A secure way to prevent Windows 10 , updates on the audio PC

[Rmalits]

Hi folks,

it was this June when we, Willi, the sysadmin guy in my software company and me found a very good way to prevent Windows 10 from do updates, even when the PC is fully connected to your home network.

In this configuration the audio PC is directly connected to the LAN/Wifi router with a LAN cable and loads the music files directly from my Synology NAS.
So there is no peer2peer LAN cable needed between the music PC and the audio PC. Actually there is not even a music PC needed! The Microsoft Surface notebook, which I use in this setup, is just working as a control with Remote Desktop for XXHE, which runs on the audio PC.
Since almost 2 month this notebook is doing its job even through Wifi, so there is not even a LAN cable needed for the control PC.

So the point to do it this way is to make sure for 100%, that the audio PC will not do any Windows updating, what would bring it into the known troubles.

As all is running perfectly that eay for month now, I want to share it to the community. It is pretty easy to do it, as you will see in my next post. (I don't want to make this one too long).

Kind regards
Richard

[PeterSt]

Richard, this is super.
(of course I knew you were working on this)

Please continue with that post(s), but allow me to announce this :

Only just yesterday I finished the means to do it programmatically, from XXHighEnd. Of course this already was in there, but this was not a definite means (other programs could re-activate the updating). Now, after I forgot how many hours of research and trying, we can prevent the Updates for real.
So, lately I am saying that 2.07 is close, but this was one of the things I wanted in there (and took me forever), and this is now accomplished.

The way Richard physically arranges for it is as interesting, because more secure and above all : I could not understand or make it up (I'm sure). This is how I am very greatful that Richard is going to explain the setup.

Thanks !
Peter

[fmanheck]

you have my attention

[Rmalits]

I am working on it...

I am tried to post a screenshot here (graphics file) and failed to do that with my iPad. So I loged in again with my notebook to do that.

Let's see, if it works...

I try to post this now ans see if the image appears.

[Rmalits]

so that did not work...

I pressed the "insert Image" button and inserted the file name including path.
It is a JPG file.
Shouldn't it work that way?

[PeterSt]

Richard,

You can only post pictures like you attempt it, when uploaded to a server somewhere. And then link to that.
Otherwise you can put pictures to Attachments of posts. See at the bottom when making a post and "Additional Options". But this is probably not convenient because those attachments can only show at the bottom. Nice for "one" picture, but not with several and adjacent outlay.

If necessary you can put them in like you tried, next send them to me by email and I can upload them to our server and put them where you planned them. No big deal for me.

Peter

[Rmalits]

one more try:

[PeterSt]

So for example from your attempt :

Code:

[img]http://C:\Users\RMalits\Downloads\screenshot-network-settings.JPG[/img]

Just let that be but send the (all of them) .JPG to me by email.

[Rmalits]

It is only one Picture, so i do it with an attachmant now.

[PeterSt]

Richard,

The picture you originally had in there is too large; people will not be able to get the idea because they always need to scroll.

Additionally, the screen resolution you use is too high. Thus, when I now made it normal size, all is too small to read (thank you for nothing ! you will now say, haha).

Lastly, the photo you make is not sharp enough, but when the screen resolution is low enoug (like 1600x1200 or so) that might work. What then will not work is that you squeeze all into one picture.
That in itself leads to more pictures and that ...



I hope this does not destroy your day.
Peter

[Rmalits]

Yes now it is here, even twice
Peter, could you delete one of them please.

So I go on explaining...

Probably many of you have been already doing this kind of network setup on Windows before.
On the right side you see the Dialog to give the PC a fixed IP adress. That's good to do in various ocasions anyway.

When you do that, there is also the Default Gateway to fill in (below subnet mask).

So the point is:
IF THE DEFAULT GATEWAY IS LEFT COMPLETLY EMPTY (as you can see in the screenshot), THE PC CANNOT GET INTO ANY CONTACT TO ANY WEBSITES IN THE INTERNET.
So not even microsoft.com can be contacted.

In my home network I did configure some additional stuff, like an additional internal DNS Server, but that's acctually not needed to prevent Windows 10 from updating.
And, if you adress the devices in your home network through the IP number (what's better anyway), no DNS Service is needed.

So, to do this configuration it is good to disconnect your home network from the Internet for some minutes, e.g. switch your modem off or similar.
Then:
- start the Windows Explorer
- rightclick "network"
- click "Properties"
- click "Change adapter Settings"
- now rightclick your LAN Connection and again choose "properties"
- Now you have to doubleclick "Internet Protocol Version 4(TCP/IPv4)"
- Now click "Use the following IP adress" and choose a propriate number for your home network. In my case it is: 192.168.0.133
Now important: DELETE the "Default Gateway". This fields have to be empty.
- OK and so on to save this configuraion.
- You are done.

To check, if it really works, connect again to the Internet (modem or so...) and open the Internet Explorer on this PC. Whatever Website you try to access, it should fail now.
That's it.

Kind regards
Richard

 

[PeterSt]

I hope this does not destroy your day.

It is fine as it is !

Yes now it is here, even twice
Peter, could you delete one of them please.

I made a smaller one but this is too small and put back in the larger one. I think this really is good enough.
Sorry for being confusing in my previous post.

Peter

[Rmalits]

ADDITIONAL INFOS:

my post above describes, how Windows 10 PCs can be prevented from receiving updates from the internet.

Since version 10 Windows is able to download updates not only from the Microsoft servers but optionally from other PCs, which already have these updates installed.
I myself have no experience with this kind of updating, but I recommend that this option should be switch off. This could be important, in case you have other PCs with Windows 10 running in your home network, because the audio PC could (maybe) get the updates from there, as it has access to all devices inside the home network.

There are various posts in the web how to do that, e.g.:
http://www.digitalcitizen.life/how-set-windows-10-get-updates-local-network-internet

Kind regards
Richard

[hvdh]

I'm a bit surprised by this post.

I've solved this problem in Februari (see http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=3550.msg38037#msg38037)

I just checked using winver, I'm still on 10586.0.

And both my PC's are directly connected to the router...

Hope this helps?

[PeterSt]

Hi Henk,

I am sorry if I forgot something. But it could be similar to Richard's situation which I just did not know (or could understand) until his outlay in this topic. So now I know (that one) ...

I've solved this problem in Februari (see http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=3550.msg38037#msg38037)

Your solution I still don't know because if I see correctly, the topic you link to is about something else.

Best regards,
Peter