Microsoft is Making It Easy To Stop Windows 10 Rebooting Your PC Randomly For Updates (theverge.com)

Tom Warren, writing for The Verge: Microsoft is unveiling some changes to the way Windows Updates are applied to Windows 10 PCs with the upcoming Creators Update. The software giant has long been criticized by Windows 10 users for its aggressive approach to applying updates, and it's introducing some new options to prevent annoying reboots. "What we heard back most explicitly was that you want more control over when Windows 10 installs updates," admits John Cable, Microsoft's Windows director of program management. "We also heard that unexpected reboots are disruptive if they happen at the wrong time." To stop these random reboots, Microsoft is adding a new snooze option that appears in a new prompt to let you know there's a Windows 10 update available. Snooze will stop an update installing for three days, and give you time to save any crucial work.

Comments

Only MS

[DakotaSmith]

"What we heard back most explicitly was that you want more control over when Windows 10 installs updates," admits John Cable, Microsoft's Windows director of program management. "We also heard that unexpected reboots are disruptive if they happen at the wrong time."

Only Microsoft would think that people don't want control of updates, or that unexpected reboots aren't disruptive.

I've been in IT 39 years. Only an idiot doesn't know those two things.

Re:Only MS

[gtall]

Of course they knew it, but they figured the longer they could get away with the forced updates, the better off they were at stemming any disruption to their business model. It is all about monetization of the "user experience". You are nothing more than a fat, information bloated meat sack waiting to sucked dry the MS Mosquito.

Re:Only MS

[Anonymous Coward]

And yet they try to pass off the spyware as though it were a tool for feedback and not data harvesting. Too bad feedback only works if they listen to it.

I also have a problem with doing their job for them. I don't want to buy Windows 10 (or buy a version of Windows that got upgraded to 10, same thing), and submit any data to them, even if it's to make their lives easier and to fix bugs. If they want that data, they can rehire their QA team or they can PAY me for it. I won't work for them for free.

Re:Only MS

[Anonymous Coward]

The absolute worst aren't even the reboots in my experience - it's when you need to run out the door, go to shut down your laptop so you can slam the lid, toss it in a bag and go... and you get the dreaded "don't you dare touch this laptop for the next 5 minutes to 8 hours, important updates you can't control have started. Do you (a) hang around for an indeterminant amount of time waiting for the 5 minute... no, 1 hour... no, 30 seconds... no, 2 weeks... no... updates to grind away and miss your meeting/flight/dinner; or do you slam the lid anyway and run the very real risk of screwing up the OS.

Re:Only MS

[JustAnotherOldGuy]

Only Microsoft would think that people don't want control of updates, or that unexpected reboots aren't disruptive.

I've learned to expect the highest level of unawareness from Microsoft, even on regarding the most obvious topics. Sometimes I think they say things like this just to gauge the level of outrage and "WTF?" that follows.

It's almost as if none of them use a computer, at least not one running Windows. They sound genuinely baffled that an unexpected reboot would be cause for concern. It's mind-boggling.

Stop changing what isn't broken MS.

[Kitano123]

How about you just restore the exact customization options that are in previous versions of windows because that's what I want.

Re:Stop changing what isn't broken MS.

[Anonymous Coward]

If Windows updates are supposed to keep you safe, then explain why there is currently a serious SMB vulnerability being exploited in the wild, that was made public in February 2 (but reported to Microsoft in December, IIRC) that STILL hasn't been fixed.

They are just prioritizing, right? Some things are more important, right? Better to ship late than to release something that doesn't work right?

That must be why an OH SO IMPORTANT update that fucks with their webcam API - that had been working since the middle ages - just HAD TO ship in its incomplete form and proceed to - surprise - fuck with their webcam API, making it impossible to your a webcam (unless it was a blessed one, apparently).

It is because of things like this that I keep the updates OFF.

Nope

[Anonymous Coward]

Sorry, not good enough. I want to be able to fully control when or if my system receives updates, which specific updates it gets and when or if my system reboots. A delayed forced reboot is still a forced reboot. I only apply updates that fix a problem that I am having and 99% of all Windows update have exactly zero benefit to me. I also have some work projects where I need my computer to operate 24/7 for an indeterminate number of days or weeks.

The spyware, adware and reverting configurations needs to end too.

Don't fucking reboot

[iamacat]

If you are going to insist on automatic updates, ensure that they can be applied to a running system, up to hotswapping parts of the kernel. Or just back off. My system is not a toy and is certainly not your toy. You don't get to decide if I get interrupted either today or 3 days later,

Microsoft really know their stuff!

[admin7087]

"We also heard that unexpected reboots are disruptive if they happen at the wrong time."

Who would have thought that?

Now they just have to figure out how to disable all telemetry in Windows 10, and I might even start to use it!

Re:What about Russian Shutdown Roulette?

[RightwingNutjob]

Which is why serious work doesn't get done on Windows. The corollary to an above comment that "only an idiot doesn't understand that uncommanded reboots are disruptive" is the statement that only an idiot would bring along a system to do a big presentation that is subject to frequent uncommanded reboots and brick periods.

I do all of my presentations on Linux machines and I set all of my machines to either disable auto filesystem checks on boot entirely or at least have the boot set up so I can CTRL-C out of it if needed. Why? Because my schedule gets set by me, not by some geek in another timezone who thinks he knows better than his lusers.

Obligatory

[JustAnotherOldGuy]

Obligatory "Are they not merciful?" post.

Wow, Microsoft is letting ME have a little more control of MY computer.

My Benevolence-O-Meter may not be able to withstand such punishment.

Re:Uhh

[Anonymous Coward]

And what would happen if the Snooze button is hidden by some other service or if it disrupts another service at an unexpected moment?

More worrisome: you forgot you had a 3-day delayed update pending and get an unexpected delayed update in teh middle of something else important. A longer delay doesn't solve the problem.

Re:What about Russian Shutdown Roulette?

[thegarbz]

Which is why serious work doesn't get done on Windows.

Hahahahah. Post like this is the reason the entire community isn't taken seriously.

Seriously.

3D Printing Fail

[adjustinthings]

I was 3d printing an very large object on my printer and the print time was 21 hours. I was checking on it all day (its really fun to watch) and then finally after it was printing for 18 hours I walk back in to the room and see my printer sitting there motionless and my computer had an 'updates were installed' message waiting for me. THANKS WINDOWS 10, that was super important.