Friday, April 5th 2019
Microsoft Reconsiders: No More Forced Updates in Windows 10
One of the big no-nos for some users looking to upgrade do Windows 10 was the fact that Microsoft enforced constant, 6-month update cycles independent of whether users wanted them or not. This move was done to streamline the update process and keep all users at parity when it comes to important security and feature updates that Microsoft considered relevant. However, it seems Microsoft is now abandoning this practice, which means that users that like to know exactly what is being changed in their systems - and at a time of their convenience - now have one less reason to not upgrade.
Not only will Windows no longer push updates inadvertently, now home users will also have the ability to not only pause updates, but also remove them. There's a caveat, though - you won't be able to postpone feature updates forever. As it stands, Microsoft has an 18 month "end of life" period for major Windows 10 versions, which means that after your 18 months of postponing updates are up (and all of the kinks have been ironed out), you PC will still update to the latest version. There are some other details, which I will transcribe from the Microsoft blog post for your perusal.
Sources:
Microsoft Blog, Reddit
Not only will Windows no longer push updates inadvertently, now home users will also have the ability to not only pause updates, but also remove them. There's a caveat, though - you won't be able to postpone feature updates forever. As it stands, Microsoft has an 18 month "end of life" period for major Windows 10 versions, which means that after your 18 months of postponing updates are up (and all of the kinks have been ironed out), you PC will still update to the latest version. There are some other details, which I will transcribe from the Microsoft blog post for your perusal.
Download and install now option provides users a separate control to initiate the installation of a feature update on eligible devices with no known key blocking compatibility issues. Users can still "Check for updates" to get monthly quality and security updates. Windows will automatically initiate a new feature update if the version of Windows 10 is nearing end of support. We may notify you when a feature update is available and ready for your machine. All Windows 10 devices with a supported version will continue to automatically receive the monthly updates. This new "download and install" option will also be available for our most popular versions of Windows 10, versions 1803 and 1809, by late May.
Additional improvements to put users more in control of updates that are being introduced with the May 2019 Update include:
- Extended ability to pause updates for both feature and monthly updates. This extension ability is for all editions of Windows 10, including Home. Based on user feedback we know that any update can come at an inconvenient time, such as when a PC is needed for a big presentation. So, we're making it possible for all users to pause both feature and monthly updates for up to 35 days (seven days at a time, up to five times). Once the 35-day pause period is reached, users will need to update their device before pausing again.
- Intelligent active hours to avoid disruptive update restarts. The active hours feature, introduced in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, relies on a manually configured time range to avoid automatically installing updates and rebooting. Many users leave the active hours setting at its 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. default. To further enhance active hours, users will now have the option to let Windows Update intelligently adjust active hours based on their device-specific usage patterns.
- Improved update orchestration to improve system responsiveness. This feature will improve system performance by intelligently coordinating Windows updates and Microsoft Store updates, so they occur when users are away from their devices to minimize disruptions.
149 Comments on Microsoft Reconsiders: No More Forced Updates in Windows 10
"Blizzard asked DirectX 12 to be ported to Windows 7, which presumably many of its players were still running. Microsoft agreed, and ported the D3D12 runtime to Windows 7. It's now available as a patch to the game. Microsoft said it will patch existing games with Windows 7 support, and that it's working with a few other game developers to port their DirectX 12 games to Windows 7."
It's like whining about your government but you didn't vote.
I havent updated Win10 in 6 months. Its not that I turned off WU, I blocked it so all checks return "there is not update available at this time". Same with telemetry.
Now DX12 is a split benefit/con. For W7 users, dont hang your hopes on it too much. It’s one game so far, and honestly, with a game by game approach, dont expect many at all.
For W10 users, unless you are a blatant 100% MS fan, you have to admit, DX12 has mostly been absent and less than impressive when present. Its been largely a non-factor.
Bottom line, W10 is mostly pretty good and runs smoothly and fast, Pro users have been able to delay updates as well as feature upgrades. I have yet to see forced driver updates either.
If you were to go back in time about 5 or so years, you would be hearing a starkly different tune from Darmok. I was an all-in MS guy. Windows Phone, Xbox, even a Surface RT device. I just don’t feel like MS is committed to anything but Office and services at this point. I wonder where they’d be without the corporate support.
They know for example gaming is BIG business and Windows is king, the threat was for another platform to come along and begin siphoning off gamers to something newer, better than before. Even if you don't call yourself a gamer, if you play games at all chances are you have a Steam account and use it, many PC's out there aren't hard-core machines for gaming with hard-core gamers using them. The ones that do it on occasion makes up a fairly large chunk of the gaming market/PC percentage too because in reality not everyone has a machine for gaming first with all else as a secondary useage. Since I'm not a gamer nor have a Steam account things about DX12 and such makes 0 difference to me.
I do agree they missed out on alot of the things you mentioned and took steps to regain what was lost but as you said it wasn't done because it was the right thing to do.The difference is Win 8 was just horrid right out of the box.
It did work but the look was almost alien and the menus weren't exactly easy to figure out until you messed around with it, some obvious things it needed as it was just wasn't there. I actually had a time just trying to find the shut down button at first to power down the machine and like yourself I know my way around a machine well enough - Imagine what the average user was thinking as they tried to navigate through all the tiles trying to find it.
And all the "In-Your-Face" crap was a big turnoff too.
I mean between all the stuff it threw up once in the OS it reminded me of a blindingly bright blingy flashing neon Vegas sign with epilectic-inducing properties done in Mega-Crayola-Vision, sprinkled with ads along the same lines imbedded and other useless crap.
They did a good job scaling it back with Win 10, at least that was obvious with the release of it. TBH I tried Win 10 and it was "Ok" on the surface but that damned Cortana just woudn't go away, was described elsewhere as an AI included in the OS and to a point that's accurate.
Didn't really like the feel of it either, Linux Mint is way friendlier in my opinion but that's just me.
However the thing that sealed the deal were the forced updates with telemetry, after noting it would force these on you and then change settings on it's own to continue it was the final nail in the coffin for me.
As one may say if you don't like it, just dont use it - I don't.
No need to justify my choice to anyone because it is my choice and I've made it like all the rest here have either for or against.
To each his own. :toast:
And no: i don't regret doing it.
As for the topic, Microsoft: too little and too late, for me.
UWP has potential even without the phone ecosystem. Platform support-wise, MS does have multiple existing platforms: x86 and ARM desktops and laptops, Xbone, HoloLens, in addition to the IoT market they're trying to jump in to, and heck, even beyond MS-owned platforms as well (Xamarin?)!
For the Appstore, I don't think having many targeted platforms is required to give it a purpose. Look at Android's, it practically only targets tablets and smartphones (other implementations are left to their implementers, afaik) and it's doing well. It's less of "supporting phones," more of "let's have more control!"I have a feeling that the correlation between using linux and not regretting it stems from the fact that only masochists can consciously attempt to adopt linux as a main OS... </sarcasm>
Which reminds me, it's been a while since I shouted my lungs out at Nouveau...
Anyway with W10 Microsoft had enough of the PEBKAC and took the decisions out of the hands of people unsuitable for making them.In fairness, people complaining that W10 doesn't allow them to ignore security/functionality patches like W7 did aren't really going to be bothered by broken security :PNo they're not.
This is just a wishful misunderstanding that hopeful W7 diehards have spread due to one specific DX11 game that uses a tiny bit of DX12 code being ported to W7 with Microsoft's help.
Most people feel butthurt by the lack of control they have in W10, despite it's ease of use, so they decide to make their life harder to prove a point.