WUMT — what am I missing ??

Topic

New Reply

OK. Thought I had WUMT working as advertised. Last month was able to hide the troublesome KB5034441 update (see below) and left WUMT on ‘Disabled’ status (see below). Then I wake up yesterday to all the current updates having been downloaded and installed and wanting a reboot??!!

What am I missing with WUMT ??  🙁

Reply | Quote

Replies

I recently started using WUMT thinking it would solve my automatic update woes but was seriously disappointed when basically the same thing happened to me, even with Automatic Updates disabled.

I’m not an expert mind you, but it appears that WUMT relies on the Windows Update Service being enable; and if it’s enabled Microsoft is free to send you anything it wants. The only way to combat this would be to disable the Update Service until you wanted to use WUMT, enable it, then check for and install updates, and disable it again. But that would be a huge drag and Windows might be able to install updates automatically anyway within the short time the US is enabled.

I tried setting the US to manual but when I checked for updates with WUMT it triggered it and then didn’t turn it off again.

As I said, I’m no expert and have only recently started experimenting with WUMT and it’s cousin WUMgr. But it seems to me MS has figured out a foolproof way to make sure they can install whatever they want on a person’s computer. Maybe if you have a system that has Group Policy Editor you can acquire some control; I’ve read that’s the best way. Other than that, I don’t know, unless you disable the US and just forget about any MS updates.

Reply | Quote

QPFSBub wrote:

As I said, I’m no expert and have only recently started experimenting with WUMT and it’s cousin WUMgr. But it seems to me MS has figured out a foolproof way to make sure they can install whatever they want on a person’s computer.

Please read : https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/2000016-guide-for-windows-update-settings-for-windows-10/

1. You can pause updates.
2. You can set metered connection.
3. You can run WUmgr / wushowhide.. and hide all updates.
4. You can upgrade to Pro and have full control of updates.

2 users thanked author for this post.

BobbyB, TechTango

Reply | Quote

Besides upgrading to Pro, none of those others are ideal. Pausing only postpones the inevitable. I’ve read where MS still pushes updates on people who are using a metered connection. You can’t hide updates you don’t know MS has downloaded. You won’t know it till you go to shut down and it tells you a reboot is required.

Reply | Quote

QPFSBub wrote:

You can’t hide updates you don’t know MS has downloaded

You can hide updates on the day they are announced.

Set metered connection
Unpause
Run WUmgr check for updates.
Hide all updates.
Set pause
Unset metered connection.

Reply | Quote

My experience with WUMT is inconsistent. Sometimes updates come through. Setting a metered connection seems to be relatively good for stopping Cumulative Updates like KB5034441, but may let other updates in, if you are running Home version.

You may not like this, I am on manual updates using WUMgr. WUMgr can stop updates more consistently. Occasionally small updates come through on the Home version. It took a few tries over different days, before I got WUMgr to permanently get Microsoft Updates disabled.

None are perfect, you do the best you can. When you see something unintentionally gets on, uninstall, looking for a restore point or restore from a backup.

Reply | Quote

@MartyHs and @QPFSBub, I use Windows Update Manager (WUMgr) and have not observed any of the issues that you report.

I don’t have any experience with WUMT. I do remember considering it back when and choosing WUMgr instead. If I remember correctly, my reason was that the WUMgr interface seemed easier to understand.

You may want to give WUMgr a try. The developer, David Xanatos, has even been known to pop into Woody’s here once in a blue moon.

I can also recommend this thread that should provide most of what you might want to know about WUMgr. The first four posts will provide most of the information, and the rest of the long thread deals with questions about using this utility.

There’s also this official Woody’s guide to using the program, which may be easier to digest than the long thread given above.

Good luck!

Keep Running Windows 7 Safely for Years to Come  
Make Windows 10 look and work like Windows 7

1 user thanked author for this post.

Alex5723

Reply | Quote

I paused updates last night; and this morning opened the Windows Update page in Settings, only to find a Security Intelligence update downloading even while paused. This tells me that unless a person disables the Windows Update Service MS will install whatever it thinks you need.

Reply | Quote

I use WUMgr to disable Windows Updates. (I am on manual download and install updates.) Because of this, I need to also manually initiate Windows Defender Updates / Security Intelligence updates. It is the only way, I know of controlling Windows Defender.

Reply | Quote

Auto Windows Defender updates can be scheduled like this:

Task Scheduler -> Microsoft -> Windows -> Windows Defender

Create a task: Name-> Update Defender ; Trigger at Logon ; Actions -> (see attached) ; Conditions and Settings leave as is.

It runs once a day at logon.  If you want it more often, create a shortcut with the ‘Actions’ settings on the desktop.

1 user thanked author for this post.

KP

Reply | Quote

QPFSBub wrote:

to find a Security Intelligence update downloading even while paused

Pause doesn’t stop Defender updates. No pause should stop A/V updates.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Cybertooth

Reply | Quote

Well … I finally gave up on trying to divine how WUMT was or was not working.

Tried WUMgr and it seems to work much more closely to what I expect it should.  I’ll know more next month as I have it controlling updates now.  Stay tuned…

2 users thanked author for this post.

Alex5723, Cybertooth

Reply | Quote

MartyHs wrote:

Auto Windows Defender updates can be scheduled like this

Defender updates (if its the main A/V) should never be schedules. Defender should be updated automatically by Microsoft whenever there is a need/new threats..

Reply | Quote

I would agree if you are not sure, about when to run update definitions.

Another view point, I can see on a corporate PC, they do their updates (Microsoft and anti-malware) at end-of-day before they shut shutdown. So their problems will not show up until the start of the next day.

I prefer updates on power on, when the PC is “fresh”. I also like to restart after the updates to see the update did not cause any problems, right a way.

If you like to control definition updates, then manual updates may be the preference.

Reply | Quote