Windows will NOT win!

I was somewhat dubious about the release of Windows 10 as the "best operating system ever". I have come to realise the truth in my own worries in that it truly has to be Microsoft's WORST ever system.

WHAT, I hear you cry? Well, its quite simple. You cannot stop the updates. In my line of work, I regularly find KB updates which cause headaches and problems and quite regularly need to ensure these updates are not installed. Yes Microsoft, some updates don't work! So some examples for you:

• KB3133977 Update removes support for secure boot on ASUS motherboards
• KB3035583 Update provides annoying Windows 10 advertising
• KB2840631 Update prevents image capture (System Center Configuration Manager)
• KB4049065 Update causes problems with Windows 10 Updates, impossible to remove and effectively forces your machine to update even if you disable update services. (something more recent)

I think this small list demonstrates how quickly small things can build up. So as you can see there are issues, usually relating to forced update which I have flagged here. I am not one for allowing automatic updates due to issues. You only have to search for "Windows 10 update broke my computer" and you will get thousands of results from frustrated users.

So what is the point of this Blog?

I had a battle which lasted about a week where KB4049065 had somehow installed itself and I was first notified by the shut down menu which stated "update and shut down". As I disable the update service and check its disabled regularly I knew that time was precious here.

So here is a narrative of what happened after.

"WHAT! WHAT!!! WHAT DO YOU MEAN UPDATE!?!?!? Microsoft, no. You are not going to win this one." So my week long battle commenced.

Step 1, disable the update service
Step 2, remove the crap that it wants to install from the software repository directory
Step 3, Google for a method to prevent updates being installed on Shutdown/restart (nothing easy or obvious appeared, removed a couple of package update options from the registry just to try)

Ok don't panic. Step 4 was a simple one. I had annihilated traces of the updates from the software repository directory and could not shutdown or restart. POWER BUTTON!!

After booting back up I was faced with "installing updates" closely followed by "updates failed". Rebooted, windows is back, yay!!

SAGA OVER?

NO!!!

So about 20 minutes after getting back up and running and uninstalling installed updates (except the 4049065 on listed above) as well as DISABLING all update services again AND deleting all schedules from the task scheduler a familiar hell reappeared in the form of a forced windows update. You know the one, the one with downloading Windows 10 Update and a big hide button on it.

Ok, so, Microsoft, you have not won. It just so happens I have control over my wireless dongle. Adapter disabled, 7% downloaded only... The saga continues...

Kill the process, kill the Windows10Upgrade folder on the main drive.

So we are back to the steps again.

Step 1, Disable windows update, BITS and USOSvc services
Step 2, Recreate the Windows10Upgrade folder
Step 3, Take ownership of the upgrade folder and set all permissions to DENY.

Is it over now?

No. (Sorry)
After a reboot a nice little error message popped up saying Windows10Upgrade failed to do something, I didn't read it. I was victorious. Or so I thought...

The following day, the system functioned normally, was shut down and later on loaded up again.... well, tried. It sat there loading windows... and on and on and on. Eventually I gave up and tried safe mode. 20 minutes went by, still no safe mode. For a system which boots in 15 seconds, this was not good. Restarted a couple more times for troubleshooting. Eventually discovered that i needed to re enable a service for system restore to work correctly, system restore restored to a point before the issues and finally, yes finally! I had my PC back with 1607 :)

If this helps anyone AT ALL, let me know.