Updates, updates, updates

[NaffNaffBobFace]

So I got up as 6.30am today for a solid couple of hours gameplay until I have to get shit done all day.

Windows updates. Graphics card driver updates. SC updates. Steam updates. 2 hours later game time is over and it's still stinking updating.

Any way to disable updates until I say so?? I don't care about the latest Steam content update on a game I'm two levels away from completing.

I understand the SC update and it was literally 5 mins on this occasion, but everything else? It has really screwed me over this morning.

 

[stockish]

Steam is easy, just don't open it!
Windows has a setting somewhere that lets you manually start the update, unless it is mandatory for security.
For me Nvidia drivers only update when I say so.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

Steam is easy, just don't open it!
Windows has a setting somewhere that lets you manually start the update, unless it is mandatory for security.
For me Nvidia drivers only update when I say so.

Thinking about it rationally, you're right - nothing really says they are mandatory (except the Steam and SC ones) I wonder if i can just freeze them all and enjoy the games i have now offline?

...or... just unplug the internet from my game PC...?

 

[Bruttle]

Steam is easy, just don't open it!
Windows has a setting somewhere that lets you manually start the update, unless it is mandatory for security.
For me Nvidia drivers only update when I say so.

Same here. I only download updates by choice. There is an old IT saying, "don't download updates on release". When it comes to any updates, the potential for breaking EVERYTHING is high. I always give it a day or two for the repair patch to make it's way down the pipe. Updates are like a bull in a china shop. They can occasionally, unintentionally ruin everything. Give them a day to realize what they fucked up before applying them.

For steam, just go into your library. Left click on all your installed games, click on properties, and in the window pick the tab "updates". There should be a drop down menu that allows you to choose when you want to allow your games to be updated.

For Windows 10, I would highly suggest going through your update preferences and picking what you want. Click on the windows icon in the lower left, then the gear for settings, then "advanced options" to pick how you want the updates to download and apply. Also, if you haven't been there yet, go to settings/privacy. The liberties that Windows 10 takes with your personal information is staggering. If you haven't gone through the privacy settings yet, they have access to pretty much everything you go to, everything you type, everyone you talk to, everyone you connect with, and pretty much everything you do. I really wish there was a tinfoil hat involved with this one...

For Nvidia, it's all about removing the "GeForce Experience". Once that is gone, the autoupdates should stop. You will still get notifications that an update is available, but it won't be forced down your throat like a bad porno...

All that said, updates are EXTREMELY important. If you abandon the auto updates, you will definitely need to manage those updates yourself. I have had to do a complete wipe and reinstall of my main drive because i neglected my updates for too long.

 

[stockish]

Thinking about it rationally, you're right - nothing really says they are mandatory (except the Steam and SC ones) I wonder if i can just freeze them all and enjoy the games i have now offline?

...or... just unplug the internet from my game PC...?

For Steam you can turn off automatic updates and do them later unless the game specifically requires an update to play, and I think Windows is the same as it never updates unless the downloads are ready and I restart. Unsure of the correct options as i'm not home, but take a look and see what you can change.

 

[Printimus]

you should probably keep your stuff more up to date so you dont have to update everything at once.

 

[Wolfy]

For Windows open your control panel and go to the Windows Update section, while there click Change Settings and under the Important Setting dropdown menu select Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them. This will make sure you still know about security updates but also ensures they wont automatically start downloading.

For Steam go the the settings and there is a downloads section you can actually set times that automatic updates happen. So say you know you will be home during 9AM to 5PM, you can set it so it wont automatically download updates during that time. To do this just check the box that reads Only auto-update games during and fill the times in you know you wont be playing.

For Nvidia open up GeForce Experience or, if you have the older cards, the Nvidia Control Panel and go to the settings page. There are two things in settings in the General tab that deal with drivers. The first says Desktop Notifications and reads Notify me when a Geforce Driver update is available. That's up to you to keep checked or not. To disable automatic updating look right below it in the Downloads section and has a checkbox reading Automatically download driver updates and let me choose when to install. Uncheck that and you shouldn't have it automatically updating anymore.


Just a quick walkthrough on how to set it up so you wont deal with any automatic updates while still getting notified of necessary updates. ^

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

Many thanks for all the tips everyone.

I think i'm missing the days where you just installed a game and played it. I understand SC because it's still being built but some of my other games nothing seems to change for all the time spent downloading the latest patches.

 

[at-2500]

I usually just turn on my PC from time to time and leave it running for a couple of hours so that every app that wants to does the fucking updating while I am not gaming.

 

[Vavrik]

I usually just turn on my PC from time to time and leave it running for a couple of hours so that every app that wants to does the fucking updating while I am not gaming.

That's Windows updates. Games that manage their own updates often don't let you do that. Blizzard does a pretty good job at notification, a few other do too. But the rest of the pack do not, including SC.