Windows 10 updates

[Jean Shimp]

Recently had to call my computer tech person to fix a problem with our in-house computer network. For some reason we couldn't share files between computers. I was told that because I was missing updates all sorts of problems occurred which was the cause of losing the network. How can that be? Doesn't Win 10 automatically update? I was told there are manual updates that need to be done. What kind of maintenance should we be doing on these computers other than the usual disk cleanup periodically. TIA

 

[WildWestDesigns]

If you are running Win 10 Home, out of the box (there may be 3rd party programs that will block updates, which have their own security implications) will get updates as they come available.

If you have Win 10 Pro, you can defer updates for a few months, but they do eventually still get you. Each major version of Win 10 goes EOL after 18 months (almost as "bleeding edge" as Fedora (13 months then EOL for them)) and I would speculate that software vendors on later versions (even on point releases) won't support older builds of Win 10 as well.

Enterprise I believe is following the Win 10 Pro schema for updates as well.


Now network shares, have been a known issue with Win 10. I don't know if they have fixed it or not within the latest build or not. I believe it for sure affected NAS shares, but if you just have folder shares from one computer over the network, not sure if that affected those shares or not.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I dont see how missing updates would cause network problems. Computers of all versions should be able to talk to eachother.

 

[Jean Shimp]

If you are running Win 10 Home, out of the box (there may be 3rd party programs that will block updates, which have their own security implications) will get updates as they come available.

If you have Win 10 Pro, you can defer updates for a few months, but they do eventually still get you. Each major version of Win 10 goes EOL after 18 months (almost as "bleeding edge" as Fedora (13 months then EOL for them)) and I would speculate that software vendors on later versions (even on point releases) won't support older builds of Win 10 as well.

Enterprise I believe is following the Win 10 Pro schema for updates as well.


Now network shares, have been a known issue with Win 10. I don't know if they have fixed it or not within the latest build or not. I believe it for sure affected NAS shares, but if you just have folder shares from one computer over the network, not sure if that affected those shares or not.

I am running Windows 10 home. Is there a way to tell if my programs are blocking updates?

 

[WildWestDesigns]

I am running Windows 10 home. Is there a way to tell if my programs are blocking updates?

Did your IT guy update already or just make that suggestion? If it was just a suggestions, look at the builds on your computers and see if you have older builds. That will at least let you know if you are on an older version or not.

Typically, most of the software that we willingly have on our system shouldn't be blocking system updates. Unless you installed a script or program to do just that.

It could be possible depending on your networking system, how sophisticated it is, that things could be being blocked there as well and not necessarily at the individual computer level.

Now, if you are connecting to a NAS, I believe it was update 1803 is when all of that stuff started happening. If it's connecting to another computer with a shared folder, then that may be something different. Don't know.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I dont think a program would block an update. Windows 10 is aggressive and annoying at doing updates and making you restart. You can manually check for updates and see if it picks any up. My truck computer doesnt do them but that's only because I labeled my network as a "metered" connection and didnt want it wasting hotspot.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

I dont think a program would block an update. Windows 10 is aggressive and annoying at doing updates and making you restart. You can manually check for updates and see if it picks any up. My truck computer doesnt do them but that's only because I labeled my network as a "metered" connection and didnt want it wasting hotspot.

Some programs/scripts used to block them via the host file, which has been bypassed with newer updates from MS now.

Also that metered connection doesn't work on later builds as well, so don't do an update anytime now and then be able to go back to blocking it.

Since my dad wasn't on wifi, but an ethernet connection, I had to go through some hoops to get that setup as a metered connection as those typically aren't metered (in general, sometimes they are). When he got a new custom PC with a later build of Win 10 Pro, that workaround was no longer viable in any form that I could find.

 

[netsol]

one of the recent (last 6 months) updates disabled smb1 (samba shares with plain text passwords) we had to reinstall smb1 until getting a bug resolved in a linux server for our largest client. pita to have to install & restart 75 pc's

i would guess you ran afoul of something like that

if you are running windows 10 homr, simple file sharing could be tripping over a recent update

 

[WildWestDesigns]

one of the recent (last 6 months) updates disabled smb1 (samba shares with plain text passwords) we had to reinstall smb1 until getting a bug resolved in a linux server for our largest client. pita to have to install & restart 75 pc's

i would guess you ran afoul of something like that

if you are running windows 10 homr, simple file sharing could be tripping over a recent update

So they haven't fixed the issue then. Not truly. Boy I'm so glad I don't have to deal with that mess. That would have been a deal breaker for me for sure.

 

[WYLDGFI]

if you are running windows 10 homr, simple file sharing could be tripping over a recent update

We are running Win 10 Pro. Had an update issue with it on Wednesday where the update stopped file sharing. Couldn't get files to our router table anymore...wanted to put my fist thru the monitor. Figured it out finally and reset the sharing permissions. PITA

 

[unclebun]

In Windows 10, as Wyld says, it may have been the updates that caused the file sharing to be broken. We find this typically with the "big" annual updates, which essentially reinstall Windows with a new version. When it's done, it leaves network properties in the default state after an installation, which is with file sharing turned off and password protection turned on. You just have to right click your network icon, choose "Open Network and Internet Settings", then "Sharing Options" and reset the options the way you want them for all three categories on the page.

 

[Jean Shimp]

In Windows 10, as Wyld says, it may have been the updates that caused the file sharing to be broken. We find this typically with the "big" annual updates, which essentially reinstall Windows with a new version. When it's done, it leaves network properties in the default state after an installation, which is with file sharing turned off and password protection turned on. You just have to right click your network icon, choose "Open Network and Internet Settings", then "Sharing Options" and reset the options the way you want them for all three categories on the page.

This makes sense to me. I'll try it if it happens again, which is hopefully never. My tech person said I should be checking for updates manually every week or at lease once a month to avoid problems. But it seems to me that the updates are what's causing the problems.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

This makes sense to me. I'll try it if it happens again, which is hopefully never. My tech person said I should be checking for updates manually every week or at lease once a month to avoid problems. But it seems to me that the updates are what's causing the problems.

You actually run a greater risk, because those are for what MS calls "seekers" and still may be unstable updates. Especially on the updates at the end of the month.

Your IT guy must be used to Arch. It's bleeding edge like Win 10, but if one misses out too much on updates, that really fubars your rig on average.

 

[unclebun]

You don't need to manually go looking for updates. They will come on their own. Most of the time they are security and small updates for bug fixes and the like. Those will not affect your networking this way. It's the big annual "Creator's Update" that resets the network settings to default.