Windows 10 Trying to Download Even Though I Did Not Reserve for It

[jackmol1958]

I posted what appears below in the Microsoft Community for Windows 7. I see other posts in the Windows 10 forum but no solutions as of yet. Does anyone have any ideas? Thank you in advance.

As Posted in Microsoft Community

I did not want Windows 10 on my Windows 7 machine so I did not reserve a copy. However, Windows Update is trying to push the download through and it is failing with an error code 80240020. It also initially tried to update my Intel Graphics driver which I do not want either. That also failed with an error code of 80246001.

In an attempt to prevent further tries by Windows Update to download Windows 10, I uninstalled and then hid previous updates KB3035583 and KB2952664. I then did a system restore to the time just before Windows Update tried to Download Windows 10. This seemed to work for several hours because when I checked for Windows Updates none were found and it was not showing that any installs failed.

Now I again checked for Windows Updates and I am still notified there are no updates but I am seeing in the Updates Installed area that it failed. There is no update to hide for Windows 10 since it is failing. All I want to do is get back to the point where Windows 10 is not trying to download and install.

Does anyone have any ideas? Thank you in advance.

 

[clutchc]

I'm in a similar situation with one of my builds. Do you have Win Updates set to auto? If so, set it to allow you to decide which updates to install. If the KB3035583 update appears again, then use the 'hide' option again.
What is even worse, it it will not only download it w/o your permission, it will eventually attempt to install it. M$ must really want us all to have this new OS. Some say Win 10 will eventually evolve into a subscription OS. Pay to use.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2015/05/12/free-windows-10-has-high-cost/

 

[jackmol1958]

Thank you for the reply. I previously had Windows Update set to automatic but I changed it yesterday so I can decide which updates to install. I don't think it's right that Microsoft appears to be forcing this upgrade on its customers. I am concerned what may happen on the next Patch Tuesday (August 11, 2015) as to whether "regular" updates will be able to be downloaded and installed properly or will the Windows 10 download somehow get in the way.

 

[The_Prophecy]

Windows 10 via Windows Update is listed as optional, so it will not try to install unless you tell it to, even with the Windows Update setting on Automatic. If Windows Update is not set to "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them", then it's going to download the update to Windows 10 whether you want it to or not.

Open up an administrative command prompt and enter the following commands (each command on it's own line below):

net stop wuauserv
rmdir /s /q %windir%\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore
rmdir /s /q %windir%\SoftwareDistribution\Download
net start wuauserv

Once those have run, make sure Windows Update is still set to "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them", and check for updates again. It should still show you the Upgrade to Windows 10, but should not begin downloading until you tell it to.

 

[jackmol1958]

Thank you Prophecy. The Windows 10 update never showed for me at all. I only see it as continually failing in my Update History. Once I saw I was having this problem I changed my Windows Update to "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them." Also, I then hid updates KB3035583 and KB2952664. Do I need to unhide and install these updates?

Given what I wrote above do I still follow the administrative command prompts you suggested? Do I hit "Enter" after each line? Will these commands impact any future running of Windows Update? I don't want to do something now that may have a negative impact on downloading "regular" updates on Patch Tuesday or anytime thereafter.

My goal is to NOT install Windows 10. I simply want to get it to stop downloading so I no longer see a failed update. Do you believe the upgrade needs to download and then I simply do not install? Or is there a way, based on what I wrote in my original post, to simply stop the download completely?

Again, thank you. I appreciate your time and guidance.

 

[The_Prophecy]

Sorry... forgot to specify... Yes, hit enter after each line to run each command individually. The Download and DataStore folders hold downloading or downloaded updates and clearing them will force Windows Update to download them again the next time you tell it to do so. Won't affect your ability to install future updates on the system.

KB2952664 is a compatibility update for Windows 7 to make the move to Windows 10 easier. I would go ahead and do that one, even if you aren't planning to get 10.

KB3035583 is the Get Windows 10 App. All it does is evaluate the system for compatibility purposes, and allows you to reserve a copy of 10. It doesn't force you to do this, only gives you the option to do so.

I was under the impression that the update that was trying to install and failing was showing up as "Upgrade to Windows 10 Pro". That one is the actual Windows 10 OS (screenshot below showing what it looks like). Anything else is just prep work to make the move easier. Nothing wrong with installing the two you mentioned above even if you aren't going to move to 10.

 

[jackmol1958]

Hi Prophecy, I appreciate your timely reply. I never got to see any listing of the Windows 10 download (as shown in your screenshot). If I run Update it tells me I have no updates available for my computer. However, if I do the Update when I have updates set to install automatically, I will get a notice that Windows 10 failed. Of course this failure did not occur after I changed the setting to "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them."

Should I try your suggested command prompts based on the information I just gave you? And can I leave for now the two KB's I mentioned hid?

In your commands are those spaces between (1) net and stop and wuauserv (2) between rmdir and /s and /q and % (3) net and start and wuauserv? I assume if I do type something wrong nothing bad will happen. Sorry if you deem my questions basic but this is not my forte.

Again, thank you

 

[The_Prophecy]

Unhide and run KB2952664... no reason why it shouldn't be installed. Not going to harm the system by running it.

The Get Windows 10 app under KB3035583 doesn't have to be run... not critical.

As far as those commands go, just copy each line and right click > Paste into the command window. Don't bother re-typing it.

 

[jackmol1958]

Sorry... forgot to specify... Yes, hit enter after each line to run each command individually. The Download and DataStore folders hold downloading or downloaded updates and clearing them will force Windows Update to download them again the next time you tell it to do so. Won't affect your ability to install future updates on the system.

KB2952664 is a compatibility update for Windows 7 to make the move to Windows 10 easier. I would go ahead and do that one, even if you aren't planning to get 10.

KB3035583 is the Get Windows 10 App. All it does is evaluate the system for compatibility purposes, and allows you to reserve a copy of 10. It doesn't force you to do this, only gives you the option to do so.

I was under the impression that the update that was trying to install and failing was showing up as "Upgrade to Windows 10 Pro". That one is the actual Windows 10 OS (screenshot below showing what it looks like). Anything else is just prep work to make the move easier. Nothing wrong with installing the two you mentioned above even if you aren't going to move to 10.

Unhide and run KB2952664... no reason why it shouldn't be installed. Not going to harm the system by running it.

The Get Windows 10 app under KB3035583 doesn't have to be run... not critical.

As far as those commands go, just copy each line and right click > Paste into the command window. Don't bother re-typing it.

 

[jackmol1958]

I did an unhide of KB2952664 and the install was succeesful. I then restarted computer as prompted. I then went to do the command lines and the following occurred with the first line you furnished (by pasting it):

At C:\Users\Owner>net stop wuauserv

I get “System error 5 has occurred.” “Access is denied.”

 

[jackmol1958]

Unhide and run KB2952664... no reason why it shouldn't be installed. Not going to harm the system by running it.

The Get Windows 10 app under KB3035583 doesn't have to be run... not critical.

As far as those commands go, just copy each line and right click > Paste into the command window. Don't bother re-typing it.

 

[jackmol1958]

Okay, did it as administrator. Each line took. Will now run Windows Update and see what happens.

 

[jackmol1958]

Hi Prophecy, I performed a Windows Update and came up with 1 important update which was KB3035583 (expected this since I had previously uninstalled and hid) and 2 optional updates (which I had prior to this) for Skype (don't want it) and Intel Graphics Adapter (which I tried to update months ago but it failed and I figured what was not broke should not be fixed).

There is no sign of anything to do with Windows 10. Might it come back later or am I now "safe"? For the foreseeable future I assume I will be okay as long as I keep Windows Update set for me to choose which updates to download and install, correct?

Note: When Windows 10 tried to download yesterday it also tried to update my Intel Graphics Adapter and both failed. I assume I only need to address this matter if in the future I wish to upgrade to Windows 10. My computer appears to be running fine as is.

Thank you Prophecy for your timely assistance and attention. I appreciate that you helped me solve the problem.