Verizon Unlimited & Windows 10 Updates

[ispjs]

Just started our second month of the Verizon Unlimited (they now call it Beyond Unlimited).  We never stream or download anything, just look at a few internet sites and the DW checks FB a couple times a day.  The first month on this plan our MiFi blasted threw the 15g in less than 3 weeks.  

Yesterday we used almost 10g!!!!!!  I was on a couple forums and some other sites for about an hour at two different times and my DW spent a couple hours running TurboTax doing our annual "pay Uncle Sam".  I couldn't believe how much data two laptops blew threw and was convinced it was either a Verizon issue or our MiFi was broke.

Spent about an hour on the phone with Verizon and finally ended with a tech who could pull up everything that was taking data from our MiFi yesterday.  Both of our laptops are running windows 10 and there was a big update for both, plus she had not booted hers up for about a month and there was almost 3g of extra updates.  So thanks Windows 10 for using just under 10gigs of my 15gigs of 4g for the month!  I tired to shut down automatic downloads but it seems with Windows 10 you can not do this anymore.

[manholt]

Quote

Windows 10

Joe S.  That's the reason, I got rid of my free download and went back to my 7pro.  I chose what I want to download...I'm not a gamer and those are some really big files....my downloads are mainly security patches.  I look at them first, some are redundant.

[desertdeals69]

I gave up on windows years ago, use Apple now.

[kaypsmith]

Yes Windows 10 on one PC has put me on super slow with Verizon Unlimited, the updates started at 3:30 AM three days in a row, got 3.5 to 3.75 each day before my Mify crashed each time. The file is over 5 gig and will not resume when internet comes back alive. I am now over the 22 gig threshold and on super slow until 2/14. I told windows 10 to go ahead and update, and it finally finished in about 12 hours at 3.5 kilobits. Now I'm in slow mode till 2/14. I have the metered internet turned on, on this PC but the version update doesn't care. Only to prevent it is to disable the PC's wifi each time you walk away from it. If I didn't need to keep my Microsoft certification, I would be using Apple also.

[richard5933]

Actually, last time I looked one of the few controls that Win10 users have over updates is if they are on a metered connection. The Verizon Unlimited should be connected to your PC as a metered connection. If not you should check the WiFi settings on the PC. Somewhere under the 'manage known networks' there is a toggle to set the connection as a metered one. This will have an effect on how Windows downloads updates.

Depending on the version of Windows you have, it is also possible to change settings in the Group Policy Editor which will either delay or stop updates. Some you can delay, some you can choose to skip. You can also have the computer ask you before downloading any new updates once you're in the editor. All these setting will affect different updates differently. Some of the more important safety ones do occasionally push through in spite of all the settings you make if Microsoft deems them critical. These settings are designed for the business world where the updates may conflict with proprietary software being run so that the business has a chance to update their own software to a compatible version before installing the Win10 update. You may have to upgrade your version of Windows to gain access to the Group Policy Editor since it's not included in the free or lower level versions.

If you're able to make the changes needed to delay or stop updates, then you have to be sure to connect to a 'regular' internet once in a while to manually go look for updates. For instance, if you've set the system to delay updates for 35 days, then you'll need to check manually about once a month. This can be done by either plugging into an Ethernet port or by connecting to a WiFi connection.

Hope this helps. Lots of good information out there on the internet about changing these settings if you need it, but check a few different sites to be sure the information you're using seems good and that it's for the version of Windows you have (this can vary depending on which Win10 update you're running.)

[kaypsmith]

The windows 10 update that we are talking about is actually upgrade, which is unstoppable because it is an upgrade, as I said, the only way to keep it from happening on this particular one is to not connect to the internet. That is why I suggested that one would need to disconnect from the internet each time they leave the computer. The upgrade is actually set to start on it's on when the computer is idle for a certain period of time and there is an internet connection. Therefore if you disable the internet connection each time you leave your computer, you can avoid this from happening. My computer is set up as a metered connection, it upgraded anyway. The professional version of Windows 10 is what I have, and being on a domain has no effect on this particular upgrade. Just more of Microsoft's taking control of it's users lifestyle. Yes ordinary updates can be put off, but this one is a gotchya.

[richard5933]

12 minutes ago, kaypsmith said:

The windows 10 update that we are talking about is actually upgrade, which is unstoppable because it is an upgrade, as I said, the only way to keep it from happening on this particular one is to not connect to the internet. That is why I suggested that one would need to disconnect from the internet each time they leave the computer. The upgrade is actually set to start on it's on when the computer is idle for a certain period of time and there is an internet connection. Therefore if you disable the internet connection each time you leave your computer, you can avoid this from happening. My computer is set up as a metered connection, it upgraded anyway. The professional version of Windows 10 is what I have, and being on a domain has no effect on this particular upgrade. Just more of Microsoft's taking control of it's users lifestyle. Yes ordinary updates can be put off, but this one is a gotchya.

Partially the case but not totally. If you go into the Group Policy Editor it is possible to control (to some extent) the ability of Microsoft to apply these 'upgrades' and to delay or even stop some of them. Some of the upgrades can be delayed for a short time, some can be delayed for a longer time. The only ones that I have been unable to have control over are the critical-need updates for security issues.

I know this because I've got some equipment in my shop which relies on software that doesn't update frequently. The Microsoft updates and upgrades were causing conflicts if they were installed before my own software developers were able to do their upgrade. That's when I found out about going into the Group Policy Editor to take some control over these things. Once my equipment manufacture comes out with drivers compatible with the latest Microsoft update/upgrade I can go ahead and and let Win10 do its thing.

I just did a quick Google search on the subject. Here's the first link that popped up about the subject.

https://pureinfotech.com/prevent-windows-10-installing-creators-update/

Please don't rely on this link as an authoritative source - I'm only posting it to show that I'm not alone on this.

Since many businesses would stop using Microsoft altogether if it disabled their software during updates, there has to be some degree of control. The Group Policy Editor is one of the ways to have the control over the timing and installation of updates AND upgrades.

[gramps]

Windows 10 is less susceptible to trojans,  viruses, and malware than any other previous Windows version and it is less prone to attacks than Apple OSs. This is mostly due to the fact that they don't give users the option of installing upgrades and patches any longer, they force it on you and most of the time you don't even know it is happening, your internet connection slows down and so does your pc. Sometimes it makes you reboot which makes things worse because it forces Windows to start the download process from the beginning. I have learned to check my system settings on a regular basis and check my update history. The first Tuesday of the Month is called Big Patch Tuesday by most pc techs because that is when MS sends out its biggest update which is usually an upgrade of the whole OS.  Updates to programs such as Windows Defender can take place anytime. 

[kaypsmith]

On ‎2‎/‎3‎/‎2018 at 7:31 AM, richard5933 said:

Partially the case but not totally. If you go into the Group Policy Editor

If one doesn't have a professional or ultimate version of Windows 10, or8, or7,orXP, or longhorn, there is no group policy. I would bet that 87% of the users on this forum do not even know that there is a professional available. But for those of us that do use professional, yes we can rely on the group policy. But how many of us on the road have a need for being part of a domain? All versions do let you change settings to  metered internet service, but this can be changed without an update, so one would need this to be checked in a timely fashion.

[daveandpam309]

To stop automatic windows updates on windows 10 when using a cell connection, do the following while connected to your cell/hotspot/jetpack:

Go to windows settings

Select "Network and Internet"

Select "Change Connection Properties"

Change the slider that says "Set as metered connection"

Done!

You may get nag messages about system and antivirus updates, but it gives you back control over when they occur.  This needs to be done for every wifi source you use, such as each hotspot, your phone or the spouse's phone.  Any new wifi that you connect to such as a friends S&B wifi or the library will then run all your updates .

Cheers,

Dave