Grrr. Microsoft edge installs new version withut asking

[Andrew]

Turned my PC on today and the first problem was lack of USB keyboard or mouse, so I resorted to unplugging and re-inserting the USB connector on the back of my PC. I noticed that the hard disk light was on and PC was exttremely suggish. Eventually I got task manager running, and sure enough disk activity was 100%, and all of it because of Microsoft Edge Installer.

The thing is though, I have set Microsoft Updates to just show me a message when there are new updates, and I install them at a quiet moment, but the Edge installer obviously pays no attention to this.

Is there something I can change to stop the Edge installer simply barging in and taking over my PC when it decides to ?.

Andrew

[GB]

I just checked, and Edge was updated on this machine yesterday. Isn't that good! I have the latest version, with security whats-its bang up to date, and I didn't have to do anything. :)

[mm0fmf]

Learn to read what is on the screen when you set the option. You can delay updates or set to be notified when there are updates and install them yourself. But if the update is considered a major security update and you do not install it quickly enough it will be forced onto your machine.

Yes, upgrade to Windows Enterprise. Or use another OS.

[jon]

Use windows firewall blocker, I have all hostservers blocked, nothing gets in or out from M$, unless I decide otherwise.

[Andrew]

Too drastic. I just want the Edge support people to talk to their colleagues and respect the settings a user has created for the other Windows Updates.

[Richard]

Dunno if this'll work on W10, I'm using Linux:

[Steve Walker]

I am happy with that on my proper PC, but not on my (ancient) laptop. I only rarely use the laptop and when I do it is because I need it there and then (such as detailed code reading on my car, that my normal reader cannot perform) and it is bloody annoying when it thrashes the disk for

30 to 45 minutes with an update, before I can actually use it.

[Robin]

It might help with the car at least if you disabled the network adapter before shutting down. And of course if there are updates not yet complete to update and restart before shutting down.

[Steve Walker]

The trouble seems to be that it downloads updates, quietly, in the background on previous use and then tries to install them on the next start-up. As it is an old Celeron machine, with a painfully slow hard-disk, this just comes to an almost complete halt.

I should really buy a newer, faster laptop, but having just shelled out a grand for one for my son's 18th birthday, in preparation for him going to university, I'm not ready to spend any more. I had to get him a decent spec one, as he's going to be wanting to use it for his coursework (he's doing cybersecurity) and for gaming, so that he doesn't need to drag his desktop machine back and forth.

[GB]

Old, slow, Windows machines are really, really slow whilst updating themselves. You can't expect to leave it turned off for months and then just start using it.

"I only rarely use the laptop and when I do it is because I need it there and then" - that is not possible unless you do as Robin suggested. That might mean leaving it switched on now for 24-48 hours to get itself thoroughly updated, and then switching off the wireless before you store it away.

[John Rumm]

Treat it to a SSD upgrade - it will still be a PITA, but at least only for 5 to 10 mins tops.

[David Wade]

I don't believe so. The OS uses EDGE internally to render HTML so you always have the latest version

Dave

[Steve Walker]

I have been considering an SSD. But it is balance between spending money on a very out of date machine and waiting and upgrading completely at some point.

[Steve Walker]

Which is not really something that you are even thinking about in the middle of working on your car!

[GB]

I wish! This machine was switched off for 18 months, as I only use it when away on hols, and those have been in short supply recently. It took quite a few hours to get itself sorted, and that's with an SSD. It does have a really puny celeron N2830 CPU, though.

I fitted an SSD to this machine in place of the hard disk, and I fully expected transformed performance. In practice, it made very little difference.

[GB]

You can get a 120GB SSD for under £20.That might not be big enough, though.

[Fredxx]

It sounds as if something is wrong. Your CPU should be still a dual core

2.16/2.41GHz CPU.

Or your SSD isn't a true SSD?

[GB]

I have no idea what is wrong. The CPU is running at 2 GHz at the moment, doing nothing much. I have all the chipset drivers installed, plus I reinstalled W10 recently.

It's a Dell Inspiron 3531.

4GB of RAM. Crucial reports that that can't be upgraded, although I've heard that 8GB might be possible.

Toshiba Q300.

[Tim Streater]

30 to 45 minutes? Gosh, that's quick. During the afternoon I foolishly let MS update my Win10 VM (which I only use to check my app continues to work under Win10) and it was still at it when I went to bed.

[Tim Streater]

The latter would be favourite. Then we'd get fewer people on here bleating about Windows. I have no sympathy. Not a scrap.