I also would like that back, but I'd also pose to you this question:
Windows historically has been heavily used in botnets, in part because people do not apply updates to known (and fixed) vulnerabilities. Microsoft removing the "fuck off" button was a response to that, and I'd assert it's made the Internet in general safer. Yet it's also unquestionably had the side-effect of making Windows dramatically less pleasant to use.
What's the best solution here? iOS just reboots in the middle of the night, which would likely work well for Windows tablets, but might have issues with traditional desktops, since Windows doesn't have the freedom iOS does to just shut down apps. Linux leaves you to fend for yourself, which I think has mostly worked okay thus far because Linux users tend to be more technically sophisticated. macOS is a bit in-between, attempting to do the midnight reboot dance, but aborting if docs are open.
The user of the computer has to be respected. Microsoft (or any vendor) doesn't get to override the device owner's decisions. This is a basic proper rights issue. That doesn't prevent a reasonable default setting that schedules reboots, but the user must be able to override that setting.
However, regular reboots to install updates is only fixing the symptoms instead of the underlying problem. The proper solution is to put security first when writing software. The entire design needs to be developed for security from the very beginning, not added on as a "feature" afterwords.
Additionally, it would also be a good idea to design software components to have minimal interdependence (loose coupling). This should allows not only easier testing, but also easier replacement. Fewer reboots are needed with when you can replace components individually. (it can also limit restarts to only one subsystem)
iOS doesn't install updates without you giving it permission. It pops up a dialog and lets you choose to install it now, overnight while plugged in, or to cancel, but it doesn't do it without your permission. macOS has an automatically install updates option which you can uncheck if you don't want them.
I actually work in security so I'm torn on the subject too, but I know that pissing off users in the name of security is just as bad. Because then they're more likely to shun security altogether.
The right answer, in my opinion, is to force reboots by default but to allow the option to disable it.
I think the right answer would be to force reboots at the right time, but - and this is the technical challenge - ensure that you can bring the users environment mostly (almost entirely) back to normal. Eg, store memory states, bring everything that the user wants back as it was before the reboot.
That's likely a pipe dream, as apps do a bunch of complicated things - but it seems like a merger of security and UX. I'm not saying it's possible.. just that it seems like the best compromise.
"Reboot to apply important security updates and to get rid of this message"
Have an overlay of red letters that doesn't impede you to do anything but is kind of an eye sore. Maybe a window that can be moved but can't be hidden. People will reboot to remove that message (but never when they're in the middle of something).
Active hours is the 'only reboot when plugged in at night' concept for Windows. It is either on by default or Windows prompts you to turn it off if you delay an update.
I don't know about other people, but the only time I update is when its mandatory or I magically managed to close out all my work and have no state I care about. I suspect a lot of OS X users are on out of date builds of the current latest version. For the big feature updates they are pretty good about harassing users and do nice things like download the new OS without asking.
Windows 10 has now started to update graphics card drivers for me despite the fact that I already have AMD's Radeon Settings software installed which notifies me about new drivers and allows me to install them when I want to.
Last week I was playing Shadow of Mordor when all of a sudden the game crashed with an error along the lines of "Graphics device was removed or disconnected". The reason for it was Windows 10 had decided to update while I was gaming and a new GPU driver was installed as part of the update.
Suffice it to say I finally cracked and looked up how to set up the group policy settings to ask me before updating. Luckily I'm using Windows 10 Pro and have this option.
I know a lot people used to give Windows Update a lot of flak in the pre-Windows 10 days, but I never really thought it was a problem (I always had it set to ask when to install updates) but Windows 10's update settings are downright user hostile.
Yep. I have a slightly unusual graphics setup (one GeForce, one Quadro set up for Nvidia 3D Vision 2 stereo) and Windows 10 destroys my setup by installing the wrong graphics driver and makes me reinstall graphics drivers every update now. Huge waste of time. Infuriating.
AMD's Crimson driver constantly crashes for me. I rolled back to Catalyst and had no problems until Windows updated it back to Crimson. The problem is on AMD's side but still. I don't care about having the latest drivers but I care about stability.
> Last week I was playing Shadow of Mordor when all of a sudden the game crashed with an error along the lines of "Graphics device was removed or disconnected". The reason for it was Windows 10 had decided to update while I was gaming and a new GPU driver was installed as part of the update.
LMAO
No seriously. This could be straight out of a comedy piece.
I have been particularly annoyed after putting my computer to sleep and coming back in the morning to find that it rebooted and is now idling at the login screen, with my previous session of open programs lost.
I've had good results with this guide[0], which describes a lot of the same steps as the guide that mintplant already linked to, plus a few more. So far, it seems that no Windows updates have undone the changes I made by following the guide. I'm pretty sure I went through the guide before receiving the anniversary update, too.
In addition to no longer waking from sleep, my computer also no longer forces me to restart while it's awake and in use.
in the morning to find that it rebooted and is now idling at the login screen
You know what really turns my hair gray about this, I mean aside from losing the state of all my open apps, is that when I actually do want to shutdown a Windows computer it almost always seems to not shutdown because some open program is blocking shutdown with a dialogue box asking if I want to save my work or if I really want to quit.
That's terrible, and not too far off my own experience. When I do manage to shut down Windows 10 without open programs blocking the process, I almost always get a brief flash of a
"Breakpoint exception [hexadecimal error code] ... [something or other]"
dialog box that displays for less than a second. I don't think it shows up in the Event Viewer logs, so if I want to search for the error code online and remedy the problem, I'll have to be quick with a handheld camera.
It could be 3rd party software erroring out, so I guess I won't blame Microsoft for this one until I have more info.
It's ridiculous that Microsoft doesn't offer an official option for this anymore, but in the meantime, I was able to disable automatic reboots on my system by following this guide:
I think it's good. If you're not savvy enough to do a quick google search and perform the simple (all-gui) instructions within, you're probably not savvy enough to self-manage your critical updates, either.
Note that the group profile to disable reboots does not work; Win10 completely ignores it. I agree that this should be supported in the UI for sophisticated users. These sorts of frankly insane steps should not be necessary.
Hell, I'd be happy with "Do not reboot if there's mouse/keyboard/controller activity." My computer has rebooted literally in the middle of playing BioShock.
The diffed update isn't a bad news though. The amount of time and bandwidth wasted through Windows Update. I expect global warming slowdown from energy savings there.
The tenth time this caused me to lose data and when my home server shut itself down and failed to boot, I set my internet connection to "metered", which Windows graciously seems to have respected.
Now I don't get any Windows updates, but the possibility of joining a botnet is preferable to the certainty that Windows will ruin my work.
I'm glad that Microsoft is making the internet a safer place.
