April updates just installed themselves!

I have just finished a nice clean install, all up to date, put all my files back on. Five updates appeared today for April. I read an article saying there were issues and don't install them yet. So I didn't. I just turned off my laptop and it's installing 5 updates! I am set to download but not install without my permission. There are still five updates showing waiting to be done now as well! Very confusing.

Anyway I hope it hasn't messed up my install - has anyone else done them yet? The article said they had been breaking Windows 7 and Windows 8 installations.

Edit: Ok I just checked my list of installed updates and nothing has installed since the last ones I did the day before. But when turning off the laptop it said it was installing 5 updates! They're still there waiting to be installed as far as I can see.

Thanks. Yes I did a system image as soon as I had installed and done all the updates, but was about to do a second one after installing all my programs and files and then this happened.

As an update - the next time I turned off the laptop I had the same thing - Windows is installing 5 updates (which I did NOT opt to install). On turning the laptop back on again I had a black screen with white writing saying the updates were installing which took a few minutes. Then the usual start up screen saying the updates are installing.

And now they are installed. I am furious! Whether they are ok or not, I did not click to install them.

I don't know if you're the anonymous poster on Woody's site with this issue, but either way I'm guessing you had WU set to download but let you choose how to install. That will download the updates and install them when you reboot the machine unless you install or hide them in the meantime. You need to set WU to either notify but do not download, or never check for updates.

Yes that is probably me Thank you. I wasn't aware of that but have never had it happen before. Only when I click to install them. I generally have them set to "check for updates but let me choose whether to download or install them". But find the clean install goes quicker if I set to download and choose to install. Nothing has ever been installed before without my opting to choose to install them.

Lol - so where is the "choice" bit? What confuses me is - during my clean install I also had it set to download but let me choose to install. There were over 200 Important updates and I chose to install them 5 or 6 at a time. It didn't install all the others when I shutdown and restarted. This is a first for me.

PS I am not shooting the messenger Appreciate your reply. Just xxx'd off!

I can quite understand your frustration! It's always been that way unfortunately, once you allow MS to download the updates you're at their mercy so far as installation of those updates is concerned. Better to hold off on the download, although some will argue that spending most of the month with WU set to "Never check for updates" and only enabling it when you want the updates is really the only foolproof approach. Personally I have my two machines set to "Notify but do not download or install" and that seems to work - I also still have GWX Control Panel running, it shouldn't be necessary but it doesn't use any resources and I don't trust MS!

Thanks. Have changed the settings now. Just wondering if I should leave the April updates on or remove them. Normally I wait a bit before installing them to make sure any issues are sorted out. I am not sure what the particular issue with these April ones is, other than things are rolled together that aren't just security updates. My processor is 1st generation so that shouldn't matter re the weirdo update.

My view is that if you have already installed the updates and they're not causing any problems, then leave well alone.

As I understand it, the problems relate primarily to specific hardware and software compatibility issues coupled with the withdrawal of support for more modern systems than you (and I) have. If they don't apply to you, then there's no reason to do anything.

I would generally recommend leaving updates for at least a week before considering installing them so that if there are any issues they have time to emerge and MS have time either to withdraw or reissue the offending update(s). Alternatively, the experts here (I am not one!) are worth reading and sites like Ask Woody and Windows Secrets are also worth following.

Ok here's my first issue with the April updates. I just had a pop-up telling me to activate Windows and it is now shown as not activated. It has been activated for days - with the licence code on the base of my laptop after a clean install. No problems with activation. Suddenly now it is not activated!

Any advice on what to do? Should I activate again? Or roll back to remove the April updates.