Why so many updates for windows 10?

scottduffy

scottduffy

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Guys last year I bought a Toshiba laptop and it's drove me insane ever since. Every other time I turn it on its configuring windows updates and it takes anything up to half an hour. It drives me crazy. Is it due to the computer or is it due to windows? How do I stop this happening?
 
It’s windows, if I want to use mine at a weekend I fire it up on Thursday and go to work, letting it sort itself out before I want it...
 
TBH I get windows updates for W10 no more than once per week, and often even if it does update the update is not noticeable to me as the user. If it's an old, slow Tosh running W7 then that's your problem.
 
I was only thinking that today! I bought a basic model HP laptop last year as I wanted something lightweight to carry on business trips so I can work on the train (Word and PowerPoint) and carry the thing between hotels and work venues without breaking my back. I upgraded the RAM to 8GB so it's not too slow, but understandably it takes longer to process updates than the flying machine of a desktop PC I have in the office. I only use that laptop once or twice a fortnight, and every time I turn it on it seems that I have to deal with updates, from Windows 10, the anti-virus software, etc.

It's getting to the point where it's becoming unmanageable! Tonight it's been running the best part of 3 hours to try to download the latest Windows 10 updates and some sort of 'features update' that I'll probably never even use! :mad:

All I want is a secure operating system on a Laptop for occasional use, instead it spends more time on updates than I do working on it! Surely there's got to be a better way than this? :confused:
 
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It's a new machine though just over a year old. I honestly thought it was the computer but if it's windows then thats shocking. Why the hell would a program need to cause such disruption to thew user? I think it's time i switched to apply although i much prefer the windows machines. Probably just not used to the macs yet as i use them only in college.
 
Define every time you turn it on?

If it's like once a week/fortnight then I'd expect that. If it's every day that's odd. You could have the update loop issue that happened a month or two back. Check your update history to see if one is failing.

I do find that windows 10 without SSD does take some time to update occasionally. Slow Internet for the larger feature updates wont help either m
 
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Updates every few weeks, hugely takes 1-2 to shut down extra and maybe 1-2 to start up.
The latest big update was a bit longer but for a big update it was really quick i find.

neil_g said:
You could have the update loop issue that happened a month or two back. Check your update history to see if one is failing.
Click to expand...

You should check this indeed!
 
I understand that MS decided that they would force auto updates on W10 which caused a lot of upset amongst users. Can't say for certain as I have W7 and have managed to resist the urge to go to W10. If you do a search for "disable W10 auto updates" there are details for turning the feature off.
 
Well, it took till after midnight last night to download all the Windows 10 updates (without me using the internet for anything else and leaving the machine undisturbed to get on with it)... and then the 'feature update' failed to load! I'll have to try again today when I get chance. :banghead:

It seems to me that if the computer is used daily then it's not such a problem as it seems to quietly get on with downloading Windows, antivirus and other updates in the background (particularly if it's a high-spec fast machine) but if it's a fairly basic laptop, etc. that you only use occasionally (once or twice a fortnight), then a backlog of updates forms, which then becomes a time issue next time you switch on and connect to the internet. Trouble is, as I understand it, if you turn the updates off you end up with a system full of security vulnerabilities and leave yourself open to getting hit by hackers and ransomware!

The thing that's annoyed me about Windows for years is that when I come to shut the computer down it can take a while if there's been an update download, as it has to configure what it's downloaded and doesn't seem to give me the option to defer doing that. This can be inconvenient if I want to leave the house or office as the computer won't switch off until the downloads have been configured. Not good if you don't like leaving electrical goods switched on when you leave the house or office and you have an important appointment time to meet! Surely MS could give us the choice to defer the update configuration process, and we could then carry out the configuration shut-down when it was convenient?
 
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It is very poor design. I used Linux for a decade or so and never had update problems. The few updates I needed either installed entirely in the background or on my timetable. None if this waiting for the operating system to finish updating before it would switch off and no hanging around when switching the machine on before I could get down to work. Apple's iMac operating system seems to be much the same as Linux so far.

Cannot understand why anyone bothers with Windows.
 
john.margetts said:
It is very poor design. I used Linux for a decade or so and never had update problems. The few updates I needed either installed entirely in the background or on my timetable. None if this waiting for the operating system to finish updating before it would switch off and no hanging around when switching the machine on before I could get down to work. Apple's iMac operating system seems to be much the same as Linux so far.

Cannot understand why anyone bothers with Windows.
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If you think osx has never had update issues then you haven't lived :D
 
I am back on windows 7 on my fast pc.
It seems to me microsoft is trying to drive users of 10 away.

And in that they are being very sucessful.
 
Because unlike Apple, they regularly roll out security patches, but their marketing has convinced people that Windows updating often is a bad thing...
 
neil_g said:
On 7 you used to get the option to shut down without installing updates.
Click to expand...

I think they removed the option because too many users were skipping the udpates, then complaining when they opened an attachment containing a virus that used an exploit that would've been fixed had they installed the updates..
 
Terrywoodenpic said:
I am back on windows 7 on my fast pc.
It seems to me microsoft is trying to drive users of 10 away.

And in that they are being very sucessful.
Click to expand...

Sorry I think the opposite as an it professional. Windows 10 is indeed a very good operating system. There's very few updates doing the rounds, occasional OS ones, weekly Windows Defender. I wonder if the OP has checked if his updates are completing successfully, if his manufacturer runs updates automatically (HP like to do this).

The best setting is to allow updates to download in the background but notify you when you install so you can pick a suitable time. Obviously if you don't have this then the download time is added, which depends on your internet speed etc.
 
It does sound a little excessive though. My windows pc only gets fired up once every 2-3 weeks these days and even then it's a long way off doing updates every time I use it, certainly nothing that takes any significant amount of time.
 
john.margetts said:
It is very poor design. I used Linux for a decade or so and never had update problems. The few updates I needed either installed entirely in the background or on my timetable. None if this waiting for the operating system to finish updating before it would switch off and no hanging around when switching the machine on before I could get down to work. Apple's iMac operating system seems to be much the same as Linux so far.

Cannot understand why anyone bothers with Windows.
Click to expand...

You know that the recently released Linux upgrade to V4.12 from 4.11 had over 1 million extra lines of code...

And you know full well that people use windows of Mac OS because of the applications they want to run and the ease of use of a desktop. Linux works well for certain server based services.
Hint: how do you know you're running Linux? Drop the keyboard and if a valid command comes up on the screen... :D
 
bass_junkie83 said:
My windows pc only gets fired up once every 2-3 weeks these days and even then it's a long way off doing updates every time I use it, certainly nothing that takes any significant amount of time.
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Which Windows are you using? I find my Win 7 laptop seems to have fewer updates to contend with than my Win 10 one. Plus the Win 7 one has an Intel i5 processor as opposed to the AMD A6 one that's in my 'budget' lightweight laptop, and despite it being a few years older it's noticeably quicker at processing data.

Meanwhile, the saga continues:

About an hour ago I fired the laptop up again to have another go after last night's failed Win 10 'features' update... and it didn't want to check for any updates at all. I've just gone back to it and the screen info says 'no updates available' or words to that effect. I pressed the check for updates button (which had reappeared by then) and it instantly found and started to download a 'Malicious software removal tool' update! A bit of progress then?

Apparently not,! After downloading, it just sat there with the 'Preparing to install updates' gauge sitting at 0% and not moving! No mention of the 'features' update it said had failed to upload last night either.

Oh, hang on, now it's telling me it's finished checking updates. Looking at the Updates History it seems I now have three 'Failed to install' notices for the 'Features Update to Windows 10, Version 1709'. :grumpy:


I am beginning to hate both Windows 10 and that laptop now! Windows? Tell you what, if I win the lottery jackpot this weekend that laptop will be leaving through one! :bat:
 
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bass_junkie83 said:
I'm using windows 10.
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Have you checked to see if it's actually checking for updates and downloading and installing them, together with any anti-virus updates too?

News flash! I've just had a Windows Update notification on my desktop PC now... saying Windows feature update is ready to install. That's good, considering that I installed in on that computer on Tuesday night! This just gets better and better! :popcorn:
 
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I'll have to check the exact setting, but yes it does do updates every now and again, they just don't seem to be particularly frequent.
 
bass_junkie83 said:
I'll have to check the exact setting, but yes it does do updates every now and again, they just don't seem to be particularly frequent.
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Perhaps check your updates history and see how often it's been updating? Then click on the 'check for updates' button and see if it finds anything, it should do if you've not had it running and connected to the internet this week.... then you too can try your luck with the 'Features update'!

I've just rectified the notification message on the desktop by clicking the restart option in the notification message... it didn't restart, it checked for updates, said there weren't any and cleared the notification message. So that wasn't too painful, but it shouldn't actually have been necessary in the first place. I've given up trying with that laptop though, so Win 10 can bloody well whistle for it's 'Features update'! ;)
 
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you don't have to have all the feature updates, they are Microsoft improving functions.
you can set your network/wifi to a metered connection then you will only get basic security updates etc.
 
On win7 you only get security updates anyway.
 
I use the machine probably three to four times weekly and it seems like every time or definitely every other time it's configuring updates. I'll look over these tips on this thread and update it as I go. Thanks for all the advice though.
 
scottduffy said:
I use the machine probably three to four times weekly and it seems like every time or definitely every other time it's configuring updates. I'll look over these tips on this thread and update it as I go. Thanks for all the advice though.
Click to expand...

look up setting your network as a metered connection.
 
Mr Bump said:
you don't have to have all the feature updates, they are Microsoft improving functions.
you can set your network/wifi to a metered connection then you will only get basic security updates etc.
Click to expand...

This one @neil_g
 
One additional point to consider - what AntiVirus are you using, and how is it configured?

On a lower powered machine, a mjor Win 10 upgrade can go very slowly as the A/V desperately tries to scan the incoming updates, which can become even worse if a large (slow) download tricks the A/V into thinking the machine is 'idle' so kicks off a full system scan...

Life is / was so much easier with XP / Win 7 options to allow users to control the time of update downloads.
 
Mr Bump said:
that's because its old cack and only getting security updates.
Click to expand...


Old , liked and trusted.. That is why it is still the most used operating system. even after all the pressure and tricks microsoft have used to get people to change.
 
Mr Badger said:
Perhaps check your updates history and see how often it's been updating? Then click on the 'check for updates' button and see if it finds anything, it should do if you've not had it running and connected to the internet this week.... then you too can try your luck with the 'Features update'!

I've just rectified the notification message on the desktop by clicking the restart option in the notification message... it didn't restart, it checked for updates, said there weren't any and cleared the notification message. So that wasn't too painful, but it shouldn't actually have been necessary in the first place. I've given up trying with that laptop though, so Win 10 can bloody well whistle for it's 'Features update'! ;)
Click to expand...

Have you got any failed updates with an error message. Sometimes you get a failed update and it will continuously try and fail, so you need to rectify that.

The latest features update takes a wile to download and update, as did the anniversary update.
 
Byker28i said:
Windows 7 ended mainstream support in Jan 2015, extended support ends jan 2020. You don't gat many updates now as they aren't working specifically on it.
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That is as it should be, it is a mature system.
I have no interest in new features, It does exactly what I need right now.
I would be happy is the security updates went on for longer, and since it is still so popular with commercial users, it just might well do.
If and when they come to an end, I will more than likely carry on with it anyway. (if I live so long)
I really dislike the whole feel and concept of 10.
 
Byker28i said:
Windows 7 ended mainstream support in Jan 2015, extended support ends jan 2020. You don't gat many updates now as they aren't working specifically on it.
Click to expand...

Really? I've had 4 Important Updates this week.
 
Terrywoodenpic said:
Old , liked and trusted.. That is why it is still the most used operating system. even after all the pressure and tricks microsoft have used to get people to change.
Click to expand...

That's not the reason at all.

It's because corporations are always a few years behind rolling out the changes in-house because of the potential implications to bespoke software built to run on a specific OS, it can cost a lot of money to upgrade 50000 machines. So you'll find some big companies still running Win 7 and paying for support from MS, rather than forking out to upgrade their entire estate.

And that then skews the stats of the OS most in use.
 
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