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Comment by baldfat | Hacker News Reader

I am glad that Windows is an opt-out of updates. We all know the majority of people never update anything. Personally I opt out and manually update my systems but most people just need it to happen.

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When I set up Windows to encode a video overnight, and I wake up the next morning and the encode isn't finished because Windows decided to restart in the middle, I'm not happy. This basically means I can't use Windows to encode videos, period. (And no, setting Active Hours doesn't work, because the whole point is I want the videos to get encoded when I'm not active!)

The same applies to downloading large files, etc. I realize that updates are important, but it's even more important that I can actually rely on my computer.

You get a notification when Windows plans on restarting somewhere in the future. I just click on it and manually set the restart date 1 week in the future. That's it.

I'm also leaving the computer on for weeks and never had an unexpected reboot with this protocol.

This doesn't work if it's been a while since I last booted into my Windows partition. Windows immediately decides I'm past the point where I can defer. It does show a notification immediately beforehand, but if I'm asleep that isn't useful.

You can disable the Reboot task present under Task Scheduler Library > Microsoft > Windows > UpdateOrchestrator in the Task Scheduler app

I haven't had a Windows 10 computer just randomly reboot and I work with about 30 PCs.

Respectfully, if you're using the PC's for work I'm guessing they don't get turned off (or stay in alternate OS's) for extended periods.

I'll take a look at task scheduler, thanks.

I see it in my family and loved ones - while it's unfortunate that sometimes windows decides it really needs to restart RIGHT NOW, the fact that it's doing that is the only reason the PC is getting updated at all - they never turn them off and they never update on their own. There should absolutely be options for those of us who know enough to make the choice, but sometimes taking choice away seems like the better option.

Who cares if they never update? Chances are it isn't some critical vulnerability that gets them infected with the garbage software and malware you end up having to deal with anyway.

Put me firmly in the camp against removing control from the person sitting at the computer.

Tell that to the person who got his personal files flushed automagically by a Windows update.

Were they initially pushing that October update, or were those manual requests for update?

Pushing, without changing settings you got it.

Ah, ok. So did that radically affect how many people got it or just the demographic? I'm wondering who received the update before they pulled it vs who would have received it in a opt in environment.

Auto updates only work well when they don't break stuff, and don't cause random reboots.

Microsoft has a pretty bad track record with their updates breaking stuff and causing data loss. I don't trust them anymore.

Unless you buy Windows 10 Enterprise or Windows 2016 Server, you can't opt-out.

To disable the Reboot task present under Task Scheduler Library > Microsoft > Windows > UpdateOrchestrator in the Task Scheduler app

Am I wrong that this is an option for all Windows 10 Editions?

For Enterprise/Server you set

[disable] Configure Automatic Updates

or if you really care

[enable] Do not connect to any Windows Update Internet locations

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