[Windows 10] hide/prohibit install of specific Windows Update

[FordGT90Concept]

Edit: Try "Show or hide updates" troubleshooter package first and let us know if it works for you.


Adapted from Preventing a certain Windows Update from installing on Windows 10 by Igal Tabachnik.

1. Uninstall the problematical driver/update.
2. Restart the computer, if necessary, and/or switch to an administrator account.
3. Download Windows Update PowerShell Module and extract it to: %WINDIR%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\Modules After doing so, you will have a %WINDIR%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\Modules\PSWindowsUpdate folder with a bunch of files.
4. Start -> All Apps -> expand Windows PowerShell -> right-click on Windows PowerShell and select Run as Administrator. This is very important or you'll get errors in Windows PowerShell.
5. Now you should see the PowerShell window and you'll have to enter a series of commands. First order of business is loading up PSWindowsUpdate. Note: You have to do this every time you restart PowerShell and want to use PSWindowsUpdate commands!
   
   Command|Description
   Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Force|Allows the use of unsigned PowerShell scripts.
   Import-Module PSWindowsUpdate|Loads PSWindowsUpdate
   Set-ExecutionPolicy Restricted -Force|Close the potential security hole.
6. Enter Get-WUList. This command will take a little while to execute. It retrieves the list of all available updates on Windows Update. If you do not see the problematical update here, it is either no longer being offered or it is installed.
7. Now you need to decide how to filter what update you want to hide. Here's some examples:
   
   Command|Description
   Hide-WUUpdate -Title "*Realtek High Definition Audio"|This looks for a title that ends with (note the asterisk) "Realtek High Definition Audio"
   Hide-WUUpdate -Title "Realtek*"|This looks for a title that starts with (note the asterisk) "Realtek"
   When you enter the above command, it will loop through all results it finds and ask whether or not you want to hide it. Make sure you only say "yes" to the one you want hidden and "no" to the rest.
8. It will automatically show the updated results. Verify there is an "H" under the status of the ones you want hidden and not behind the rest. If it is correct, close out of PowerShell and return to your normal user account if necessary. Run Windows Update and the update should not show/install.

If you want to unhide an update, add -HideStatus:$false to the Hide-WUUpdate command.

 

[qubit]

Wow, what a pain. So much easier in earlier versions. Still, better than nothing.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Yeah, there's a lot of Feedback requests for more options (I submitted one as well). Hopefully Microsoft goes back to the Windows Vista/7 way of updating (check box "Hide Update").

 

[Mussels]

didn't MS release an app that let you block them from installing updates? i recall it around the time of the preview builds

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Not that I know of.

FYI, the instructions above will work on Windows Vista and newer.

 

[rtwjunkie]

didn't MS release an app that let you block them from installing updates? i recall it around the time of the preview builds

What they provided was an update to delay the install and restart till it wasn't in the middle of a game or movie, etc...you get the picture. And that was earlier this month. It does nothing about telling MS to shove off.

 

[Mussels]

Not that I know of.

FYI, the instructions above will work on Windows Vista and newer.

What they provided was an update to delay the install and restart till it wasn't in the middle of a game or movie, etc...you get the picture. And that was earlier this month. It does nothing about telling MS to shove off.

i thought thats what this thing did, whats it do differently then?

http://www.ghacks.net/2015/07/27/microsoft-releases-tool-to-block-windows-10-updates/

i've done the group policy thing so my updates dont auto download or install, ran that tool and got this - so it seems like it does the job?

when a new driver is released i'd have to do it again but it seems to do what this thread is about.

 

[rtwjunkie]

i thought thats what this thing did, whats it do differently then?

http://www.ghacks.net/2015/07/27/microsoft-releases-tool-to-block-windows-10-updates/

i've done the group policy thing so my updates dont auto download or install, ran that tool and got this - so it seems like it does the job?

when a new driver is released i'd have to do it again but it seems to do what this thread is about.

Dunno. I may have to give that a try! I'm going to try both methods and see what works best.

 

[Ahhzz]

Why is it so complicated to just not allow updates? I haven't (and have no immediate intention to do so) loaded any of my home computers with 10 yet, but would simply disabling the Windows Update Service stop this completely?

 

[Mussels]

Why is it so complicated to just not allow updates? I haven't (and have no immediate intention to do so) loaded any of my home computers with 10 yet, but would simply disabling the Windows Update Service stop this completely?

yep it does. the fairly simple group policy edit lets you keep the service running but stops the forced check/download, allowing you to:
A: ignore windows update until you forcibly update
B: use the tool i linked above before doing A: to prevent certain downloads from updating drivers
C: still use device manager to windows update specific drivers, disabling the service breaks this.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

I tried disabling Automatic Windows Update via Group Policy and it did not work. The moment I searched for updates, it found Realtek and installed it without asking.

The article makes it clear that the tool only temporarily disables an update. I'm not sure if the PowerShell route is temporary or permanent. I think it is temporary too because the tool likely does the same thing but through official channels.

 

[Mussels]

I tried disabling Automatic Windows Update via Group Policy and it did not work. The moment I searched for updates, it found Realtek and installed it without asking.

The article makes it clear that the tool only temporarily disables an update. I'm not sure if the PowerShell route is temporary or permanent. I think it is temporary too because the tool likely does the same thing but through official channels.

try both. disable the group policy, uninstall the windows update/driver - and then use the tool to stop it downloading again.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

It appears they work using the same infrastructure because I can see the hidden Realtek update via the tool. I put the link to the KB article at the top of the OP.

I'll leave the long instructions because they'll definitely work on Vista and newer where the tool is isolated to Windows 10.

 

[Ahhzz]

yep it does. the fairly simple group policy edit lets you keep the service running but stops the forced check/download, allowing you to:
A: ignore windows update until you forcibly update
B: use the tool i linked above before doing A: to prevent certain downloads from updating drivers
C: still use device manager to windows update specific drivers, disabling the service breaks this.

I have never intentionally used windows to provide my device drivers (except for older printers without Vendor drivers for clients). I only manually update from the vendor websites. Will just have to make a list of things to disable/remove if I finally decide to load it up on a machine.

 

[Mussels]

I have never intentionally used windows to provide my device drivers (except for older printers without Vendor drivers for clients). I only manually update from the vendor websites. Will just have to make a list of things to disable/remove if I finally decide to load it up on a machine.

setting it up on a laptop and having everything work without needing outdated drivers from the manufs website is amazing, and i generally just update graphics driver and wifi driver on top (in which case W10 has been great and gotten the most recent for both, anyway)

 

[qubit]

Yeah, there's a lot of Feedback requests for more options (I submitted one as well). Hopefully Microsoft goes back to the Windows Vista/7 way of updating (check box "Hide Update").

Why is it so complicated to just not allow updates? I haven't (and have no immediate intention to do so) loaded any of my home computers with 10 yet, but would simply disabling the Windows Update Service stop this completely?

Unfortunately gentlemen, Microsoft aren't going to bring things back to the W7 way since they intentionally changed it, knowing it would inconvenience their customers. From what I can tell, it's to do with the Windows-as-a-service model and to minimise their support costs, so forcing everyone to be on the latest version the whole time is their way of achieving this.

There's lots of ramifications to this, such as forcing telemetry/spyware updates (something which W10 already has) but the real problem I have with it are the forced driver updates. There are good reasons for not accepting these Windows Update drivers so forcing it is a real dealbreaker for me.

 

[RejZoR]

I don't get it what the fuck was wrong with Windows 8.1 Windows Update for them to feel the need to fuck it up so badly and make it such horrible pain in the ass. They could take old update system and tweak it to have security updates forced. Instead they turned it into this pile of crap.

 

[Drone]

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/threads/windows-update-minitool.380535/

Interesting nth-party tool that gives more control in W10

 

[rtwjunkie]

@qubit As far as I can tell, either W10 is not forcing the GPU driver updates on me anymore. What I can't say is if I'm just lucky, or if they changed policy. Just wanted you to know, because that was my biggest pet peeve before.

 

[qubit]

@qubit As far as I can tell, either W10 is not forcing the GPU driver updates on me anymore. What I can't say is if I'm just lucky, or if they changed policy. Just wanted you to know, because that was my biggest pet peeve before.

Thanks for letting me know. That makes a big difference to me.

I'd actually like to use it, but I've got a bit of a problem. I don't wanna do the "free" upgrade yet, because it's not clear if my old W7 product key will stop activating after a while or not.

The W10 that I installed in a VM is still fully functional and is still in the Insider program. I'd like to move it over to my main rig, but when I tried it, of course the product activation saw a completely different PC so of course its state changed to unactivated. It then refused to activate, because those preview keys have been revoked. I hope there's a way to move it by asking Microsoft nicely in the right way, but I'm not sure how at the moment.

In-post edit!

While I was looking up the latest build number (10565) I came across this little gem from The Register:

Microsoft has done one thing to make activating Windows 10 less painful. Here is the detail:

"If you install this build of the Windows 10 Insider Preview on a PC and it doesn’t automatically activate, you can enter the product key from Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 used to activate the prior Windows version on the same device."

Well, guess what I'm gonna do? Would be nice to still move that VM copy over, but it's not as important now. Also, the VM copy (10565) now reports that it's a preview build in the bottom right corner.

www.theregister.co.uk/2015/10/15/fixing_windows_10_build_10565_tweaks_edge_integrates_skype_activates_with_windows_7_keys

 

[Drone]

As far as I can tell, either W10 is not forcing the GPU driver updates on me anymore. What I can't say is if I'm just lucky, or if they changed policy

Not sure about amd/NVidia but Intel gpu updates are forced which is a good thing btw. Best intel gpu drivers for W10 are from Microsoft Catalog anyway.