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Windows 10 Will Soon Let You Opt-Out of Automatic Driver Updates (pcworld.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from PCWorld: Microsoft is giving users some more control over Windows 10 updates, with a new beta build of its operating system released Monday. The build allows folks with the Windows 10 Professional, Education, and Enterprise versions to defer new updates for up to 35 days. In addition, the company will allow those users to decide whether or not they want to include driver updates when they want to update Windows. It's a move that helps respond to one of the key criticisms of Windows 10: that Microsoft's regime of forced, cumulative updates has caused problems for users with some configurations. This way, users can steer clear of updates they don't want to install yet and dodge problematic driver updates. The newly-minted update changes are just one part of the improvements added to Windows 10 with the build released Monday. Microsoft is also working on making the initial Windows 10 setup more accessible using Cortana. The company's virtual assistant can ask users questions at setup -- when they speak languages that it can understand -- and use those answers to configure devices. A small number of beta users will also begin to see a battery life experiment pop up on their devices. Microsoft is also giving users an easier way to connect to a virtual private network. Once Windows 10 has a user's VPN settings loaded, it's possible to activate the connection with the tap of a button without opening up VPN settings.
My Microcrap box is back running Windont 7.
I'd prefer an opt-out of the UI 'improvements'.
At some point fragmentation causes serious issues. This wasn't a problem when they would release a major release every 5 years and a couple service packs inbetween. Now they're making substantial changes and feature improvements on a bi-annual basis. If most people are 2 years behind developers will have to target 10 different OS configurations instead of 2 (those who are on the latest and those who are deferred for a few months).
Were they untested or something? Years of automatically accepting updates on Linux (kernel and otherwise) across varying hardware and it's been extremely rare that I've experienced any issues at all...
Is all the software/drivers on Windows considered bleeding edge? Is the hardware not abstracted such that it would cause a complete meltdown with no user interaction possible? Are recovery options insanely complex for the user?
Twinstiq, game news
When will Microsoft allow me to opt out of the egregious data harvesting?
That's fine. Then prompt them every now and then to suggest it. Or give them the option to set it to automatically install at 3 AM.
The big problem here is that Microsoft took away a pile of options when they came out with Windows 8 / 10 and haven't learned their lesson. I have an all-in-one in my kitchen and regretted Windows 10 within a few weeks because I'd come down in the morning to read the news while having breakfast and it wanted to update or it was finishing an update from the last time it interrupted me. Or I'd use it in the evening around dinner time and it suddenly rebooted on me for the same reason. It seemed like it was constantly disrupting my ability to use the system because of updates, it was extremely frustrating and since I outright disabled the Windows Update service my life has been peaceful.
Innovative ideas for updates
- Allow you to schedule updates to occur at a specific time.
- Not interrupt you the next time you use your system if that specific time was missed.
- Allow you to update when you shut down your computer.
- Prompt you to update your computer every once in a while.
I believe if you upgrade to Windows 7 you can gain all of those features.
Wait, your Windows asks you? Mine just shuts down on me and takes all my work with it to the depths of Hades. Unless of course I want it to.
That comic says it better than I ever could.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.