Friday, January 19, 2018

Windows 10 - Thanks a LOT Microsoft!

In an effort to save us simpletons from helping Russian hackers to exploit security flaws in Microsoft operating systems, as part of the latest Windows 10 release/update (and maybe earlier), you can not much control patch downloads and installations.

You can determine if downloaded software is JUST critical patches or other stuff too. You can control (through a setting) what your "work hours" are, up to an 18 hour window. But you can NOT tell Windows 10 that you only want it to reboot (if it has to as a result of a patch) at a specific time. You used to could but that has gone away.

So, if you have a PC that is used for business and is needed on a 24/7 basis and needs to perform on-going tasks (or services) like scheduled file transfers, you can NOT instruct Windows as to when you want the system to reboot (if it needs to as part of an update).

Too bad, so sad if that untimely reboot happens to interrupts your work. If you happen to be online you can postpone the reboot for a bit. If you happen to need to, you can postpone all updates for 25(?) days. What you can't do is you can NOT manage your own PC updates any more. YOU my friend are just too stupid.

The result of this change is that more and more "professional" folks will simply disable the Windows update service so that it NEVER runs. Which in turn will make the security environment that caused Microsoft to make this decision, even worse. Nice going Microsoft! Shame that Microsoft did not consult with folks that use their software before making this sorts of changes. It is even more of a shame that Microsoft is so BAD at writing secure code that this sort of process change is even needed.