Why does every so often my PC asked me to reboot to finish installing a Audio software upgrade ?

[Subzerok11]

So I built a new PC two weeks ago, with Win10 PRO. I already installed the audio drivers. One from Asus from the motherboard drivers it's the Realtek High definition audio driver. The other was a Audio driver that was installed when I installed Nvidia driver for the 1060gtx. These are the only two listed in my control panel installed software list. I looked through Windows updates and there's nothing about a Audio driver update ever.

So whats going on you think ?

 

[pendragon1]

the asus stuff might auto update.

 

[tedych]

Maybe a bug in some of the drivers.
If you don't want Windows Update to touch your drivers at all, you can turn off this "feature", I think it was a policy in local group policy. There you can as well turn off automatic windows updates so it won't bother you anymore. You still would have the chance to hit Check for Updates manually at will.

 

[Mazzspeed]

The Group Policy rule to disable Driver through Windows update does nothing.

Try disabling driver updates on a fresh new system then see how it will install all the drivers from Windows updates if you hadn't install any drivers.

If it's Windows 10 Home, I believe you're screwed. The Group Policy rule does nothing, even if you do enable Group Policy under Windows 10 Home, and there is no option under Home to disable forced driver updates.

It's funny, I was just finishing off a new system and getting frustrated at how Realtek audio drivers not only require a reboot, but upon reboot continue installing. Then I read this thread!

 

[tedych]

What's actually funny Mazzspeed has failed ... again to read what seems to be his mother tongue (I already doubt). The OP said "Win10 PRO" with big letters. What's this... the typical fanboy lingering around and not missing any chance to tell the uneducated fools how bad is everything about Windows and its dreaded creators and how it shuld be burried under tons of concrete.
Policies actually work, you have to actually work with Windows, and not just bitching around how bad it is, to know this. I maintain tens of installations only locally, every one of them hadn't installed a darn driver with Windows updates, nor have been asking to update. My gaming Win10 is still 1709 and I won't update it until a game requires it.

 

[Mazzspeed]

What's actually funny Mazzspeed has failed ... again to read what seems to be his mother tongue (I already doubt). The OP said "Win10 PRO" with big letters. What's this... the typical fanboy lingering around and not missing any chance to tell the uneducated fools how bad is everything about Windows and its dreaded creators and how it shuld be burried under tons of concrete.
Policies actually work, you have to actually work with Windows, and not just bitching around how bad it is, to know this. I maintain tens of installations only locally, every one of them hadn't installed a darn driver with Windows updates, nor have been asking to update. My gaming Win10 is still 1709 and I won't update it until a game requires it.

No, policies don't work in relation to disabling driver updates. The days of GPO being respected by Windows are well and truly over if it goes against what your overloards want out of their operating system. Windows home was an example in general not specifically related to the OP.

As an example, this is how driver updates work in the perfect world, notice the check boxes giving the end user total control. Even the updater under macOS doesn't work this well. Notice the size of the driver, 99.6MB:

 

[tedych]

You keep insisting you know something about something that you seem to never have used. I can give you tons of screenshots, that doesn' (wouldn't) change anything related to your posts.

 

[Mazzspeed]

You keep insisting you know something about something that you seem to never have used. I can give you tons of screenshots, that doesn' (wouldn't) change anything related to your posts.

You see, the problem you fail to comprehend is that I have - In absolute desperation as a tech because the automatic driver updater constantly causes more problems under Windows than it fixes. Realtek audio and HP printer drivers being forcefully updated with broken drivers are but two examples of problems I deal with daily.

I'm really not interested in screenshots of GPO settings under some MMC SnapIn, that doesn't prove a thing. Fact is, when it comes to something as vitally important as driver updates where newer isn't necessarily better, the end user should have more control over the process without the need to resort to hacks such as third party utilities or GPO manipulation that could very well be reset next major update anyway.

The whole process is a poorly thought out joke.

 

[tedych]

I can only concur with the part that (forced) driver updates from WU can be a nightmare. This is a flaw and I admit it! It was devised with good intentions but as often, implementation is flawed.
Yet what I said, you can stop that behavior using group policies if you use something more potent than Win Home. I think it is doable with Home too, although harder than need to be.

 

[ChadD]

I can only concur with the part that (forced) driver updates from WU can be a nightmare. This is a flaw and I admit it! It was devised with good intentions but as often, implementation is flawed.
Yet what I said, you can stop that behavior using group policies if you use something more potent than Win Home. I think it is doable with Home too, although harder than need to be.

I am not a hardcore windows user but from what I understand of the group policy stuffs with even pro... isn't that you can't change things its that MS seems to revert things when you do major updates. At least we can all agree automatic driver updates for any OS is more hassle then its worth.

 

[Mazzspeed]

I can only concur with the part that (forced) driver updates from WU can be a nightmare. This is a flaw and I admit it! It was devised with good intentions but as often, implementation is flawed.
Yet what I said, you can stop that behavior using group policies if you use something more potent than Win Home. I think it is doable with Home too, although harder than need to be.

You cannot. Even if you somehow manage to do it, as ChadD stated, next major update it's all reverted back to defaults. In many instances, as soon as Microsoft's servers recognize that the updating process has been disabled they forcefully upload the update to your desktop.

 

[tedych]

Well, I can't be 100% sure about Win10, telling the truth. I have updated some 10's and never saw such behavior. I can say with Windows Server, it's definitely not like that, for sure. MS tend to reset some settings in the past with WIn8 and early 10, but not lately. Windows Defender being one - I disable this POS everywhere and at least to now it has not reverted once.
So, even if it happened in early 10s, you cannot generalize like that.
The update process is not "DISABLED". Automatic updates are. Please read carefully. I can click Check for updates in Settings the next moment and updates (if any) download and install.

 

[Mazzspeed]

Well, I can't be 100% sure about Win10, telling the truth. I have updated some 10's and never saw such behavior. I can say with Windows Server, it's definitely not like that, for sure. MS tend to reset some settings in the past with WIn8 and early 10, but not lately. Windows Defender being one - I disable this POS everywhere and at least to now it has not reverted once.
So, even if it happened in early 10s, you cannot generalize like that.
The update process is not "DISABLED". Automatic updates are. Please read carefully. I can click Check for updates in Settings the next moment and updates (if any) download and install.

WTF are we talking about here? Windows 10 or Windows Server?

Because I'm talking about Windows 10 and every post you make simply confirms that your sig is right - You're running Windows Server on your daily driver. Under Windows 10 you never, ever, check for updates manually - Never. Doing so puts you on the unstable branch, if you use your PC for anything important, you do not want to be on the unstable branch.

What's more, the whole resetting of Windows settings was not limited to just earlier variants of Windows 10. Every time Windows 10 has a major release, it breaks all your customizations - This is no mistake on behalf of MS.

 

[tedych]

Ok, you know better. I'm talking windows server and windows 10. You can first delay for months feature updates (major updates), then you can disable automatic updates. That's what I said. Feature updatse breaking stuff is true, this is crap, I admit. Give it some months and eventually the feature update will be fixed and the process would be more troublesome. Actually this is the only flaw in recent Windows decisions MS made that I hate the most.
When doing some real job, using Windows server for a workstation gives you the stability, predictability for a more stable OS longterm. There is Windows 10 LTSB which is the desktop 'version' of Server, e.g. without all the crap and the semi-annual feature updates. Well, it's only company-supplied, but that is still irrelevant for the topic.
"breaks all your customizations"
-.... What? All?

 

[ChadD]

Most people don't use a thousand dollar copy of windows as their daily driver OS. lol Delaying updates is not something average users can do under windows.

 

[Algrim]

You can on the Insider builds which was my daily driver before I moved (PC not set up again yet).

 

[tedych]

They (many) can't because they don't care, and because the default is that MS want them to stay up to date automatically. Quite understandable, despite the widespread understanding behind their real intentions behind that.
With the default of updating drivers and semi-annual buggy updates, this is becoming a real issue though. Yes, most peopel don't use Server for their daily computer, of course. The matter of fact was Windows 10 still has the options to control automatic update behavior, at least Pro and higher. I put Win Server on the "table" as an example. It's almost the same as Win10 LTSB. Still, I have a Win10 Pro for games, and it doesn't update (nor asks me) at all. Using only built-in tools available out of the box.

 

[Algrim]

Microsoft has slowly been making the divergence between Home and Pro less and less over time.

 

[Mazzspeed]

The matter of fact was Windows 10 still has the options to control automatic update behavior, at least Pro and higher. I put Win Server on the "table" as an example. It's almost the same as Win10 LTSB. Still, I have a Win10 Pro for games, and it doesn't update (nor asks me) at all. Using only built-in tools available out of the box.

You can delay the update, big deal! It's still forced one way or the other eventually. Having control over something as important as the updating process involves more than simply delaying updates for 30 or so days, especially when the updating process is so buggy! No one can possibly defend this ridiculous concept. Whats more, I don't believe driver updates are delayed, in my experience they're not.

Windows 10 LTSB is not an option as Windows 10 LTSB was never intended to be Microsoft's 'consumer operating system' and is therefore not available to consumers. Most that have it will claim they obtained it through work, the reality is they bought a resold key through the [H] forums for $40.00. Activation does not make it legal.

I can't believe you've never experienced Microsoft resetting customisations to Windows 10 as a result of a major Windows update.

 

[Chuklr]

I've got a Win 10 Pro box and in the "Update & Security" settings I (Semiannual channel (Targeted)) can delay the semi-annual feature updates for up to 365 days and security updates for 35 days.

 

[tedych]

Chucklr, yes, and my last observation was something about delaying it max for 9 months. Yet, while this could work for many to wait a bit to avoid a possibly buggy update, stopping it doing it automatically is the better choice at least until MS improves this mess with feature updates.
Mazzspeed, you quote one thing, yet comment as if you didn't read the quote itself. I don't feel I will comment your BS anymore.

 

[Chuklr]

Chucklr, yes, and my last observation was something about delaying it max for 9 months. Yet, while this could work for many to wait a bit to avoid a possibly buggy update, stopping it doing it automatically is the better choice at least until MS improves this mess with feature updates.
...

I agree. I've been lucky by not experiencing the problems a number of folks have had with the updates. I check for the updates when I login and don't wait for them to be pushed out to my system. Then I "white knuckle it" when the problems begin to be reported. So far, I have not had any of the reported problems (or, at least not noticed any), but then I don't network my desktops and laptop(s).

 

[Mazzspeed]

Mazzspeed, you quote one thing, yet comment as if you didn't read the quote itself. I don't feel I will comment your BS anymore.

Because your comments are ridiculous.

You try to claim that Windows 10 essentially offers end user control, I don't class differing updates as any form of 'end user control'. Furthermore, you claim that major upgrades haven't affected customization settings to the OS since early days of Windows 10 - This too is incorrect. Then you claim that updates under Windows 10 can be disabled via GPO, no they can't, this hasn't been the case for quite some time.

You cannot, in any way, defend the implementation that is the Windows 10 updating process - It flat out sucks.

However, if you feel that quoting my postings is a waste of your time, feel free not to quote them. I couldn't care less.

 

[tedych]

Just updated an old 1709 Win10 to the latest available.
Again, I don't see any of my important (or any) settings being changed. Including GPO, Firewall, shortcuts, control panel settings etc. There are some new visual things of course but they are too negligible. It all works. Me too, I haven't been a witness to problems after Win10 feature updates but I admit some users have.
During the upgrade of the feature update(s) it asked on several screens about location, diagnostic data and few more, so this might have changed some defaults IF you choose different from your previous set-up, but I'm yet to find one.
Of course you would expect something to change (yet to find what) with the big feature updates. That's the nature of them, AND I NEVER said Windows Update process is better than other OSes', I said I hate this new update strategy with forced feature updates every six months. Although the update process is more streamlined than before - I hated the 1234 small updates everytime I check for new updates. Now updates even install faster. But that's it. They should have given the option for users to choose more update channels than Semi-annual and Semi-annual (targeted) for WIn10. One should have been the Server default of just normal updates (security, critical etc.) with no featured.

Ah yes, Mazzspeed, if you really didn't care less, then you wouldn't have taken part for so long in the other discussion (you know what I mean).