Configuring Mini-PC's With Zero Auto Updates On Windows 7

[Bondppq]

Hello, I have some mini-PC problems, it started when Windows 10 kept pushing updates to flood my 32gb hard drives to a mere 100 mb's in my Asus VivoSticks TS10 making them inoperable. I had to keep deleting updates everyday and could not shut down the automatic updates in the policies no matter what I did.

The same thing happened with Windows 11 in my AceMagician T8 Pro (albeit it has a 256 gb sized drive, so size wasn't the issue there) but I was able to shutdown many update functions in many policies and directories, yet it still says its updating, but only during boot up. I'm trying to figure out how to shutdown all updates forever.

Frustrated, I wiped these drives on both mini-PC's and formatted to EXT4 with a Linux install. I've learned to hate Linux, its far too complicated to deal with and I don't want to waste days-on-end in the shell and I don't know code to play around in it. Linux was a dead exploration.

So now I want to go back to Windows for both mini-PC's but downscaling to a Windows 7 or Vista or XP where I can affectively shutdown the automatic updates features for real and not have it run secretly in the background without alerting the user. A real and permanent update shutdown.

I'm told by various people that Windows 7 is the last Windows op system where you can shutdown automatic updates for real and its not a fake shutoff. I'm wondering how true this is and what your input is? And if there will be a driver issue in downscaling to Win 7 or Vista for these particular PC's?

Now before 'some' start jumping-up-and-down shouting that shutting down automatic updates is wrong to do and you don't want to do that and blah, blah, blah. I've heard that all before, but I have my strong reasons to never update anything I own and I don't, and I've never had a problem doing so in 15+ years.

Lastly, I use these mini-PC's to run just 1 program - Think or Swim stock trading platform on TD Ameritrade/Charles Schwab. I do not use these PC's for any web browsing, photos, music, not even office like Word, Excel, any chat messengers or anything. These PC's will have no other programs loaded into it besides Think or Swim and never used for anything else. They are as barebones as you can get, only the default installed programs from the Windows disc. I use an iMac as my daily workhorse, I don't need to use these PC's for that.

So the update issue whether some think is good or bad is irrelevant. So with all that being said, my question is what Windows platform can I completely shutdown the automatic updates? Can a Dell reinstall disk do this with no product key code or a reusable key code for multiple machines? And I'm told that all the drivers for Windows 7 are the exact same file as used in Windows 10 so is that true as well? Thank you.

[NotHereToPlayGames]

1 hour ago, Bondppq said:

I'm told by various people that Windows 7 is the last Windows op system where you can shutdown automatic updates for real and its not a fake shutoff. I'm wondering how true this is and what your input is?

Now before 'some' start jumping-up-and-down shouting that shutting down automatic updates is wrong to do and you don't want to do that and blah, blah, blah.

I've wholly and completely disabled Automatic Updates (and Windows Firewall, Windows Defender, Security Center, Search Indexing, Prefetch/Superfetch, Connected User Experience, Diagnostic Tracking, Insider Service, Font Cache, ...) in every OS that I've ever used !!!

Up to and including Win10 LTSB 2016 !!!

[NotHereToPlayGames]

[Dixel]

4 hours ago, Bondppq said:

I'm told by various people that Windows 7 is the last Windows op system where you can shutdown automatic updates for real and its not a fake shutoff.

Hi, first I suggest to obtain Win7 without SP1, only RTM or OEM release. Second, go start/administrative tools/services, disable windows update.

[Volume Z]

Windows 7 cannot connect to update servers by default in both RTM and SP1.

[Dixel]

The reason I suggested Win 7 RTM because the user is tight on space, and SP1 doesn't actually add anything useful, and esp. because he wrote the PC will be used for 1 one programme.

[Dixel]

On second thought, might as well go Vista, even less space will be wasted on the HDD.

[Saxon]

6 hours ago, Volume Z said:

Windows 7 cannot connect to update servers by default in both RTM and SP1.

But it will certainly fiercefully try non-stop and waste CPU cycles on that.

[Volume Z]

I'm trying to say you could not be safer from them, even by doing nothing.  And then you select "Never check for updates" anyway. You can have Windows Update take no resources at all.

[Klemper]

13 hours ago, Volume Z said:

  And then you select "Never check for updates" anyway. 

it will still check for updates anyway

[Dixel]

14 hours ago, Volume Z said:

you select "Never check for updates" anyway. You can have Windows Update take no resources at all.

Not from my experience, I agree with Klemper, I once had Win7 updated itself, even with the update service unchecked via the system configuration! The only way is to prevent it from starting via services. (choose disabled at startup).

Startup type = disabled.

[Volume Z]

Update check terminates after 17 seconds.

 

[Bondppq]

okay all of you guys gave me some good information as you had that discussion amongst yourselves. A few things here, @dixel you said for me to find "Win7 without SP1, only RTM" and I don't know what "RTM" stands for? Should I get the Home Premium Edition or the Professional Edition or which version is best you think?

I see many Dell Reinstall discs with Win 7 that came with a new Dell purchase and when I emailed some of these sellers on eBay some were telling me that the disc will only work with Dell computers, would that be true? Also, since the product key code was already used with the machine during the time of purchase can I use another product key code from my buddy who owns a computer shop and says he has many to give me, will that work?

What if I install Tiny 7 and install an OSX into it like Mojave as I don't like the latest OSX's. And then run the Think or Swim platform on the OSX which is really the ultimate and only goal here. This will always keep atleast 10 GB's of space on those little 32 GB VivoSticks I have and I can run TOS fluidly. I'm thinking of going this route now. What do you think of that approach?

[NotHereToPlayGames]

RTM = Release To Manufacturer

Unless you are using an illegal version of Win7 or you are a MS Beta Tester, then none of us ever LEGALLY use anything other than RTM or higher.

RTM means you bought a computer and it came with Windows loaded onto it because the manufacturer of that computer buys "millions" of licenses and distributes them one at a time, with every computer they sell.

[D.Draker]

4 hours ago, NotHereToPlayGames said:

RTM = Release To Manufacturer

Unless you are using an illegal version of Win7 or you are a MS Beta Tester, then none of us ever LEGALLY use anything other than RTM or higher.

RTM means you bought a computer and it came with Windows loaded onto it because the manufacturer of that computer buys "millions" of licenses and distributes them one at a time, with every computer they sell.

No, you confuse RTM with OEM. The ones that sold with computers are OEM. Look on their stickers.

RTM can be freely purchased on a DVD,