Windows 10: Preventing Forced Updates

      While I can understand why Microsoft would force updates, it can easily clash with the owner of a device being able to actually use their device. Thus it can be useful to prevent updates from happening at all.

      Having tried a variety of methods to control updates, the only effective one I have found is a firewall. Set it to deny the Windows Update services internet access and updates never happen. Then when you want them to happen, tell the firewall to allow them. Do the update and then set the firewall back to deny.

      In theory the Windows firewall could be configured to do this, but as we are preventing updates because Microsoft has lost our trust, I don’t consider their firewall a trustworthy tool (for this task). Thus we go for third party firewalls.

      Personally, I use TinyWall. It’s pretty simple and does the job. Or as the blurb on their website says ‘free, lightweight and non-intrusive’, which is really everything you want in a firewall.

      If you have a different firewall you prefer, that should do the job as well. Really all you are doing is setting the default stance to ‘block all activity’, and then selectively adding programs you want.

      The only negative side effect I have noticed is that occasionally joining new networks doesn’t work properly. The computer will connect, but does not gain an IP address. Likely means some part of the DHCP process is being blocked as well. As a work around, for TinyWall, put it in ‘AutoLearn’ and reconnect to the network. Once you’ve got an IP address, put it back in ‘Normal’ mode and it should be set.

      I did try various settings in Windows: Metered Connection, working hours, delaying updates, etc. None had any meaningful impact. If the Update service could reach the internet, it downloaded and scheduled the updated. Although, in fairness, it is less forceful today then it was at release.

      While the above would let you never apply updates, in practice that is a risky strategy. Updates are generally important to apply, mostly because they fix security flaws. But as it is your computer, you should be able to decide when to apply them.