Disable Windows Updates

[tekkaman]

I'm sure there are some people that want the computer to stay the way you configure it. No MS messing with your computer by updating drivers without consent or adding ads you don't need. If you think that way then Windows Update Blocker is for you. Tested it on Windows 11 and it works.

https://www.sordum.org/9470/windows-update-blocker-v1-8/

Basically it disables Windows Updates Service and protects it so that  it doesn't get enabled by itself like what happens when you do it yourself.

[D.Draker]

Sordum kills Defender Control updates due to conflict with Microsoft Defender

"According to Sordum, users have been reporting problems and errors in their systems whereby they are unable to open or re-enable Microsoft Defender"

https://www.neowin.net/news/sordum-kills-defender-control-updates-due-to-conflict-with-microsoft-defender/

[tekkaman]

1 hour ago, D.Draker said:

Sordum kills Defender Control updates due to conflict with Microsoft Defender

"According to Sordum, users have been reporting problems and errors in their systems whereby they are unable to open or re-enable Microsoft Defender"

https://www.neowin.net/news/sordum-kills-defender-control-updates-due-to-conflict-with-microsoft-defender/

What I posted is to disable MS Updates not Defender. You have to use another antivirus anyway if you disable updates since Defender requires MS updates enabled to download definitions.

[NotHereToPlayGames]

6 hours ago, tekkaman said:

What I posted is to disable MS Updates not Defender.

While that may be, this "Windows Update Blocker" is the ONLY way I have found that SUCCESSFULLY disables DEFENDER (and BFE) in Win10 21H2 !!!

The page you linked to for us to download it has a section on how to edit the .ini file to disable OTHER services also - this has been the ONLY thing I've found that can DISABLE DEFENDER.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.  While you may have only posted in regards to MS Updates, you solved my biggest issue preventing my upgrade from LTSB to LTSC.

Even our corporate IT department was unable to disable DEFENDER and so several test benches have not been able to be upgraded.

We have "legacy projects" from the '90s automotive industry that MS Defender will always flag and delete.  MS Defender is a NIGHTMARE!

Thanks again!

Edited September 7, 2023 by NotHereToPlayGames

[Dixel]

4 hours ago, NotHereToPlayGames said:

Even our corporate IT department was unable to disable DEFENDER

This story is hard to believe, they will never allow you to do it in a corporate environment, I linked to a simple solution, without third party software of unknown origins in your other topic.

[NotHereToPlayGames]

Not on our corporate laptops.  Our test lab test benches are a different story.  We are admins of our own PCs in the test lab.

Very limited internet access, of course.  We have email and MS Teams.  Corporate does our "updates".  In all Windows versions prior to xxHy, you can simply disable Defender from Services, you cannot in xxHy.

MS Defender has false positives on several of our vision system optical inspection equipment, several of our laser weld equipment, and several of our legacy ECU systems which control our dyne equipment.

Technically, we are always several OS versions behind on all of our lab equipment.  We do 'attemp' to start with the most recent OS on new equipment.

It will very likely be two or three years before what we set up here in the lab (ie, LTSB or LTSC) hits the factory floor.

Heck, a good 70% of everything on the factory floor still runs Embedded XP.

Edited September 8, 2023 by NotHereToPlayGames

[D.Draker]

16 hours ago, NotHereToPlayGames said:

MS Defender has false positives on several of our vision system optical inspection equipment, several of our laser weld equipment, and several of our legacy ECU systems which control our dyne equipment.

Did you report the issue to MS?

[NotHereToPlayGames]

20 minutes ago, D.Draker said:

Did you report the issue to MS?

Can't!  Disabled "feature" on company computers, as it should be I'm sure you'd agree.  Can't enable it if I wanted to.

But I also assume you were kind of asking "as a joke".  Or do you report this type of stuff to Microsoft?  I prefer to disable "error reports" on my home computers also.

edit - but we are clearly getting further and further off-topic so "moving on", as the saying goes...

Edited September 8, 2023 by NotHereToPlayGames

[Dixel]

I'm pretty sure he meant, did you report the false positives to Microsoft? Not the troubles with disabling.

[D.Draker]

Yes, I meant if his firm paid for non-cheapo LTBG licences, why wouldn't they simply demand moneyback, if they ignore reports, lol. I mean, it should work with official software, period! 

[Andromeda43]

JFYI   The program mentioned earlier, is NOT the only one that can shut OFF MS Updates.

I use "StopUpdates10.exe" and my Defender Firewall is still active.

https://greatis.com/stopupdates10/download.htm

I really like this program, because it gives me the option of turning MS Updates back ON any time I wish.  So far, I've not had the need to do this.

It's been several years since I've seen or heard of any specific Virus.  So I no longer run a specific AV program on any of my 12 PC's.

However, tracking cookies continue to be a big security problems, and I eliminate those with "SuperAntiSpyware".  

https://www.superantispyware.com/?tag=SUPERANTISPYWARE

I kept forgetting to run the scan, so I bought the program so I could set it to automatically scan daily at a prescribed hour. 

I just get busy working several different forums, and forget to do my PC maintenance. My Bad!

Cheers Mates,

Andromeda

 

[BYTE-ME]

On 9/7/2023 at 10:20 AM, D.Draker said:

Sordum kills Defender Control updates due to conflict with Microsoft Defender

"According to Sordum, users have been reporting problems and errors in their systems whereby they are unable to open or re-enable Microsoft Defender"

https://www.neowin.net/news/sordum-kills-defender-control-updates-due-to-conflict-with-microsoft-defender/

That NEOWIn story reads like a Microsoft press release. I haven't had any issues with either Sordum product which I put on all my computers. It is probably users of the newest builds of Windows 11 or those who install MS updates on top of Windows 10 or old Windows 11 versions, that are likely are having issues with Defender Control. I don't think the Microsoft's effort to keep Defender enabled is altruistic either. MS allows some competing anti-virus software makers to disable Defender, so why can't the end user do the same? The extra overhead of anti-virus software is totally unnecessary, in my opinion. Computer software updates have been fingered as the culprit in a number of hacks including the famous Solar Winds attack that hit more than 100 supposedly sophisticated business and tech companies). What's more, software updates often create new compatibility issues. My advice is to clean install Windows, then turn off both Defender and Windows Update, and make regular image backups of your clean Windows image. If you get infected or a driver install goes bad, just reimage your drive with one of your clean, uninfected Windows images and keep it moving...

Edited September 26, 2023 by BYTE-ME

[NotHereToPlayGames]

9 hours ago, BYTE-ME said:

<...>  MS allows some competing anti-virus software makers to disable Defender, so why can't the end user do the same? The extra overhead of anti-virus software is totally unnecessary, in my opinion.
<...>  My advice is to clean install Windows, then turn off both Defender and Windows Update, and make regular image backups of your clean Windows image.

Agreed!