Time To Turn Off Windows Auto Update - Unless You’re Using Win10 Version 1803

April patches were only available in like a lion and out as being a … lion - a large lion with lingering halitosis. If you’re using Windows 7 or Server 2008 R2, it’s likely that you haven’t gotten within the bugs, nevertheless.

As expected, the other day Microsoft started rolling out its new and amazingly buggy Windows 10 April 2018 Update (which didn’t arrive on 10 April, but nevermind). Some people actually installed the haunted update voluntarily, although more were pegged as Seekers and appropriately, uh, honored.

This month brings a special juxtaposition of any coerced buggy upgrade and also a still-unsettled base.

If you’re running Windows 10 version 1803...

If you've Win10 version 1803 and you also don’t want to buy, roll back when you can. Click Start > Settings > Update & Security. On the left, choose Recovery. On the right, under Go back to the last version, click Get Started. When asked the reasons you want to roll back, you might desire to construct a particularly poignant response about half-baked bugs, but I'll leave that your responsibility. Click Next, No Thanks, Next, Next (yes, again), and Go back to earlier build.

If you’re running Win10 version 1803 therefore you want to ensure that it stays, I salute you, and urge someone to keep automatic update running. We need cannon fodder, eh? The cumulative update very likely to arrive on Patch Tuesday this month could very well contain some important fixes. At the very least, it’s challenging to imagine that it’ll make things any worse.

It’s exceedingly rare that I recommend installing new Windows patches after they’re available, though the large number of really bizarre bugs makes that selection for Win10 1803 an affordable one. Besides, Microsoft has had some experience fixing the bugs in version 1803 build 17134.1. It released 17134.5 to beta testers on April 27. Yes, which was before they released 17134.1 for the unwashed masses on April 30. I expect we’ll view a build 17134.x where x > 5 on Tuesday. Let’s carry out the Time Warp again.

For everyone else

If you’re running Win10, and you also don’t would like to deal with Win10 version 1803 in the near future, you’d be well advised that you follow the detailed procedures in How to block the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, version 1803, from installing before Tuesday, when Microsoft intentions to start rolling out 1803 - being a service, mind you - to several more machines.

If you’re using Windows 7 or 8.1, the Automatic Update block is straightforward: Click Start > Control Panel > System and Security. Under Windows Update, click on the "Turn automatic updating on or off" link. Click the "Change Settings" link around the left. Verify that you've Important Updates set to "Never look for updates (not advised)" and click on OK.

If you’re using Windows 10 Pro version 1703, or Pro 1709, and Microsoft doesn’t change its mind again, you may use Windows’ built-in tools to hold on to off for the looming patches - just follow Steps 7 and 8 in 8 steps to set up Windows 10 patches such as a pro. Other Windows 10 users, including all Win10 Home owners, aren’t quite so lucky, nevertheless the general “metered connection” approach is detailed in Woody's Win10Tip: Block forced Windows updates.

A short while now could help you save hours of headache. Get Automatic Update put off, then watch here, or with your favorite bug-reporting site, to check for widespread pandemonium.