Windows 10 Updates and Rebooting

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CraigS
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2016 6:02 am

Windows 10 Updates and Rebooting

Post by CraigS »

Need some help understanding how Micorsoft Windows 10 updates and rebooting may affect my IFW backup process.

I currently run an unattended scheduled IFW backup script on my W7 machine at 3AM once a week. Updates are not a problem on W7 because I have declarative control over when updates are installed and system rebooted. With windows 10 pro MS has removed much of this control, yes it can be postponed but you have to reply to a popup, no one is going to see this at 3am. I also don't want MS loading update files while IFW is trying to make a backup.

Questions:
1. Is there a way in IFW or my .bat script to prevent an update files being delivered to my system? Possibly turning off the LAN while
the script is running or killing some process or service. How do you folks deal with this.
2. Also is there a way to prevent a unwanted reboot while my script is running.

Sort of: hay Microsoft don't bother me till I am done with my backup.
Bob Coleman
Posts: 785
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2011 5:58 pm

Re: Windows 10 Updates and Rebooting

Post by Bob Coleman »

I don't think I'd worry too much about MS loading update files while IFW is trying to make a backup. PhyLock, if you use it, will probably prevent the files being finalized on disk until the backup is done. I suspect that will prevent update application and re-booting during the backup, but I admit that I don't know.

Maybe you could use Active Hours in Windows Update settings to prevent that, but you may have better use that setting.

How about changing the time of the backup to be within Active Hours even if the system is in use? There doesn't seem to be a compelling reason to restrict backups to the middle of the night.
CraigS
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2016 6:02 am

Re: Windows 10 Updates and Rebooting

Post by CraigS »

Thanks Bob
After some searching I think I have the answer, at least for W10 pro. You can change Group Policy to force just an update notification only and asking before downloading and installing updates. There is probably some time liet after which they just install it anyway. It's seems similar to the way W7 does , but you don't seem to get a choice as to what updates to accept or reject. Once you click the check for updates and one is available it starts the download and install without any further interaction. Doesn't seem to be a way to say "hold on this looks like a big one I want to do that later".

I looked at the active hours setting but I want the reverse -- don't download, update or reboot during this time period. During normal hours notify me but let me delay it for x hours or days.

I just have to wait for the next update to know for sure how it works. Then I can get my backup script running.
Bob Coleman
Posts: 785
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2011 5:58 pm

Re: Windows 10 Updates and Rebooting

Post by Bob Coleman »

CraigS wrote:

>
> I looked at the active hours setting but I want the reverse -- don't
> download, update or reboot during this time period.

Yes, my idea was to set the times you would be doing a backup (some hours in the middle of the night) be "active hours" to prevent an update occurring then, but I realized that might not be very satisfactory because other times (daylight hours) would then not be "active hours" leaving the chance (probability?) of an update being applied in the middle of the day.
mashedmitten
Posts: 151
Joined: Sun Dec 04, 2016 2:16 am

Re: Windows 10 Updates and Rebooting

Post by mashedmitten »

You can set WU in W10 to not download or install updates anytime unless allowed. It will check for updates, but not DL/ install. You do it via RegEdit or Group Policy. Don't know if that's desirable for you.
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