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General discussion

Stopping Windows 10 updates and changes

Mar 14, 2018 3:52PM PDT

I'm trying to stop windows 10 from updating on my Acer desktop and stopping it's hidden critical updates and the changes it makes to my default programs. I will be in control of my hardware even if it means, gulp, Linux, which I never was happy with when I tried it 2 years ago. I realize i don't own the MS software but I don't think going backwards is for me, I'm too old for that, been using computers for 33 years, they haven't beat me yet.
My issue started when my computer would start at 3 am from a hibernated state almost every night and my default programs would be back to MS factory setting, this was unacceptable. The major change I have now implemented as a starting point is installation and use of Zone Alarm firewall. Now I will see what happens. Any thoughts welcome here and I'll share my findings here. J

Discussion is locked

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Maybe you didn't know about Wake Timers?
Mar 14, 2018 3:55PM PDT

Google "Windows 10 how to disable wake timers" to stop it waking up for updates.

As to the rest, your choice. I have yet to see any issue with changing my default programs unless it's from one of the HUGE updates.

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Some updates
Mar 17, 2018 3:33PM PDT

I did not know that wake timers would wake the computer from a hibernate state. I have made some changes including turning off the wake timers. My ZA firewall does stop, as far as I can tell, any further windows updates, so that is good. Now when I start my computer from a hibernate state the WIFI adapter is not working, it says it my adapter doesn't have a valid IP configuration. No amount of trouble shooting or resetting helps. I have to restart the computer at that point and as always, the defaults get changed to MS. I have disabled a lot of services, maybe one of those needs to go back to enabled and that would keep my defaults in previous state. That's what I'm working on now.
My firewall is also blocking incoming from MS and alerting to that, that part I like. working.

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Sort of a well known WiFi problem.
Mar 17, 2018 4:02PM PDT

I've fixed that by removing antivirus or firewalls as well as new WiFi drivers. As to service tinkering I had to reload the OS from scratch last week as a client had totally messed up Windows. Maybe, just maybe I could have saved it but we charge 150USD a hour for such work.

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Stopping Windows 10 updates
Mar 17, 2018 11:32PM PDT

Go to control panel, the program then uninstall windows undates.