first brought the update to your attention, but I am on an Ethernet (wired) connection.  And yes, MickeySoft rode around it.

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woody

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I have Windows 10 Home.  On the 3oth of April I was forced into updating to 1709 from 1703.  I am on a metered wireless connection.  I had hidden 1709 two times previous to this; one of the times was on the 29th of April.  Before trying to update the MS office updates on the 30th  I checked for 1709 using wushowhide because I just don’t trust MS.  1709 was no where to be found to hide a 3rd time.  As soon as I took the computer off metered connection for the Office updates 1709 began to download.  I stopped it, did a disk cleanup (as recommended by PKCano) turned off the computer, waited a while, rebooted with wi-fi off, and then (keeping it on metered) looked for 1709 with wushowhide and it was not there to be hidden, but was listed as hidden.   1803 was not there to hide either..  So I tried again and received 1709.  As soon as 1709 was downloaded, I ran wushowhide again, and there were no updates to hideincluding 1803, but as soon as I tried to do the MS Office updates, MS tried to download 1803.  I stopped it and just walked away for a day or so.  Then I used wushowhide while on metered connection and hid 1803.  I waited more days, thinking I would roll back to 1703, but decided to stay on 1709.  I think all works with it.  I eventually was able to download the MS Office updates on the 7th without being forced to move to 1803.  I have always kept the computer on metered connection unless letting updates or a new version through.  I have never been forced into a new version before.

I have tried 1709 and it seems okay.  Since December 2016 I have moved to a Mac for most of my work.  I have not yet tried hiding the May updates on the Win 10 home computer, nor have I had it connected to the internet since the MS Office updates were installed.  I will probably look for updates to hide tomorrow and hope 1803  does not ignore my metered connection.

I will update this post if it powers through the metered connection, but I am considering installing Windows Update Blocker and Windows Update MiniTool as used by dononline.  I am aware Woody does not recommend the Windows Update MiniTool.  Thus homework on these is a requirement.  At least I have my MacBook.

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Fred, Microfix

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Macs are a lot less stressful.
Check out some of my topics in MacOS for Windows Wonks.

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Elly, BobbyB, Bill C., woody

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last night, 8 May 2018, went to shut down for the night and it gave me the options: update and restart or update and shutdown. *** I’m going to bed, I’ll handle the fallout in the morning… found out it was the cumulative update. le sigh.

using windows 10 1709, metered wi-fi.

Edit to remove content.
Please follow the -Lounge Rules- no personal attacks, no swearing, and politics/religion are relegated to the Rants forum.

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This is ridiculous! I might as well ignore this month’s updates and also again-DIDN’T SEE 1803 feature update in WUShowhide. So does that mean a month or 2 from now I gotta go to windows update and hide it when I click check for updates. Or shoudl I not add updates for a few months until this is settled?

Because this has gone out the window now.

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As I understand it, now that the “seeker” season is over (?), Microsoft will be rolling out 1803 to machines that have, uh, earned the privilege, based on telemetry.

Wait. Then when the MS-DEFCON level goes back down, follow the instructions that I’ll publish to install the 1709 cumulative update, and dodge the 1803 upgrade.

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Elly, Mele20, Cascadian

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… avoiding updates.

Avoiding? Ha!

That’s not an option in WoWaas… updates are must haves.

Must. Have.

You’re really not a part in the equation…

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Cybertooth

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Well, well. If MS is indeed now beginning to do what I’ve been saying would eventually happen; that is, “fix” the metered Internet connection “bug”, then it makes no difference what flavor of WIN 10 we’re on … well, at least Home or Pro. There will be no way to really, really, really, keep WaaS from having it’s way with our computers — once it targets them.

Actually, in March, I think it was, three times WaaS started the 1709 Upgrade as soon as my computers finished booting up. Two of them were on metered Wi-Fi connections. That’s when I began keeping the Windows Update Service turned off until I needed to check for updates with WUMT, and came up with my update/upgrade “system” described elsewhere here in the Lounge. So far, it’s been working flawlessly, but it all depends on WaaS honoring the metered Internet connection.

I know there are many, many folks here in the Lounge who know a whole lot more about computers and Windows than I, which of course includes “Da Boss”, but at least last March, none of the workarounds I could find here or elsewhere worked for me. It seems that once WaaS sniffs out your particular computer, you belong to them, baby.

Well, as Woody has said, “Hope springs eternal.” So I’m hoping these reports of WaaS ignoring metered connections are, as it was for me, and for whatever reason, just temporary, and that MS hasn’t actually “fixed” the “bug”.

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Glad you raised the Topic there young Woody, I have seen some shenanigans with setting metered noted on a couple of machines Win10 vers 1709, one a Lenovo? and the other an HP both circa 2015.
I just shrugged it off as one of Win10′ ecentricities setting Metered “ON” Ethernet connection for express purpose of dodging updates works and works well but when it comes to actually downloading the updates you can set it to “OFF” and install away, but when you reboot and go back to reset the Metered connection as “ON” in Network settings its already reset its self. Cant think if there’s a Policy in GPOL, and I have certainly not set one, something in the Reg. perhaps. Others are clearly having issues, maybe be a little more to this than a random “Bug;”

PS on a somewhat related issue I am hitting a few little Network issues with M$’s latest offering, as yet unresolved, so it never occurred to me to actually check the metered, yet;

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I have a dell XPS-13 placed in service last December.  Shipped with 1703 Home.  This machine has always been set to metered connection over wired network.  Never hid any updates.  1709 was pushed to the machine on 4 April (confirmed afterward metered is still set).  I took updates (might have been a “seeker” for this) KB4090914 1709 servicing stack update and KB4088776 1709 Mar update on 7 April.  Nothing since then.  I note that I have to manually pull updates to Windows Defender.

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I no longer trust Windows Update anymore. I installed the April patches for 1703 via the update catalog, and I intend to keep installing from the catalog until 1703 goes EOL this October.

It’s clunky but it’s so far the safest method I can think of to get the needed patches while completely avoiding all risk of having an unwanted feature upgrade installed on my system.

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Tell me how you download and install the updates from the catalog? Like how do you do it and where’s the link? I’m getting tired of windows update trying to conform my computer with feature update even when I hide updates-I wanna install what I want on my time, my choice.

So tell me of this safe method of yours?

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To install updates from Windows Update Catalog, – you have to find the KB number for the wanted update, it could be a cumulative update or a Flash player do. or any other one you want to install.

When you open the Update Catalog site, you will find find a search field up in the right corner, you simply write the KB number there and hit ENTER – it will find the update for you. Choose the right one (32/64 Bit version) and download it. You can choose to install directly after download finish or choose to SAVE IT on ex. your Desktop for later install.

I always save it on my Desktop, until ready to install.
You start the install, by double click’in on the KB-package!

Link for Update Catalog: http://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/home.aspx

You can can use Task Manager – PERFORMANCE tab, there you can monitor the download on the graph’s on the left, in the Performance tab (WiFi/Ethernet graph).
Also always use Defender’s own UI to manually download definitions – open Defender from Taskbar (Icon) or Start Menu open Defender – Update tap – Update definitions!

Gordon7.

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W10 1709 Home version, been utilizing a metered connection over ethernet for some time now (not sure how long exactly, at least since 1709 was publically released). In my experience, the cumulative monthly update has generally pushed past the metered connection, although the updates for Flash and the MSRT fail. However, the metered connection worked when I was stalling 1709 from downloading and installing onto my computer until I was ready, so here’s hoping it does the trick for 1803 as well…

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Thankfully Wushowhide is your ally when it comes to unwanted updates. Just run it, block unwanted updates and then your problems are over.

metered connection and Wushowhide are your best ally in Windows 10 home

Just someone who don't want Windows to mess with its computer.

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BobbyB

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I’m currently running 1709 and have set the connection to metered to avoid the 1803 rollout. Nothing has come through and I can update Windows Defender all I want through its own UI.
It doesn’t run an actual Windows Update, only looks for definitions.

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I am on W10 Home 1709, I used Regedit to block downloads from metered connections for wireless + wired. No problems with the May updates, I can see them in Wushowhide but they do not download.

Henk.

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Man, I need help. This updated and an Adobe patch downloaded and installed after reboot. Now my FPS in game are spiking bad and I’m running an Rx570 playing CS:Source which is not graphic intensive AT ALL!

I uninstall the update and it just reinstalls when I reboot like it tells me to do. The Adobe update removed successfully.

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What version of Windows are you running?
Have you tried metered connections long enough to use wushowhide to hide the update?

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Well, this is another good reason for me to stay away from Windows 10.  Thankfully, we still have viable alternatives to that abomination of an OS.  The thing just is not worth the maintenance and babysitting hassle.

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I can categorically say that I cannot avoid the 1803 update on my Windows 10 Home OS. I’ve just bought a new Dell laptop which works perfectly on the 1709 build that it came with. I’ve set both my wifi and ethernet to “metered connections” and no matter what the 1803 build downloads and installs in the background and then gives me the option to restart or shutdown with upgrade. The only thing is it completely screws my laptop up when the update installs, I lose the ability to adjust my brightness, I lose the “sleep” power option completely and this includes the physical buttons on the machine no longer working for these as well. It also overwrites ALL my settings and removes the option to use Night Light option, greying out the toggle switch. It’s ridiculous. I’ve already restored the previous build (1709) 3 times but it keeps being superseded. MicroSoft are actually incapacitating certain parts of my brand new machine and there’s nothing I can do about it, it’s infuriating.

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A good guess for that one would be that 1803 (or another update) is “helping” your video driver (custom adjusted/designed by your OEM who made your computer). And by “helping” I mean replacing the perfectly good custom OEM video driver you have now with a newer generic driver that either doesn’t work well (no accelerated video, brightness control, etc..) or the new driver is just failing to install at all leaving you with no video driver (just the basic VGA driver).

Normally I’d say to disable auto (crazy) driver updates, but they took that out of windows 10 in/after 1607? I wonder if “ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate” disables driver updates built into monthly / feature updates only and that’s why it doesn’t block normal driver auto-updates?

Also sounds like 1803 is getting the chance to install metered because it is already downloaded — you already have the installer nothing needs to come through your “metered” connection (microsoft thinks your only complaint is internet overage bills).

You could empty “C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download\”, as long as no installs are in progress and the WuAuServ, bits, TrustedInstaller, DoSvc are stopped. If installs are already in progress you should unhook(unplug, delete saved wireless network, and airplane mode) the internet, reboot twice (in rapid succession), then boot into safemode before emptying that folder.

Somehow setting DeliveryOptimization (DO)DownloadMode to 0x64(100) seems to make everything easier.

Always remember to have backups, if you are running windows 10 your data is always at higher risk.

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Two desktops running Win 10 vers. 1703 with WiFi connections set to metered: a Lenovo purchased in January 2017 and an HP, purchased 8 to 10 years ago.

Turned off the metered connection setting on both machines on the weekend of April 28, after Woody dropped the DefCon to Level 3. Ran WuShowHide and let all but select updates install, per Ask Woody recommendations. Hid feature update to 1709 if it showed.

After everything was done, the HP was still it’s old v.1703 self. The Lenovo, however, wanted to update itself to v. 1709. I was unable to stop the update to 1709. I believe the WiFi was back on metered before It returned to previous version (1703) as soon as the option appeared.

Not sure why the newer Lenovo was updated, whilewhil older HP was not.

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My laptop just updated to windows 1803 and i had metered connection switched on to try and block it and Im on wifi. It forced its way through.

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