The future of controlling updates through bypassing protected processes

Discussion in 'Windows 10' started by pf100, Dec 11, 2018.

  1. pf100

    pf100 Duct Tape Coder

    Oct 22, 2010
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  2. spanishfly

    spanishfly MDL Senior Member

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    #2 spanishfly, Dec 12, 2018
    Last edited: Dec 12, 2018
    What about some variation of @TairikuOkami 'brute force solution' (Option 2 here: pastebin.com/yHVKXj6C).

    The defect with this solution is it still allows windows to waste PC resources hunting for updates and sniffing around looking if the PC needs to be updated.

    Maybe someone can make it look pretty by packaging it with a simple GUI toggle. Here's an ugly batch script:
    Code:
    :WU_Toggle_SymLink
    :: Source: Windows Update Disable - Pastebin.com is.gd/bkh3AA
    CLS
    ECHO:
    CHOICE /C:BU /N /M "Do you want to Block or Unblock Windows Update? ['B'lock/'U'nblock] : "
    IF %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 2 (
    ECHO:
    ECHO Restore SoftwareDistribution directory and remove the symlink to the nonexistent location
    ECHO:
    rd "%WINDIR%\SoftwareDistribution" /s /q >NUL 2>&1
    ECHO:
    md "%WINDIR%\SoftwareDistribution" >NUL 2>&1
    ECHO:
    PAUSE
    )
    ECHO:
    ECHO Delete SoftwareDistribution directory and create a symlink to a nonexistent location
    ECHO:
    taskkill /im "TiWorker.exe" /f >NUL 2>&1
    rd "%WINDIR%\SoftwareDistribution" /s /q >NUL 2>&1
    mklink /d "%WINDIR%\SoftwareDistribution" "B:\SoftwareDistribution"
    PAUSE
     
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  3. spanishfly

    spanishfly MDL Senior Member

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    #3 spanishfly, Dec 12, 2018
    Last edited: Dec 12, 2018
    A service solution?
    I believe, the MDL hosted service solution "Windows 10 Update Disabler" has stopped working.

    'RebootBlocker' is a different service 'solution'
    I'm posting it here since I haven't seen this third-party, closed source solution discussed on MDL.
    Maybe some variation of a service based tool can achieve the future goals proposed in this thread?

    RebootBlocker is *not* a true solution
    RebootBlocker *doesn't* stop windows from downloading updates--wasting bandwidth and using continuous PC resources!
    It *does* stop forced updates!
    It gives you control over when to allow updates and is free of the possibly of Microsoft disabling presently working registry solutions.
    RebootBlocker service solution is hosted on a German tech magazine (computerbild.de/download/RebootBlocker-Windows-10-Neustart-verhindern-17287917.html) and discussed in English here (hxxps://xxx.udse.de/en/windows-10-reboot-blocker) [You'll have to fix the link since I'm still below 5 posts]

    Quote: "The setup installs a windows-service, that will update the "active hours" every hour, so windows will never be allowed to reboot."
     
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  4. spanishfly

    spanishfly MDL Senior Member

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    There is an advanced batch script hosted on GitHub: AveYo/@ batch scripts for power users.md

    I don't have the command line skills to grasp if there are concepts that can be incorporated into @pf100 presently working solution or if an opportunity for collaboration exists to develop future working solutions?

    gist.github.com/AveYo/234d561dec43abc6c41f43d223a87170
    See the "one script to rule them all!" windows_update_toggle.bat
     
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  5. abbodi1406

    abbodi1406 MDL KB0000001

    Feb 19, 2011
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  6. pf100

    pf100 Duct Tape Coder

    Oct 22, 2010
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    1) Windows 10 Update Disabler hasn't worked for over a year now, plus it only disabled wuauserv which no longer works because of Update Facilitators.
    2) RebootBlocker is closed source and we can't maintain it if the developer dies and we don't know how it works so it's not even an option here.
    3) windows_update_toggle.bat relies on registry edits and what if registry edits that it requires are no longer allowed?
    4) What if my WUMT wrapper script stops working because removing permissions from system files is no longer allowed?
    5) What if WU_Toggle_SymLink no longer works because deleting %WINDIR%\SoftwareDistribution is no longer allowed?

    Protected processes could make 3,4, and 5 stop working. That's what this thread is about. Already working solutions aren't much of a solution if future protected processes block their methods. We need to think more of the future here. That's why I named the thread "The future of controlling updates (post 1809)". Maybe I should rename it to "The future of controlling updates by bypassing or disabling protected processes".
     
  7. Windows_Addict

    Windows_Addict MDL Expert

    Jul 19, 2018
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    How about if the user just switches to Edu or Ent editions and use group policy to control updates.
    It works fine for me.
     
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  8. John Sutherland

    John Sutherland MDL Addicted

    Oct 15, 2014
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    Forced updates every month are bad enough, but being forced to upgrade to a new build every six months was the deal breaker for me using Windows 10 Home. It was a very frustrating experience not knowing if I would have a working operating system after clicking the little tab marked "Reboot Now". In my case, the failure rate was 50%.

    1.) The Anniversary Update (Build 1511 to 1607) went through without a problem.

    2.) The Spring Creators Update (Build 1607 to 1703) failed miserably. It took forever to download, and the installation process froze at 91% after rebooting. After nearly four hours of waiting I called it a day, did a forced shutdown, and put the machine aside for nearly a week until the 1703 .iso became available to download. Then I did a clean install.

    3.) The Fall Creators Update (Build 1703 to 1709) also went through without a problem.

    4.) The April 2018 Update (Build 1709 to 1803) was another miserable failure. I experienced a "reboot loop" where it installed the updates, rebooted, announced the updates had failed to install, rebooted, rolled back to the previous build, and began the loop all over again. Once again I had to do a forced shutdown, wait a while, and do another clean install when the .iso became available.

    It was at this point I began to look for an alternative to Windows 10 Home, and found it in Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB 2016. I promised myself I would never use Windows 10 Home ever again, and I would never wish it upon anyone else.
     
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  9. pf100

    pf100 Duct Tape Coder

    Oct 22, 2010
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    We're looking for solutions for all versions of Windows 10 and not solutions that work now. This is about the future, specifically in regards to protected processes.
    Okay, I'm renaming the thread now.
     
  10. LiteOS

    LiteOS Windowizer

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    #10 LiteOS, Dec 12, 2018
    Last edited: Dec 12, 2018
    unrelated
     
  11. pf100

    pf100 Duct Tape Coder

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    I feel like I'm herding cats. This is not about methods that currently work. Most of us know by now what works and what doesn't.
    This thread is about overriding protected processes which is the model Windows 10 is transitioning to slowly over time.
    Please, I'm begging you all, stop posting methods that work now.
    Is it too much to ask to read the OP and the thread title? Try to think outside the box.
     
  12. endbase

    endbase MDL Guru

    Aug 12, 2012
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    The only way I can think of that should work for future releases is to remove WU function in totall if somebody could script that it would be an blast I think :)
     
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  13. Tiger-1

    Tiger-1 MDL Guru

    Oct 18, 2014
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    ^ I agree :)
     
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  14. LiteOS

    LiteOS Windowizer

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    #15 LiteOS, Dec 12, 2018
    Last edited: Dec 12, 2018
    Many of the packages that was removable in rs1
    Now combine together in one big package
    And this one package include mostly unrelated sub pkgs to each other

    So it makes it more hard to lite win
    But for now im not that worry
     
  15. Tiger-1

    Tiger-1 MDL Guru

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    ^ yep same here...
     
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  16. shewolf

    shewolf MDL Senior Member

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    #17 shewolf, Dec 12, 2018
    Last edited: Dec 12, 2018
    How to do it in the future I will think and try later: there is absolutely no time yet, and not needed.

    For the next several years Control Windows Update options, it can satisfy everyone from Windows 7 +

    For the more "advanced" those who dream of developing their own kernel that would be compatible with Windows and will completely replace the Windows kernel, this is not enough for sure, however :p

    :eek:
     
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  17. Joe C

    Joe C MDL Guru

    Jan 12, 2012
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    ya know.....
    Instead of fighting M$, why don't we (us people) put our resources into a better o.s.? Oh I've tried the Linux route and it works very well, but it has a funky way of doing things, Like calling the printer driver "CUPS" why the F***K can't they just call it what it is? Like printer sh*t?
    I would think that if people that do not want Windows 10 crammed down their throats, maybe ReactOS might have a better chance of becoming something useful. I did attempt using ReactOS on and older set up and it failed miserably. But I also think if we put more effort into this instead of fighting with M$ then every body might have a useful OS we can all use and enjoy
     
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  18. DavidXanatos

    DavidXanatos MDL Senior Member

    May 23, 2010
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    Well my problem with Linux is pretty simple: CAD software, neither SolidWorks 2016+ nor Altium designer 17, run under wine or nativly on linux. And I need CAD software for my every day work.
    Its not about Linux does it different, its about Linux does not run it at all.
    And Virtual machines due to their notoriously bad graphic performance are a no go for CAD, for example SolidWorks grinds to a holt in a VM if you have an assembly with a few hundred parts.

    I know I could try GPU pass through but on a laptop that is well not really an option since most have only one GPU, ok mine has also a quatro card built in but not sure if you can splitt of the graphics card in the modern hybrid setups with intel graphics+nvidia.
    The nvidia card is not a standalone graphics card its more a GPU accelerator tied in to the embedded graphics of the CPU.
    The only GPU pass through setups I seen so far were desktop PC's with dedicated secondary GPU cards.

    Long story short, for professionals, Linux is not a replacement for windows as long as wine is so incomplete.
    And ReactOS is still bloody alpha.

    So whether I like it or not i'm forced to live with windows one way or another.