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

[MeOnMine]

Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB3050265)
Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB3068708)

Hello people.

These updates have arrived and to my un trained eye they look dangerous.

please advise.

Wayne

 

[Brds7t7]

Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB3050265)
Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB3068708)

Hello people.

These updates have arrived and to my un trained eye they look dangerous.

please advise.

Wayne

2 more I skipped. If you're not interested in Windows 10 yet, I'd say skip them.

 

[AddRAM]

Yep, they are both on my list of updates Not to install

Before installing any update, highlight it then click the more information icon/heading on the right side of the page.

It will describe what the update is for, then you decide whether you want to install it or not.

 

[MeOnMine]

Thanks for your time guy's, much appreciated.

 

[Elenor]

I uninstalled them from Installed Updates screen of WU without any issues.

Sorry, I haven't read to the end yet, so this may have shown up in y'all's discussions, ... however:


After removing the Win10 crap updates (through CTRL Panel, Installed Updates), renaming the GWX folders (in Sys32 and Wow64) to GWX-old (haven't gone through ownership change to try to delete; that's next ), setting these "updates" to hidden at MS/Win UD), rebooting, and ARGH! The GWX.exe showed right back up in my SysTray.

Found in Task Scheduler these two slimey worms:
refreshgwxconfig
refreshgwxconfig-B

which I assume are the "MS doesn't care what YOU want: they're putting whatever THEY want on your hardware without your permission" reinstallers/revivifiers! (At the present, I cannot imagine ANYTHING that will make me "up-" (ha!) -grade to Win10. When MS quits supporting Win 7, I expect I'll have to move to Linux!)

Next step is to try taking ownership and dumping the folders. (WHY do I think the revivifiers will bring this crap back to life anyway?) (Oh, right, cause it's MS!) Next after that, if it doesn't work, I'll clear the Registry... Wish me luck!
Elenor

 

[Elenor]

Gah. Took ownership. Didn't just delete (recycle bin), removed completely the renamed GWX-old folders in Sys32 and Wow64. Rebooted. There the @$^$)#$%& thing is, back in SYSTray.

'kay, Registry Sweep is next! :shock: Wish me luck!

 

[Brds7t7]

I uninstalled them from Installed Updates screen of WU without any issues.

Sorry, I haven't read to the end yet, so this may have shown up in y'all's discussions, ... however:


After removing the Win10 crap updates (through CTRL Panel, Installed Updates), renaming the GWX folders (in Sys32 and Wow64) to GWX-old (haven't gone through ownership change to try to delete; that's next ), setting these "updates" to hidden at MS/Win UD), rebooting, and ARGH! The GWX.exe showed right back up in my SysTray.

Found in Task Scheduler these two slimey worms:
refreshgwxconfig
refreshgwxconfig-B

which I assume are the "MS doesn't care what YOU want: they're putting whatever THEY want on your hardware without your permission" reinstallers/revivifiers! (At the present, I cannot imagine ANYTHING that will make me "up-" (ha!) -grade to Win10. When MS quits supporting Win 7, I expect I'll have to move to Linux!)

Next step is to try taking ownership and dumping the folders. (WHY do I think the revivifiers will bring this crap back to life anyway?) (Oh, right, cause it's MS!) Next after that, if it doesn't work, I'll clear the Registry... Wish me luck!
Elenor

Did the update show up again in your list of installed updates? I had to uninstall one of them twice before it actually went away for good. If it's still in the list, I would try renaming all the files/folders back to their original names and try again.

 

[Elenor]

Thanks Brds7t7 -- I checked the System32 and Wow64 folders -- no GWX folders back there. I checked Task Scheduler: the two "refreshconfig"s were gone...


Before I started the Reg sweep, I decided to check the installed updates against the list in this thread! Double argh. (Let me restate, I had HIDDEN those updates in WinUpdate...)

In the list below, when I added "Deleted again" -- I mean "uninstalled Win update." (I have to keep a log as I do stuff or I forget by the time I reach the end of the list! Don't get old, your memory (among many other things!) goes to hell!)

KB2876229 SKYPE Not present
KB2923545 Deleted again!
KB2952664 Deleted again!
KB2970228 Deleted again!
KB2977728 Not present
KB2978092 Deleted again!
KB2990214 Not present
KB2994023 Deleted again!
KB3021917 Not present
KB3022345 Not present
KB3035583 Not present
KB3050265 Not present
KB3068708 Not present

Uninstalled them all, again. Have to reboot now, again, to see if they go away. (Anyone taking bets they don't?!)

I was wondering, with dismay, as I uninstalled these again, if I have to reboot after EACH uninstall, or do the individual uninstalls without rebooting interfere with each other... I Will ALSO try that, if I have to... {sigh}

Elenor

 

[Elenor]

Okay... maybe?

Rebooted, then checked these updates again:

KB2876229 Hidden
KB2923545 Deleted again! – hidden
KB2952664 Deleted again! – not present
KB2970228 Deleted again! – hidden
KB2977728 Not present
KB2978092 Deleted again! – hidden
KB2990214 Not present
KB2994023 Deleted again! – hidden
KB3021917 Not present
KB3022345 Not present
KB3035583 Not present – Deleted again
KB3050265 Not present – hidden
KB3068708 Not present – hidden

Hid the ones I last uninstalled; this one appeared again and was re-uninstalled.

KB3035583 Not present – Deleted again

Checked the Hidden files and listed which were safely (?) shown as hidden.

About to reboot -- HOPE this got it!

 

[GokAy]

Sorry to hear it didn't work for you, maybe because you are trying to uninstall after the deployment. My post should be from before W10 nag started. I intentionally installed them on laptop, but haven't had the time to try things.

 

[Elenor]

After reboot, I found the stupid GWX.exe STILL in SYSTray. So, searched C drive for GWX.exe -- found four instances -- they all turned up in

C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-gwx_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7601.18846_none_0e7fd87b6cf7aa00

5-6 files, all beginning with GWX. Changed ownership to me-as-Admin. Up one level, a second folder exists.

C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-gwx-task_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7601.18846_none_b9cb3cc3db4bb7ee

Changed ownership of the 2 files in that folder.

Tried to delete folders -- Needed permission from "SYSTEM." {sigh}

Back into folder, changed permissions on first file again -- downgraded both SYSTEM and TrustedInstaller (on the file) to having read permission and nothing else. (Didn't know if it would object to locking these users out entirely...) Was able to Remove from hard drive (i.e., not to recycle bin) that file. Will now try doing it with the rest of the files (in the two folders), then will delete the folders. Then search C again for GWX.* to see if it's there.

Will reboot, and see if it still appears in SYSTray...

 

[Brds7t7]

After reboot, I found the stupid GWX.exe STILL in SYSTray. So, searched C drive for GWX.exe -- found four instances -- they all turned up in

C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-gwx_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7601.18846_none_0e7fd87b6cf7aa00

5-6 files, all beginning with GWX. Changed ownership to me-as-Admin. Up one level, a second folder exists.

C:\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-gwx-task_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7601.18846_none_b9cb3cc3db4bb7ee

Changed ownership of the 2 files in that folder.

Tried to delete folders -- Needed permission from "SYSTEM." {sigh}

Back into folder, changed permissions on first file again -- downgraded both SYSTEM and TrustedInstaller (on the file) to having read permission and nothing else. (Didn't know if it would object to locking these users out entirely...) Was able to Remove from hard drive (i.e., not to recycle bin) that file. Will now try doing it with the rest of the files (in the two folders), then will delete the folders. Then search C again for GWX.* to see if it's there.

Will reboot, and see if it still appears in SYSTray...

You hadn't previously ran the Windows update cleanup in Disk Cleanup had you?

Normally you shouldn't need to touch the winsxs folder. From what I understand, that just keeps backups of the old files when you install an update. I could be wrong though.
But the exe shouldn't be running from that folder.

 

[Elenor]

'kay, ran through all items that came up on a C: drive search for gwx. Several folders, a feqw files... Changed permissions on them all and removed from hard drive (Permanently deleted) them all. Still shows in SYSTray, but I haven't yet rebooted.
El

 

[Elenor]

You hadn't previously ran the Windows update cleanup in Disk Cleanup had you?

Uh. No? I'll go look that up and see what it is and how to do it...

Normally you shouldn't need to touch the winsxs folder. From what I understand, that just keeps backups of the old files when you install an update. I could be wrong though.
But the exe shouldn't be running from that folder.

Hmmm, I tend to use the old Navy way: "get a bigger hammer"! I figure that if I removed EVERY remnant or instance of the eeeeevil thing I'm fighting (whack-a-program?), then it probably won't keep coming back... (And yes, it's true -- I do sometimes create a bigger problem than the one I'm fixing -- but thankfully, very rarely!)

(And yes, that also means I HAVE occasionally gone item-by-item through the Registry, deleting every instance (key) of some bad program...) (Haven't killed a computer yet! Made one pretty sick once, but no deaths! )

(Off to reboot. Again.)

 

[Brds7t7]

You hadn't previously ran the Windows update cleanup in Disk Cleanup had you?

Uh. No? I'll go look that up and see what it is and how to do it...

Normally you shouldn't need to touch the winsxs folder. From what I understand, that just keeps backups of the old files when you install an update. I could be wrong though.
But the exe shouldn't be running from that folder.

Hmmm, I tend to use the old Navy way: "get a bigger hammer"! I figure that if I removed EVERY remenant or instance of the eeeeevil thing I'm fighting (whack-a-program?), then it probably won't keep coming back... (And yes, it's true -- I do sometimes create a bigger problem than the one I'm fixing -- but thankfully, very rarely!)

(And yes, that also means I HAVE occasionally gone item-by-item through the Registry, deleting every instance (key) of some bad program...) (Haven't killed a computer yet! Made one pretty sick once, but no deaths! )

(Off to reboot. Again.)

Well don't run the disk cleanup or you might make it even more stubborn to remove. I was hoping you hadn't.

 

[Elenor]

Aw jiminy crickets!!

These three returned! I rebooted, checked installed updates and :

KB2952664 Deleted again! – not present – installed AGAIN! – Uninstalled again
KB2990214 Not present – installed AGAIN! – Uninstalled again
KB3035583 Not present – Deleted again – installed AGAIN! – Uninstalled again

Still maybe doing it over and over will have some effect!?

One last reboot -- if that doesn't do it, I'm doing the Reg sweep! (Can't find those "refresh" files on C: either...)

 

[Elenor]

'kay, Did the Reg sweep -- removed some stuff. None of it seems to imply: "keep putting this back on this computer" -- but who knows?!

Ah see? Messin' about with the can do weird stuff! No hidden Win updates, and "Most recent check" is never!

Oh, haven't rebooted since I messed with the Reg -- best do that now.


(Yes, I know, I'm describing in the minutest detail what I'm doing... *I* am always glad to see the steps soemnoe else has tried (cause sometimes all-y'all techie guys don't exactly speak English?!) -- so I'm putting it all down so someone else can see what I've done, step by step...)

 

[Magoo]

You could create a batch file and try this:

Echo off

taskkill.exe /F /IM "gwx.exe"
takeown /f "%windir%\System32\GWX" && icacls "%windir%\System32\GWX" /grant administrators:F
ren "%windir%\System32\GWX\" "GWX_Old"

exit

 

[Elenor]

After this last reboot, these two RE-appeared in the installed list:
KB2952664
KB3021917

So, deleted the first one and rebooted as Windows asked.

Well. The RegSweep and reboot (and removal of the one) DID remove all my "hidden" updates -- all of which were these Win 10 things. Re-hid them. Rebooted.

Have now dele... uninstalled the second one, and will reboot, as Windows is asking.

Fingers crossed!

 

[Elenor]

You could create a batch file and try this:

Echo off
taskkill.exe /F /IM "gwx.exe"
takeown /f "%windir%\System32\GWX" && icacls "%windir%\System32\GWX" /grant administrators:F
ren "%windir%\System32\GWX\" "GWX_Old"
exit

Doesn't that just move any GWX files into GWX_Old? I did that first. No effect. (But thanks!)