Windows 7 update problems

[Peterjay]

Hello,
I have just purchased a S/H laptop and setting it all up etc to my liking I have found there are 210 Windows updates !!!
I spent all day yesterday and only managed to install 3 leaving 207 to go which is running now, and is going to take forever.
When you see all the updates listed you have all of the boxes ticked for you, if I untick them and say select just a few to install say 7 would the remaining 200 still be there to come back to and do a few at a time or would they disappear.
SO WOULD THE REMAINDER STILL COME UP FOR ME.
Many thanks.
Peter.

[Calverley Lad]

I used to find that if I unticked all then just ticked those important ones that o'k till next time.
Be aware though Windows 10 could be lurking in the background!
 Brian

[Treetotal]

Oh Peter I fear the worst...I tried to stop Win10 but it still crept in when I left my machine for a while!
Carol

[smudwhisk]

There is a recommended update which installs the Win10 "screamware" (as it is often referred to as). I can't remember what the KB number is off the top of my head (I'll have a look), bit if you hide the update, it won't install, although they do have a habit of reissuing it every so often.

[mike175]

I believe KB 3035583 is the one to hide.

I left my old Win7 laptop running all night to install updates, and there were still more the next time I checked. I suspect many of these are slowly adding Win 10 features to Win 7 so that the upgrade is faster when/if it comes. Otherwise, I can't think why there should be so many. The good news is that it seems to have settled down now and after being off for a week there were only a couple of new updates.

Many older laptops seem to have driver problems if you try to upgrade them.

Mike.

[smudwhisk]

Mike, yes that KB is the one to hide.  No harm doing that as it can be easily unhidden. And MS have a habit of reissuing that update so its worth checking each month for ir.

[smudwhisk]

If you want to stop KB3035583 installing at all even its been reissued by MS, then have a look at the post #34 on this page - http://windowssecrets.com/forums/showthread.php/170897-Lost-Windows-Update-Icon-in-System-Tray/page3 - and use the 2nd option as its safer than editing the registry.  This also restores the Windows Update icon (for new updates available) appearing in the start tray if it has disappeared. 

Edit - The configuration change in the above article is to Windows itself and does not require installing any additional 3rd party software.

[wyndham]

As already mentioned KB 3035583 is the most important update to hide; I think it has now been re-issued 3 times.  (Microsoft are very persistent!).  Other KB's that also should be hidden are 2952664, 3021917 and 3068708.

A useful piece of free software that goes a long way to preventing the downloading of these Windows 10 related updates is GWX Control Panel.  It informs you whether your computer is at risk of being open to these downloads and also allows you to control this.

[alanmack]

Thank you wyndham,
                               I've just run GWX Control Panel. I shall monitor things but I'm somewhat reasssured now that my Win7 is not going to be updated against my will. Stuff Win10.

alanmack