Windows Update Manager 0.9a

[DavidXanatos]

This tool of mine allows computer administrators to fully control the process and the timing of installing updates to their system using the Windows Update Agent API. The tool is also capable of performing an offline search for updates using an update catalog.

No more unwanted forced reboots or long update sessions to the worst possible times.

Features:
1) Ability to auto download wsusscn2.cab for "offline" search for updates (for example when wuauserv is blocked in the firewall)
2) Ability to "manually" (that is without the use of wuauserv or the Windows agent API) download found updates to disk (useful when the access of Windows Update to the servers of Microsoft is blocked)
3) Ability to block automatic Windows Update on pro/home editions of windows 10.
4) Ability to search for updates in custom intervals (when automatic Windows Update is disabled), only searched for updates when the PC is not in use (optional)
5) Hides the Windows Update page from the settings app when automatic updates are disabled

https://github.com/DavidXanatos/wumgr/releases/tag/0.9a

[chants]

There is a new strange situation where the "Check for Updates" button now no longer does a passive check. But it actively includes you to test week 3, week 4 beta updates which are not released on the normal monthly "Patch Tuesday" cycle. There is a bunch of terminology too around this but the theory is they can beta test using users who are so excited about updates that they actually click the button while most users probably don't ever go there.

Anyway a tool like this will become more and more useful into the future. I had used WSUS Offline Update for a while to try to prevent the big updates from being downloaded separately on multiple machines. Though in the days of internet being more or less limitless, a bigger concern is stability.

See the news article:

https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/windows10-check-for-updates/

referencing Microsoft's own blog post on the issue:

https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2018/12/10/windows-monthly-security-and-quality-updates-overview/#LcV9lITe3UqkOpIC.97

And so this is basically new eye opening discussion:

But now Microsoft has shared a blog post in which they argue that people who click the Check for updates button are in fact “advanced users” who are “seeking updates.” Therefore, if you click the button, your system will be updated to the latest optional release called “C” or “D” release. These releases are a kind of preview of the next regular monthly release, known as the “B” release, which is the general version which includes security and non-security fixes.
The problem is that these C and D releases are still essentially beta code which is being offered for preview rather than being intended for widespread use. Microsoft says that the releases are “validated, production-quality optional releases,” but also that they are intended “primarily for commercial customers and advanced users ‘seeking’ updates.” This distinction is not made clear in the updates section of Windows, and you can imagine plenty of regular people clicking the Check for updates button in their system because they think it’s good security practice, without realizing that they have essentially opted into Windows beta testing.
Microsoft has had problems with their patches in the past, such as a patch for Surface Book 2 devices that caused a blue screen of death error. As PCWorld points out, the timing of this patch in the last week of November means that it would have been issued to users who hit the Check for updates button. So Windows users beware: stay away from the Check for updates button unless you know what you’re doing.

[DavidXanatos]

New release: https://github.com/DavidXanatos/wumgr/releases/tag/1.0

[1.0] - 2019-10-19
Added

Added italian translation thx @irondave
Added Brazilian Portuguese translation thx @Possessed777
Added ini option to select language

Fixed

fixed minor issues with progress display

Changed

date format should now be proeprly localized
improved auto check for update feature

[binarylaw]

Originally Posted by chants

There is a new strange situation where the "Check for Updates" button now no longer does a passive check. But it actively includes you to test week 3, week 4 beta updates which are not released on the normal monthly "Patch Tuesday" cycle. There is a bunch of terminology too around this but the theory is they can beta test using users who are so excited about updates that they actually click the button while most users probably don't ever go there.

Anyway a tool like this will become more and more useful into the future. I had used WSUS Offline Update for a while to try to prevent the big updates from being downloaded separately on multiple machines. Though in the days of internet being more or less limitless, a bigger concern is stability.

See the news article: referencing Microsoft's own blog post on the issue:

And so this is basically new eye opening discussion:

I had no idea about this. Not that I do it myself, of course. I go the other direction and had to finally just disable Windows Update services altogether, so out of control has Microsoft + Windows 10 gotten.

But hearing this about the "beta opt-in" because you clicked check... enrages me. Microsoft needs some worthy competition yesterday. I really wish Linux would pull its pants up and catch up finally.

[Fyyre]

Originally Posted by DavidXanatos

New release: https://github.com/DavidXanatos/wumgr/releases/tag/1.0

[1.0] - 2019-10-19
Added

Added italian translation thx @irondave
Added Brazilian Portuguese translation thx @Possessed777
Added ini option to select language

Fixed

fixed minor issues with progress display

Changed

date format should now be proeprly localized
improved auto check for update feature

David,

you are creating excellent projects. keep it up

sincerely,

fyyre

[DavidXanatos]

Originally Posted by Fyyre

David,

you are creating excellent projects. keep it up

sincerely,

fyyre

Glad to here people like my projects

Here is an other one:
https://github.com/DavidXanatos/priv10

Its not very polished yet but already contains quite a few features.

https://ibb.co/tLGpRTf

It is a privacy tool for windows it combines a tweak manager (like O&O ShutUp10 or w10privacy) with a fronted to properly control the windows firewall making it into a useful application firewall. Outgoing connection attempts are being blocked by default and the user is notified with a small PopUp with options to create allow/block rules.