Windows 10 automatic update issue

There has been a bit of discussion on other threads about Windows 10 and how it is a potential disaster for CNC use as it is inclined to go off and download updates, install them, and possibly reboot, all while a machining job is going on.

That may be true for Windows 10 Home edition, but it looks as if you can easily stop this happening if you are running Win10 Pro (or maybe one of the other odd versions like Enterprise or Education). Well, I say easily, but it does mean going into the Group Policy editor, enabling the Automatic Windows Update policy, and then selecting which policy variant you want. Choices include do nothing (needs manual search for updates), download but don't install, download and install, and something else that I can't remember. It seems to work - I set this up a week or so back and have just received a reminder to install latest updates rather than having them install automatically.

Try googling for "windows 10 group policy automatic update" and there are plenty of articles telling you how to do it - follow instructions carefully and it's not too difficult. The automatic update problem might not be as bad as feared, but it does mean that you need the Pro version rather than Home. Nothing to stop you all running Win10 now, then...

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Originally Posted by Neale

There has been a bit of discussion on other threads about Windows 10

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It's no better for CNC than Windows 7 and in "Upgrading" from Windows 7 Ultimate so many features were to be stolen from me, but with the kind offer to sell me an app to replace the functionality I previously had included, I'm giving the whole thing a body swerve!

I'll keep using Windows 7 in a hardware then a virtual environment until open source is a viable option for me, Microsoft aren't having another shilling from me and I'm not renting cloud apps either ;-)

- Nick

I've got a machine with XP on, just for CNC. It is connected to my network, but not the Internet. I run Autocad 14 on it (vintage 1997) Estlcam v9, and Mach3. - It works, does the job ! I see no reason to change it.

If it ain't broke - Don't fix it.

I have a machine with Win 7 on which is my main general purpose workhorse and a machine with Win10 on it, but I hardly ever switch that on. I just wanted to see what it was like - my verdict 'I haven't got a touch screen so why bother with it' and I don't.

I am too old to waste my pension keeping Bill Gates rich.

Cheers,

Mr Grumpy

My final comment in the first post was a bit tongue in cheek - not banging the drum for more win 10 sales, but there are going to be some people who can't avoid it (e.g. having to buy a new machine and don't want to go down the "build it myself and install my own software" route). Personally, and this really is a personal view, I prefer to have everything up to date. The fact that my garage PC is sometimes connected to my house network means that there is an indirect internet connection from time to time so if I'm exposed to the latest threats, I like to make sure I have the latest defences. I updated all my win 7/win 8 machines when the update was still free but I do feel a bit exposed to what MS might do in future.

I used to run LinuxCNC but wanted to use a CSMIO motion controller for my new router so Mach3 and hence Windows was inevitable. The questions for me were Mach3 or 4, and which Windows version. If CS Labs come out with a Linux version, I'll switch! I can see a time when I'll be running mainly open source, but there are these external constraints.

I'm hoping the low and mid range one box controller systems have matured by the time hardware support for Windows 7 installations becomes a problem, then we can all have professional looking CNC installations and out-of-the-box working threading on lathes ;-)