How to remove Windows 10 upgrade updates in Windows 7 and 8

jhexp67 · 20 Nov 2015

It would recommend using GWX Control Panel. It removed about 3Gb of Windows 10
hidden program files from my PC.

UsernameIssues · 20 Nov 2015

jhexp67 said:

It would recommend using GWX Control Panel. It removed about 3Gb of Windows 10
hidden program files from my PC.

The native Disk Cleanup tool will remove those same files and more. (Run the tool as admin.)

jhexp67 · 20 Nov 2015

Thanks for that useful tip.
I think GWX Control Panel is good if you are not interested in Windows 10 updates or reserved it and decided not to upgrade and want to remove any hidden files.

thelma · 20 Nov 2015

Well, thanks for that info UI, I did that only last week so I won't bother. Anyway, at the moment I don't do anything on this PC without Anak's consent as he is helping me clean my PC.

thelma · 20 Nov 2015

thanks for this new :)list Lee,

Will take notes.

Cheers

Bertison · 20 Nov 2015

Thanks Lee, very useful in keeping 7 safe from contamination!

UsernameIssues · 20 Nov 2015

Brds7t7 said:

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Computers that have this Group Policy object enabled will never detect, download, or install an upgrade to the latest version of Windows.

You can configure this Group Policy object by using Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc). You can do this by going to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update, double-clicking "Turn off the upgrade to the latest version of Windows through Windows Update", and then clicking Enabled.

Or to suppress this offer through the registry, set the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate
DWORD: DisableOSUpgrade = 1

It looks like you suggesting that people should uninstall or avoid installing KB3050265. Do you have evidence that the GPO or registry change quoted above will work without KB3050265 (or newer WUC) installed?

Brds7t7 · 20 Nov 2015

All I know is all the systems I have set the Group Policy on have never downloaded any Windows 10 files or offered the upgrade to 10 on any of my systems.
From what I've seen some people have said the registry change sometimes doesn't stick after a new upgrade client install. I have never encountered this with the GP set in place.
I have all the WU client updates installed though.

Not sure what evidence I can provide, I'm just going on my own usage and testing in various different VM's.
If none of those Windows Update Client updates are installed, then the GP object doesn't exist on the system anyway, as it was first introduced with KB3050265. So it can't be set without that update installed.

As for the Registry setting, I don't know as I've always preferred to use the GP workaround.
I just used the wording from the KB article on the MS site.

UsernameIssues · 20 Nov 2015

Brds7t7,
This thread seems to be for people wishing to avoid:
1) changing the OS to W10
2) telemetry
You provided a list of "Windows 10/telemetry related" updates (presumably for people to avoid or uninstall*). I was hoping that you had computers where you had set the GPO, removed the updates that you listed and had empirical evidence that "Computers that have this Group Policy object enabled will never detect, download, or install an upgrade to the latest version of Windows".

As I understand them, GPO settings are not magic. They require some app to read and obey them. As you noted, the GPO setting in question is not originally a part of Windows 7. It was added by KB3050265. The Windows Update client that came with KB3050265 will read that new GPO setting and act accordingly. However, if you uninstall every Windows Update Client until you are at the version prior to KB3050265, then what app is going to read and act on the GPO setting that you mentioned?

I vaguely recall testing in a VM that only had SP1 installed. I installed KB3050265, set that GPO and then uninstalled KB3050265. I think that the GPO setting remained; but I could not leave that VM in that state to test the statement: "Computers that have this Group Policy object enabled will never detect, download, or install an upgrade to the latest version of Windows".

Since you stated that you have been installing each new Windows Update Client, then you might not be able to test this for those in this thread.

*If your list of updates is for people to uninstall, then you might be doing them a disservice by telling them that "Computers that have this Group Policy object enabled will never detect, download, or install an upgrade to the latest version of Windows" after they uninstall all of the Windows Update Clients on your list.

Brds7t7 · 20 Nov 2015

Problem solved. List removed.
I'll keep them for my own personal use.