WuMgr Update Manager for Windows 10

[JoeP]

@Chris

If you decide to use WUmgr this post at @AskWoody may help. Guide to using WUmgr. It is written by Susan Bradley who usually produces clear and concise articles.

[ChrisGreaves]

If you decide to use WUmgr this post at @AskWoody may help. Guide to using WUmgr. It is written by Susan Bradley who usually produces clear and concise articles.

Thanks Joe; it was an article very much like this which, about a month ago, I followed and implemented. I don''t think it was AskWoody, more like Older Geeks or such.
But thank you for the heads up!
Cheers
Chris

[ChrisGreaves]

... Back to WUMgr[/b]:
I followed the instructions in the one-page (!!) PDF manual, brought in every update, which consumed two passes/reboots and about two hours, and then turned off the switches as advised by WUMgr. The screenshot above shows I am Win10 19042, whatever that means. I expect it to stay like that, week after week until the end of the year, if i feel like it. In particular I expect it NOT to change to Win11.

This morning I was greeted at startup with this:-

IMG_20211120_031627654.jpg

By my calculations, 40 days after I ran WUMgr.
This screen makes me think that Win10 ran updates, or tried to run updates, something I expected I would not see again (until I manually opened the floodgates).

System Information tells me "10.0.19402 Build 19402" which corresponds to my system version back on October 11th.

I can wait another 40 days touching nothing, and see if Windows has another shot ...

Cheers
Chris

[ChrisGreaves]

Hi Ken.
Yes, Win10Pro:=Untitled.png

I am puzzled. Prompted by a post in AskWoody I checked my version again this morning, two months since I started this thread.
Two months ago i posted this image:-

Untitled0.png

But this morning I see this:-

Untitled.png

Note the different layout of what I believe in both cases is the result of choosing Settings, About.
I am still back on 20H2, which (from my point of view) is good.
I am not sure though about the format of a build number. "19042.12666" is a numeric value greater in magnitude than "19042".
Cheers
Chris

[JoeP]

The 19042 part of the build number indicates the 20H2 release. The .1266 part of the build number indicates it is the September 30 2021 cumulative update.

19043 indicates 21H1. 19044 indicates 21H2.

The end-of-service date for 20H2 is May 2022. Microsoft may upgrade you without your permission and on its schedule when that date gets a little closer. I recommend you install at least 21H1. Its end of service date is December 2022. The end of service date for 21H2 is June 2023. The 21H1 and 21H2 updates were relatively minor. They were installed using enablement packs.

When you decide to upgrade be sure to do an image backup of your system before you begin.

[Doc.AElstein]

Hi Chris

WuMgr Update Manager for Windows 10
From the description this seems like a wonderful tool, everything to absolutely blocking all Windows Upadtes for ever and the ability to have Windows updates installed unattended in real time as they become available...

I have not see this, but I will have a look as just now I am considering things “Windows 10 taming”
I will also look at the other stuff related which has been mentioned in this Thread, including this,
https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/6 ... 0-updates/
_....

_.__________________

Here in the next posts are some contributions though relevant to some of the other things discussed here, first, posts 2a) and 2b) is very similar to what Ken was talking about, the third post 3 is a small part from a project I have a very small amount to do with related to the MS Update theme.

[Doc.AElstein]

Posts 2: Group Policy Editor.( the next two posts after this one )
If I understand this correctly, as a Layman, this idea is related to the traditional way of computers organising where at a company an Administrator had some greater control over all the computers used by the “lesser mortals”.
In early versions of windows 10 some things like Ken was talking about were duplicated both at
_ the “upper level” metro “lesser mortals” user setting pop up things user interface,
and
_ in the deeper more hidden Group Policy Editor. Once something was done at this deeper more hidden "Administrator level" some of the options to available to the lesser mortal may have been greyed out and/or a red warning told you that some higher being had enabled setting things, so you can’t:
https://i.postimg.cc/TPCk0gzx/Settings- ... sation.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/QtCfyVDT/Settings- ... sation.jpg


( But note again as ken has already told us, in more recent Windows 10, some options are only available more deep down at the Group Policy Editor )

Back to the Update managing theme: It seems that the general opinion in the last few years even amongst those a bit critical of windows 10, is that the Security Updates from Microsoft are a good thing to keep fairly up to date on, possibly just delayed a few days so that you miss any problems that might initially arise with them.
I think we can say that this thing is one of the two main update types and they still go under the name of Security or Quality updates. So that is the one of two main Update things we have in Windows 10. You probably should keep those up to date.

Broadly speaking the other sort of update, (Preview Builds and Feature creature Updates ) , I think encompasses the main version update as well as all the other stuff Microsoft like to pass on to you. Here opinions are split broadly into the two camps, and for the camp I think you are in, Chris, I can give the recommendation that I have seen mostly given in recent times.
( BTW. King Canute always came across as a good chap to me as well, at least based on what one of the local historians from my old neck of the woods, Henry of Huntingdon, said about him)

So recommendations typically given
A lot of this is very similar to Kens explanations which I found very nice and clear. I am taking the liberty of copying some of what he said as I can’t do it better. The screenshot resolution let him down a bit, so , just as an alternative I will do it slightly differently .

[Doc.AElstein]

Post 2a) Preview Builds and Feature Creature Updates
You probably don't want these, Chris.
So, this comes close to stopping them, for a while, according to a lot of experts.
_ Hit Microsoft key + Key r to get the small run window up : https://i.postimg.cc/Sxbtxy6B/Keys-Micr ... mbol-r.jpg
_ Type in gpedit.msc , then OK : https://i.postimg.cc/rsdYKsYk/gpedit-msc.jpg
The GPE should open, probably as a stupidly small window so maximise it and make the left-hand pane a lot wider. Then, in the left-hand pane ….
_ navigate Computer Configuration – Administrative Templates - Windows Components : https://i.postimg.cc/GmPgBZzH/Computer- ... plates.jpg
_ Scroll down to Windows Update – Windows Update for businesses and double click on Windows Update for businesses : https://i.postimg.cc/mDp5LCjj/Windows-U ... nesses.jpg
_ Now in the right-hand pane, double click on the option Select when Preview Builds and Feature creature Updates are received: https://i.postimg.cc/xC1ZVtvq/Select-wh ... cieved.jpg
You should now have a big window pop up to do it all in
_ Select Activate when Preview Builds and Feature creature Updates are received : https://i.postimg.cc/s2V65w0K/Activate- ... cieved.jpg
_ Very important now is to select Semi Annual Channel : https://i.postimg.cc/ncDPxsDK/Semi-Anual-Channel.jpg
and it must be just that Semi-Annual Channel
_ Now set to 365 days: https://i.postimg.cc/053BhGb2/365-Days-Apply-OK.jpg

Close it all up now, if you like.
Apparently those settings will give you in total 4 months + 365 days space before you get any of those Preview Builds and Feature creature Updates. I don’t understand why. That’s just what I have read.

The article Ken referenced here , suggest, I think that the above might not work.
But maybe not – that might be to do with the bit about the Semi-Annual Channel which is in my explanation. I am not sure.
In any case that’s an interesting article , which I will pass on to the much more smarter people then me who are involved in a project which I am also involved with, which I will just briefly mention in Post 3

[Doc.AElstein]

Post 2b)
Security (Quality) Updates
The first bit is the same as before to get to the group policy editor stuff:
_ Hit Microsoft key + Key r to get the small run window up : https://i.postimg.cc/Sxbtxy6B/Keys-Micr ... mbol-r.jpg
_ Type in gpedit.msc , then OK : https://i.postimg.cc/rsdYKsYk/gpedit-msc.jpg
The GPE should open, probably as a stupidly small window so maximise it and make the left-hand pane a lot wider. Then, in the left-hand pane ….
_ navigate Computer Configuration – Administrative Templates - Windows Components : https://i.postimg.cc/GmPgBZzH/Computer- ... plates.jpg
_ Scroll down to Windows Update – Windows Update for businesses and double click on Windows Update for businesses : https://i.postimg.cc/mDp5LCjj/Windows-U ... nesses.jpg
_ Now in the right-hand pane, double click on the option Select when Quality Updates are received : https://i.postimg.cc/KjdpLbdg/Select-wh ... ceived.jpg
You should now have a big window pop up to do it all in
_ Select Activate when Quality Updates are received : https://i.postimg.cc/FKZ662J2/Activate- ... ceived.jpg
_ now you want to set that to 4 days : https://i.postimg.cc/TPGSCRhV/4-Days-Apply-OK.jpg

That should give you a 4 day chance to miss any problems that sometimes the important security updates cause, after which any problems will either have been sorted or the update no longer sent. Then you have the important security updates.




So this and the last post are what a lot of people have been recommending for people like you and me over the last couple of years.
I am still a bit sceptical myself about letting any updates at all in on me, but for now I am taking that advice


_.____________________________-


Finally some links that say about the two update things like what I have been saying in this and the last post, but they are probably saying it all more clearly. For each is a link to the YouTube video at YouTube, and also a copy I have downloaded that runs Windows Media Player

This is a bit dated from the time when the mortal could do it:
YouTube ( from minute 3.15 ) https://youtu.be/N3MH9wizGfw?t=195
.vmv File https://app.box.com/s/0tnrkx9chtbpp992vea86aqgp96oag0i

This is a bit later when you only had the way to do it with Group Policy Editor as ken and me have been talking about
Yous Tube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HryjIsPx6Zg
.wmv File https://app.box.com/s/0mz8dej4fm9sscj94iab4k8qxxpxme1q
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbAdZDFQAUc
.wmv File https://app.box.com/s/ccwjluyd7hojr9tyknst73652mci196t

[Doc.AElstein]

Post 3
I only touch on this briefly as it is a large ongoing project, not quite finished , but almost. It is intended to do something not dissimilar to WuMgr Tool, but also the whole Windows 10 / 11 area of Privacy , Debloating , Updates as well as allowing for re adding a lot of the old tried and trusted and by most people loved tools in Windows which Microsoft have a strange habit of discontinuing. Further still it has options to undo anything you do with the tool , and also repair the damage some people are finding done by earlier such tools, which were rather too aggressive
It’s all done in Power script, so it is easy for even a novice to tweak – even I have been able to do it and am using my own tweaked version to sanitise some Windows 10 machines just now.

The final goal is to come close to a series of ..

... easy-to-find Boolean switch

.. Buttons
We are almost there with something like this: https://i.postimg.cc/Mp1N7cZZ/GUI.jpg

Just by way of example, this section, (which I don’t yet fully understand, but am getting there, slowly), is behind the switch for “Security updates Only”

Code: Select all

 $securitywindowsupdate.Add_Click({        #  $securitywindowsupdate = New-Object system.Windows.Forms.Button  Button section,  Beautiful in Notepad ++  https://i.postimg.cc/ZnwK94LF/Beautiful-in-Notepad.jpg
    Write-Host "Disabling driver offering through Windows Update..."
    If (!(Test-Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Device Metadata")) {
        New-Item -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Device Metadata" -Force | Out-Null
    }
    Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Device Metadata" -Name "PreventDeviceMetadataFromNetwork" -Type DWord -Value 1
    If (!(Test-Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DriverSearching")) {
        New-Item -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DriverSearching" -Force | Out-Null
    }
    Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DriverSearching" -Name "DontPromptForWindowsUpdate" -Type DWord -Value 1
    Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DriverSearching" -Name "DontSearchWindowsUpdate" -Type DWord -Value 1
    Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DriverSearching" -Name "DriverUpdateWizardWuSearchEnabled" -Type DWord -Value 0
    If (!(Test-Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate")) {
        New-Item -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate" | Out-Null
    }
    Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate" -Name "ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate" -Type DWord -Value 1
    Write-Host "Disabling Windows Update automatic restart..."
    If (!(Test-Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU")) {
        New-Item -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU" -Force | Out-Null
    }
    Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU" -Name "NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers" -Type DWord -Value 1
    Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU" -Name "AUPowerManagement" -Type DWord -Value 0
    Write-Host "Disabled driver offering through Windows Update"
    $ResultText.text = "`r`n" +"`r`n" + "Set Windows Update to Sane Settings"
})

Don’t ask me how, but apparently that will
_ delay the Preview Build and Feature creatures Updates to up to 3 years,
_ delay the quality(security) updates by 4 days,
_ and sets the time that the security updates may come to be outside of the normal working hours of your local location.

I can’t for the life of me relate any of that script to what it is claimed it does, not yet anyway!

Correspondingly, there is a section to undo that, but it is much more complicated as it includes a lot of extra repair stuff, including a lot of registering of dlls and a lot of other stuff I don’t understand yet. The idea here is that you apply all the undo and correction, for example to get your computer up to date, example if you want to move up to windows 11, then you click all, or any you choose, of the other buttons to sanitise the thing.

_._____________

I have just been using this tool myself on a few Windows 10 machines. There is always a noticeable improvement in performance, - mostly everything seems to go a lot quicker. Some older machines which seemed to slow to a snails pace after updating from windows 7 to windows 10 , sprang into life like a young ‘un after using this script.
So far I have seen no ill effects. But I do not yet have the long term experience. Initially it looks hopeful
To give some figures, which I confess don’t mean so much to me yet: I get down to a process count of about 100, - depending on the particular computer it starts before using the script at anywhere from 190 to 120.
That is just for doing what we call the “Essential Tweaks”, which get rid of stuff that most people would never miss.
There are further buttons to get rid of stuff that many people probably don’t need and would never miss.

So far the machines which I have sanitised with this tool don’t seem to be missing anything. But I do not yet have the long term experience, yet

_.______________

Just one last word of warning for anyone who goes off like I did a while ago and tries some of these many “Sanitising” scripts going around.
There is an ever increasing number of them, and it seems coincidently that none of the authors ever had much to do with Microsoft Office. Consequently they usually have that as one of a lot of stuff they regard as Bloatware, and after running these scripts you will find your Office gone, as happened to me a few times :(
So its important to have a look and tweak this stuff before you use it.
Example: always look for something like "Microsoft.MicrosoftOfficeHub" in lists of things to be got rid off and remove or # comment out those script lines. Note also it may likely appear in more than one place in a single script.



Alan

[ChrisGreaves]

The 19042 part of the build number indicates the 20H2 release. The .1266 part of the build number indicates it is the September 30 2021 cumulative update.

Hello Joe, and thank you for providing an interpretation of build numbers that start to look like an IP address.

"September 30 2021" suggests to me that I am still at the point I was at back at the start of this thread, in the first week of October; that is, no updates have been applied since that date. That suggests that WUMGR did its job well in navigating me through a procedure.

I am not against updates in general, but do like to maintain a stable platform while I am working on a project. My latest project being completed, it is time for me to play catch-up with updates.

19043 indicates 21H1. 19044 indicates 21H2.

Now from this I interpret that somewhere there is a reference document(s) that map one identifier to another.
I think of build numbers as unique identifiers of something that is available to be "rolled out of the door", so I am comfortable with the idea of a weird sequence of numbers that identify, pretty well down to a day-of-year level, a roll-out.

The end-of-service date for 20H2 is May 2022. Microsoft may upgrade you without your permission and on its schedule when that date gets a little closer. I recommend you install at least 21H1. Its end of service date is December 2022. The end of service date for 21H2 is June 2023. The 21H1 and 21H2 updates were relatively minor. They were installed using enablement packs.

Thanks too for this.

Given that nowadays I do not make use of printers, scanners, networks, clouds etc I am thinking now of making the next upgrade a mighty leap to the very latest update available on the grounds that after making that leap I can again freeze my system as best I can and base my work on a stable platform.

When you decide to upgrade be sure to do an image backup of your system before you begin.

Hah! Not that I am paranoid or anything ... (grin)

Thanks again
Chris

[ChrisGreaves]

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has taken WUMgr for a spin.

Untitled.png

Well, that didn't last even a year.
Late this afternoon I rebooted and went to use the magnifying glass icon, second from left, to type in "CMD" as usual, and the interface has changed.
Changed for the worse.
The panel that pops up cannot be maximized, and so I am forced to click/scroll down to see whatever Microsoft has chosen to hide from me.

Oh, sorry:

(signed) "Sulking" of Bonavista

[BobArch2]

Well, that didn't last even a year.
Late this afternoon I rebooted and went to use the magnifying glass icon, second from left, to type in "CMD" as usual, and the interface has changed.
Changed for the worse.
The panel that pops up cannot be maximized, and so I am forced to click/scroll down to see whatever Microsoft has chosen to hide from me.

Oh, sorry:

(signed) "Sulking" of Bonavista

May I ask why you didn't just click on the Command Prompt icon? I have experienced what you described and shown with multiple tasks. But once I selected the Command Prompt icon future requests resort to the simple version.

[ChrisGreaves]

May I ask why you didn't just click on the Command Prompt icon? I have experienced what you described and shown with multiple tasks. But once I selected the Command Prompt icon future requests resort to the simple version.

Yes, Bob, you may

OK. I tend not to click on the command-prompt icon; I don't have a command-prompt icon on my task bar. (I used to have my own cmd.bat shortcut there).
Instead I tend to use the magnifying glass and type "cmd".
I could use Ctrl-Esc and type cmd.

FWIW I just retried the magnifying glass trick, typed "cmd" and then <Enter>, and there I was.

So for some reason this new-fangled box that can't be maximized disappears after one appearance?
Another anomaly from MS ...
Cheers, Chris

[BobArch2]

May I ask why you didn't just click on the Command Prompt icon? I have experienced what you described and shown with multiple tasks. But once I selected the Command Prompt icon future requests resort to the simple version.

Yes, Bob, you may

OK. I tend not to click on the command-prompt icon; I don't have a command-prompt icon on my task bar. (I used to have my own cmd.bat shortcut there).
Instead I tend to use the magnifying glass and type "cmd".
I could use Ctrl-Esc and type cmd.

FWIW I just retried the magnifying glass trick, typed "cmd" and then <Enter>, and there I was.

So for some reason this new-fangled box that can't be maximized disappears after one appearance?
Another anomaly from MS ...
Cheers, Chris

I know you like short cuts to reduce keyboard action ... so, lets summarize:

Your action:
1. Click on the magnifying glass.
2. Place your cursor in the Search box.
3. Type in "cmd"
4. Press the Enter key

Number of strokes... 6

My action:
1. Click on the magnifying glass.
2. Click on the Command Prompt icon

Number of strokes.... 2 (I WIN!!! )

Your attachment shows that "Apps" are selected. When I perform my action for the very first time, the option is switched to "All" and a simpler menu is shown. Notwithstanding that the options remain to goto different menus... and big expansion from earlier days when Moses was a cadet.

SearchBox.jpg

[ChrisGreaves]

I know you like short cuts to reduce keyboard action ... so, lets summarize:

Actually, I prefer keyboard actions to mouse. The keyboard remains in place, whereas the mouse drifts all over the desk and the mouse-pointer drifts all over the desktop.

But let's not quibble.
Yet.

Number of strokes.... 2 (I WIN!!! )

No you don't:-

Untitled.png

If we are talking about minimizing actions, then my re-instated shortcut to T:\BATLap\Command.bat wins with one action.
I make the distinction between "action" and mouse-clicks because all too often when someone says "It's only one click", they do not count the hand, wrist, arm movements to locate the mouse and drag the mouse pointer (one or more swipes) to the target icon.

Back to DOS, me. One click and I am done!

Code: Select all

C:\Windows\SysWOW64\cmd.exe

Your homework for this evening: Reduce the number of actions to yield a command window by one action, down to zero.

Now, I maintain, still, that producing a window that forces the user to scroll is bad design.
All windows should be maximized to allow the eye/brain to take in the maximum data possible.

Cheers, Chris