Windows Tips, Tricks

and Traps

Alan German

Ottawa PC Users’ Group

Three things (some) users can do

(1) Be prompted to schedule a restart when necessary

(including the option to “restart now”)

(2) Turn off automatic updates

Only applicable for Wi-Fi connections

Also turns off notification of available updates

(3) Make it easy to run Windows Update

(check for, download, and install updates)

Another caveat (from Chris Taylor)

If you are using Windows Defender, note that

Defender uses Windows Update to get updated

signature files from Microsoft.

Windows Update will check once a day for updates.

If you prevent Windows Update from running

automatically, you should set Windows Defender to

download updates directly.

See: http://opcug.ca/public/Articles/1510.PDF

Schedule a restart

Navigate to: Settings – Update & Security –

Windows Update – Advanced Options –

Choose how updates are installed

Change the default setting of

“Automatic (recommended)”

to “Notify to schedule restart”

Set Wi-Fi as a metered connection

A “metered connection” implies a data cap

(download quota) imposed by the ISP

Overage charges are frequently expensive

Windows Update will allow such users to select

when and/or if to download updates

You don’t have to be on a metered connection,

you just need to tell Windows 10 that you are!

Setting a metered connection

(1) Log in to an Administrator’s account

(otherwise the required control will be greyed out)

(2) Navigate to Settings – Network & Internet –

Wi-Fi – Advanced options

(3) Slide the control

“Set as metered

connection” to On.

Running Windows Update Manually

Turning off automatic updates also means that

there are no notifications that updates are available

We need to run Windows Update to check

(and to download/install updates)

Navigate to Settings – Update & Security –

Windows Update – Check for Updates

There must be an easier way!

Running Windows Update Manually

Navigate to Settings – Update & Security

Right-click on the “Windows Update” menu item

(highlighted in blue on the left side of the window)

Left-click on the

“Pin to Start” pop-up

Running Windows Update Manually

This establishes a “Windows Update” tile

on the Start Menu

More Problems

More Solutions

“The good news about computers is that they do what you tell them to do. The bad news is that they do what you tell them to do.”

Ted Nelson