Block update to Windows 11

[PaulTech]

Hi, I did a quick search on the forums. I'm sure it has been discussed. I have one Windows 10 Pro machine that I don't want to update to Windows 11. It was showing that it was pending a restart to install Windows 11. I checked a few articles and implemented the following 2 settings:
A. Services > stop and disable the Windows Update service. (I also selected the postpone for 7 days).
B. gpedit.msc to load the Group Policy Editor > "Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Windows Update for Business" >> "Select the target feature update version" and select enable and enter 21H1

I use Pulseway so I have to dig more into the settings. However, what are others doing to stop a Windows 10 machine updating and are any using the above methods?

 

[phaZed]

Powershell Script that's in the Syncro Community Scripts:

REG ADD HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate /v TargetReleaseVersion /t REG_DWORD /d "1" /f

REG ADD HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate /v TargetReleaseVersionInfo /t REG_SZ /d "21H1" /f

 

[britechguy]

Why do you have to do anything (at least right now)?

I have not seen a Feature Update, let alone an OS version upgrade, occur without a human activating the "Download and install" link in the Windows Update pane.

Full automatic updates for Feature Updates and version upgrades have been gone for years now.

If it's showing a pending restart for a Windows 11 upgrade, someone activated that link.

 

[PaulTech]

Thanks @phaZed

@britechguy I manage the machine. The Dental software is managed by another company and there are 3rd party connectors so, yeah, one the 1st level "techs" likely "set it off."

 

[Sky-Knight]

Powershell Script that's in the Syncro Community Scripts:

REG ADD HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate /v TargetReleaseVersion /t REG_DWORD /d "1" /f

REG ADD HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate /v TargetReleaseVersionInfo /t REG_SZ /d "21H1" /f

And it doesn't bloody work!

This locks the system to version 21H1, and you'll note that Windows 10 SHOULD BE on 22H2 now.

21H2 is the first version of Windows 11, but it's ALSO a valid version for Windows 10.

So if you "disable Windows 11" in this way you also lock the door on the still required annual feature release updates for Windows 10, which neatly puts you in a very bad place.

@PaulTech Normal users "can set it off" and the notifications are endless. It doesn't require admin rights to authorize, anyone on the box can click the button and POOF it's Windows 11 now. The only way I know to "disable" it is to boot the machine in question into BIOS and disable the TPM.

Fortunately now that we're past the first Win11 feature release I don't really have any problems with platforms that upgrade to it, other than users getting confused about the UI shift.

 

[carmen617]

Why do you have to do anything (at least right now)?

I have not seen a Feature Update, let alone an OS version upgrade, occur without a human activating the "Download and install" link in the Windows Update pane.

Full automatic updates for Feature Updates and version upgrades have been gone for years now.

If it's showing a pending restart for a Windows 11 upgrade, someone activated that link.

I just had my daily driver sneakily upgraded to Windows 11. Yesterday morning, before allowing me to log in to my system, there was a Microsoft screen informing me that Windows 11 was waiting for me, and the options were something along the lines of "get it now" or "wait until later". I chose the second option, and about 10 minutes into using my system I got a message from Windows saying my upgrade was all set and it would be installed "later" when I restarted the system. There must have been a "I don't want it at all" option on the original screen, but I didn't see it, and there was no obvious way to bypass the screen without clicking on one option or the other. So, I'm gonna guess, as a PC support professional who was tricked into a Hobson's choice on Windows 11 upgrade, I'm not the only one, and this is gonna roll out all over the place.

 

[Porthos]

There must have been a "I don't want it at all" option on the original screen, but I didn't see it, and there was no obvious way to bypass the screen without clicking on one option or the other.

There is a screen similar to this. I noted the item to click

 

[carmen617]

There is a screen similar to this. I noted the item to click
View attachment 14158

That's the one I clicked. It installed 11 anyway.

 

[Porthos]

You clicked on the sentence "stay on windows 10 for now"?

 

[carmen617]

You clicked on the sentence "stay on windows 10 for now"?

I clicked on whatever the decline option was - it was a new screen, that blocked me from loading Windows until I gave it one answer or another. Two options, my memory (done before coffee, first boot of my system in the morning) is that one was "Install Windows 11" and the other was "Don't Install right now" or something like that. I chose the option that wasn't "Install Windows 11". Have been searching for an image of this screen since posting on the forum, but can't find it. Regardless, I have declined Windows 11 several times in the past, but this time the decline merely postponed it until my next restart.

I've been considering upgrading this system to Windows 11 since I am seeing more and more clients with it and it seems it's just time, so I didn't roll it back. But I can tell you 100% for sure, Microsoft wouldn't let me get to my desktop without making a choice, I 100% tried to choose "no" to Windows 11, and it 100% went ahead and installed anyway. I'd like to find an image of that screen so I can review what the choices are, but there is no question that I was tricked into accepting the upgrade, and if I was tricked, plenty of other folks are about to be as well.

 

[britechguy]

I had a client call me about this yesterday, and the "Stay on Windows 10 for now," option did exactly what it said.

She wants to upgrade to 11, but didn't want to do so at that very moment. No additional calls about being nagged in short order nor any today about it showing up again.

 

[Porthos]

I admit for clients it is tricky especially if there are several users using the same PC. You inform one user and the message does not get to another and bam.

 

[britechguy]

I admit for clients it is tricky especially if there are several users using the same PC. You inform one user and the message does not get to another and bam.

While I absolutely agree with what you're saying from my perspective if there's someone on a multi-user machine who has good reason to wish to defer an update, once they know how to do it it's up to them to communicate that decision, and how to defer that should the same thing pop up when one of those other users is on the machine.

We can only do so much.

 

[Porthos]

For the most part, my clients have no worries. 99% are not eligible.
I think off the top of my head, only 5 or 6 have compatible machines the rest just got new computers I set up with 11.
I have another setup and data transfer next Thursday.

 

[carmen617]

Well, as far as I am concerned I wanted to stay on 10 for the moment but the upgrade was going to happen eventually. Maybe I misclicked, but it certainly wasn't my intention or desire. I just wanted to get to a workable booted laptop and Microsoft was blocking me with a nag screen.

I don't have that many eligible machines out there either, but they seem to be getting upgraded one by one, even though I haven't recommended to my clients that they do it. Microsoft will find a way.

 

[Sky-Knight]

For mistaken upgrades it's not too hard to just roll back, and the feature edition swap in that case forcibly disables all feature edition update for 30 days. So you can buy a reprieve at least.

 

[Porthos]

For mistaken upgrades it's not too hard to just roll back

If you catch it within 10 days. After 10 days Windows.old deletes itself.

 

[Sky-Knight]

If you catch it within 10 days. After 10 days Windows.old deletes itself.

That's what alerts on an RMM tool are for! It's pretty easy to detect the version change.