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Feature update to Windows 10, version 1709 just installed itself on my computer. I checked the details of the so-called new features. There's absolutely nothing there that I need or want. But I had no choice. During the update, Microsoft changed my display language and turned on password protected sharing. It also deleted the quick start toolbar from my taskbar. There may be other changes that I haven't found yet.
At no time during the update did I receive any notification about these changes. Every time Windows 10 updates, I have to spend hours tracking down and fixing unwanted changes.
Why do you do these things, Microsoft? Is there a setting that lets me protect my personalization settings from your stupid unwanted "feature" updates?
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
@BulldogXX
I don't suspect Microsoft of sinister motives, just incompetent programming plus a total lack of consideration for user needs.
I've found that user settings stay intact through Android updates, but with Microsoft Windows anything can happen.
There's nothing new about that. I first noticed that behavior in Windows 7. I also notice it in Microsoft Office, which gets updated the same way as Windows.
Updates frequently replace files with newer versions of the same file. If a file being replaced held some of your settings, those settings are going to back to the defaults.
It may be appealing to surmise that sinister Microsoft is forcing its will on unsuspecting users, but it's not nearly that dramatic. Which is not to say that Microsoft doesn't try to force its will on users. But this is not an example of that.
If the updates don’t suit your preferences, you can always postpone them. Microsoft releases cumulative updates in the future based on the discussion and information collected from the Feedback Hub. Visit this link: Defer upgrades in Windows 10 to know how to pause incoming updates.
Like you did, you can wait once you already submitted a suggestion to our Feedback Hub. Deferring updates feature was already available to version 1607 systems.
Let us know if you have other concerns.
"it is best to turn off the automatic update"
You can't actually do that. However, it is now possible to delay feature updates for up to a year and quality updates (including security improvements) for up to a month. The feature updates have been the most troublesome and least useful for me, so I've delayed them for four months to allow me to check content and the user reaction. The quality improvements I've left at 0 days delay because of the security implications.
I don't think this delay option was available in the original Windows 10. It's a welcome addition that should have been there from the start.
Also, if Microsoft is going to mess around with users' personalization settings, they should at least give notice of that and issue a list of settings that are likely to be affected. Windows 10 is the most difficult version to personalize because of the cut-down personalization system, and I've been losing hours fixing things after every "feature" update.
Yes, we do need user feedbacks to let our developers know what are the necessary things that must be done in order to achieve our goal to have a user friendly interface.
Major updates make changes in the operating system. It also affects user interface and settings. This is normal due to changes in adding or removing of features. If you want to retain your user settings, it is best to turn off the automatic update. Visit this link: Windows Update: FAQ to know where you can find this option. Once there, expand the “How do I keep my PC up to date?” drop-down article and go to the “To turn on automatic updates in Windows 10”section to see the instructions and perform the opposite way.
