What's a Reasonable Windows Update Strategy Going Forward?

[NoelC]

I mentioned this in another thread, but it probably merits its own thread.

 

Start with the assumption that you're going to adopt Windows 10 for your operating system.  I know that some (myself included) have not yet made this decision, but what if...

 

What combinations of Windows Update settings and processes to follow would YOU choose?

 

Of course, your goals are supremely important in determining your approach.  Your choices will depend on your goals, so please list them if you choose to discuss the above question.

 

My goals are (more or less in order of priority):

 

• Windows must support my ongoing software engineering and business management needs on my current workstation and future systems.  I have a small network of systems in my office connected via Ethernet.  I do NO gaming, though I do use these systems to serve files and collaborate online with others in selective ways.
   
• Windows must be stable.  I do NOT want to have to futz with my system to get my work done.  It needs to "just work".  I have not had to spend a lot of time after initial setup and tweaking with prior versions of Windows in order to be productive - Windows Vista, 7, and 8.1 "just worked".  Windows needs to be able to run on the same bootup for weeks without so much as a glitch.
   
• I must be able to use Windows in a high-privacy fashion.  I know very well what advantages full cloud integration could provide, but I choose to keep all my information off the cloud.  I have ALL my backup and coordination needs covered locally. I need to be able to do just what I want online, and keep everything else offline.

 

Given the above basic goals, and recognizing that there's some difficult-to-quantify value from doing things "Microsoft's way", I've already researched running Windows 10 in a configuration that could support these goals.  I've made tentative choices, but some are still not clear.  Here are my current thoughts...

 

1. In addition to visiting all privacy settings (those offered by Win 10 itself and through tools such as O&O ShutUp10 and W10Privacy), I would use a deny-by-default firewall setup, that would NOT allow the system to contact online servers without my approval.  I've already developed a setup that will accomplish almost perfect privacy yet allow Windows Updates to proceed when I choose.
    
2. I would take over control of when updates get installed, as well as exercising some selectivity using the Update Hiding Tool as needed (e.g., to hide hardware driver updates that are problematic).  This can be done in combination with 1 above by disabling / enabling certain services and altering the firewall setup slightly when choosing to check for a Windows Update is appropriate.  Thus updates will ONLY be applied when it's appropriate and I have no critical work pending.
    
3. Before initiating/allowing any cumulative Windows Update, I would vet it by reading online (e.g., here) about problems people have encountered, and which might affect my systems.
    
4. I would have set up a Windows 10 system in a virtual machine (as I have now) with which I would test any proposed updates after vetting them, and before allowing them to be installed on my hardware.
    
5. I would opt for the several month extra delay provided for the ongoing in-place upgrades enabled by the [ ] Defer upgrades checkbox.  Thus I would hope that the OS installed plus subsequent Windows Updates would have solved the most basic stability and functionality problems foisted on the public.  What I don't know is whether Microsoft makes a new ISO for these deferred upgrades, or just lets you install the public build everyone else got months ago, then you have to install the latest cumulative update over the top.  If the latter, that's kind of stupid but I wouldn't put it past them.
    
6. Every 4 months I would be resigned to the fact that a few days to a week of intensive work will be needed in order to do the in-place upgrade (or a fresh install) then re-tweak the system for productivity and privacy.
    
7. If down the road Microsoft does something SUPREMELY stupid (like removing the desktop/Win32 or some feature that I absolutely require, causing a "can't get there from here" situation), I'll just stop initiating all updates / upgrades and try to run the current system as long as possible while at the same time researching a move of all my operations to another OS - e.g., Linux.  I don't know how long a non-updated Win 10 will run, but I'll bet it won't be forever.

 

Since I'm a small business, I don't have the luxury of the extra functionality of the Enterprise edition to accomplish some of these goals, but I don't think there's too much I can't solve (at least today) with the above strategy. 

 

I guess one of the most difficult parts to swallow in choosing to embark on this path is that every 4 months Microsoft will be delivering a new OS build that has altered features and limitations, which will require a concentrated effort to get working right again. 

 

Changing requirements are scary...  It's not hard to imagine they could come out with a version that simply WILL NOT RUN without Cortana, OneDrive, etc. (today these can still be removed now with some hacking, and what's left will still hang together).

 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on how YOU would move forward with Win 10.

 

If you've already started on the path, please share your experience.  If you're still doing what-if like me, please share your thoughts and plans.

 

-Noel

Edited January 1, 2016 by NoelC

[Bakuchris]

I run Windows 7 Professional and never update my copy and use the software "Destroy Windows 10 Spying" to stop most of the connections with Microsoft's Servers and block other things, I don't own the paid version so I use the trial version and reinstall when I need too.

[aviv00]

I guess win server 2016 wont have same strategy like client ,might fit better

Like more stable updates and no auto restart

The 4 months upgrade might be gimmicky in the long term

ms will add new features that wont be needed to work environment

Edited January 2, 2016 by aviv00

[NikolaS92]

I'd love to hear your thoughts on how YOU would move forward with Win 10

 

-Noel

for me its simple: just install os, disable everything possible that i rarely or never use and until next os reinstallation (usually after 2 years) no any os changes like installing updates or upgrades.

[NoelC]

As far as a "use Win 10 with no updates" strategy, I'm not sure I see an advantage to that over a "continue to use Win 8.1 or 7" strategy...  That's not to say the latter is not valid; I'm still on it myself.  But I imagine this path might not be viable forever.  Then this discussion has to occur - either now or later.  \

 

Maybe the time when we'll all be compelled to move to Win 10 will come because some must-have feature will be developed - or maybe it'll come because Microsoft will have made continuing to run an older system MUCH more painful.

 

Regarding upgrading to Win 10 and just not doing any updates...  Perhaps that used to work because Microsoft would test Windows thoroughly before releasing it. 

 

But now... Which Win 10 would you choose?  Would you want to be stuck with build 10240 for years, or 10586.0?  Because of Microsoft's reorientation to have primarily users test the system the experience of the past no longer applies - so how do you imagine picking a particular Win 10 build+update to install and stick with? 

 

Would you think installing the latest Windows 10 build and latest cumulative update, say, just before the next build comes out might be reasonable?  That cycle though delayed would be about 4 months long - not a few years. 

 

I don't see a way to get around the 4 month reinstallation cycle to be honest, and yes, that's precisely the core problem here.  I said as much in the first post.

 

 

The idea of using a Server OS for running systems on which serious computing needs to be done hasn't crossed my mind and up to now I've simply ignored it.  Thanks for bringing it up, aviv00.  I need to do some more reading on that.  I hadn't really imagined Microsoft would create a Server variant that isn't going to be subject to the same "Windows as a service" type update philosophy as Win 10 Home/Pro/Enterprise, but I admit to being COMPLETELY ignorant regarding Microsoft's Windows Server strategies.

 

Off to start reading some more...  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Server_2016

 

-Noel

[jaclaz]

The idea of using a Server OS for running systems on which serious computing needs to be done hasn't crossed my mind and up to now I've simply ignored it.  Thanks for bringing it up, aviv00.  I need to do some more reading on that.  I hadn't really imagined Microsoft would create a Server variant that isn't going to be subject to the same "Windows as a service" type update philosophy as Win 10 Home/Pro/Enterprise, but I admit to being COMPLETELY ignorant regarding Microsoft's Windows Server strategies.

 

Off to start reading some more...  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Server_2016

 

-Noel

I may be living in the past , but surely you live in the future .

 

When (and if) Server 2016 will be released (expected for second half or possibly even third quarter 2016) we will see what happens, I mean it would not be the first (nor the last) time that the good MS guys have changed something (particularly licensing and capabilities/features) at the last moment (or even after release).

 

jaclaz

Edited January 2, 2016 by jaclaz

[aviv00]

10240 ltsb should be stable and well fixed by ms cos organizations using more likely

I like 10586 cos code was remaded to work better

But The performance is same with other applications

Overall performance and applications stability is same

OS performance and stability is better in 10586 fmo

Unlikely ms will have new technologies every 4 months that needs to

Be applied

But u might be right ms lately love changing thier policy

Edited January 2, 2016 by aviv00

[Bakuchris]

Then what is the best option at this point? to run?

[NoelC]

surely you live in the future .

 

Heh, well I do try to think that way, though I like to think I'm a bit conservative.  I find it's most important that things actually work.

 

I've had a pretty good time of it keeping up with "the latest" - with a few notable exceptions (early Vista, early Windows 8, early Windows 10).

 

Then what is the best option at this point? to run?

 

In the past it's been occasionally a good idea to "wait and see".  Invariably the world DOES need things that actually work.

 

-Noel

Edited January 2, 2016 by NoelC

[aviv00]

Then what is the best option at this point? to run?

 

I agree with Noel better wait and calc each step

 

if u need to make decision now, for workstation, ltsb is better less maintain

 

for varied desktop and productive usage like home user and workstation combine, go with latest version if its worth upgrading

hold upgrades for few days to see there no big problem, and then check them on less critical station and then whole upgrade

[NoelC]

I'm not sure I can get a license for the Long Term Servicing Branch.  I'm not an enterprise-sized business (which pretty much shuts me out from buying Windows Enterprise), and I'm not at all interested in running improperly licensed systems.

 

I am certainly willing to pay for proper Windows licenses, but the price of getting into Enterprise may be daunting since I only need two seats.  What's the minimum?  5 seats with yearly subscription (I admit to not being totally sure about today's options with Win 10).

 

Microsoft has always pushed "Pro" to small business users, but now "Pro" seems more closely aligned with "Home" than "Enterprise" in the ways that matter here.

 

-Noel

[aviv00]

maybe ask a friend's company to buy it together

[jaclaz]

maybe ask a friend's company to buy it together

Well, that would be a cross-enterprise license.

 

@NoelC

Maybe you could hire some three programmers don't you love it how the good MS guys try to make your firm grow?

 

jaclaz

[Bakuchris]

I'd also like to be legit, I own a copy of Windows 8.1 but I don't want to get entraped my Microsofts evil privacy ways so I downgraded back to Windows 7 Professional its much faster, reliable and I disable all privacy issues using a program and I never use Windows Update to update my copy as it's safer. I doubt using Windows 10 on the Long term branch would be better (especially in performance.) but I know sooner or later I'm going to have to upgrade as I cannot forever be using old software. (though I still use Mozilla Firefox 30 and Adobe Premiere CC 2014.)

 

Ah sorry I got carried away again.

[JorgeA]

I don't see a way to get around the 4 month reinstallation cycle to be honest, and yes, that's precisely the core problem here.  I said as much in the first post.

 

Somewhat OT for this thread, but you brought it up: 

 

If Windows users are going to be subjected to massive, reinstall-level updates three times a year, with all the risks that entails, over time this is bound to create a growing constituency of p*ssed-off users whose reinstalls went badly and who from now on Just Don't Want Forced Updates. The clamor will slowly build to deafening levels that even Nadella and Belfiore won't be able to ignore.

 

At that moment (when updates are no longer forced), Windows 10 will become a viable alternative. Thanks to @bigmuscle's and @NoelC's good work, I can probably work up a tolerable-enough system that looks halfway decent and doesn't keep (much) tabs on my activities. But forced updates are a deal-breaker: I need to be able to make my own decisions as to which updates are worth running the ever-present risk of installing. Sorry, I couldn't care less about the new Ruritanian currency symbol or the half-hour time zone change in Freedonia... but, like any Windows Update, their installation onto my PC still involves a chance of borking my system. They are simply not worth the risk, why should you force me to accept them.

 

--JorgeA

Edited January 3, 2016 by JorgeA