Configuring Mini-PC's With Zero Auto Updates On Which Windows?

[Bondppq]

Hello, I have some mini-PC problems, it started when Windows 10 kept pushing updates to flood my 32gb hard drives to a mere 100 mb's in my Asus VivoSticks TS10 making them inoperable. I had to keep deleting updates everyday and could not shut down the automatic updates in the policies no matter what I did.

The same thing happened with Windows 11 in my AceMagician T8 Pro (albeit it has a 256 gb sized drive, so size wasn't the issue there) but I was able to shutdown many update functions in many policies and directories, yet it still says its updating, but only during boot up. I'm trying to figure out how to shutdown all updates forever.

Frustrated, I wiped these drives on both mini-PC's and formatted to EXT4 with a Linux install. I've learned to hate Linux, its far too complicated to deal with and I don't want to waste days-on-end in the shell and I don't know code to play around in it. Linux was a dead exploration.

So now I want to go back to Windows for both mini-PC's but downscaling to a Windows 7 or Vista or XP where I can affectively shutdown the automatic updates features for real and not have it run secretly in the background without alerting the user. A real and permanent update shutdown.

I'm told by various people that Windows 7 is the last Windows op system where you can shutdown automatic updates for real and its not a fake shutoff. I'm wondering how true this is and what your input is? And if there will be a driver issue in downscaling to Win 7 or Vista for these particular PC's?

Now before 'some' start jumping-up-and-down shouting that shutting down automatic updates is wrong to do and you don't want to do that and blah, blah, blah. I've heard that all before, but I have my strong reasons to never update anything I own and I don't, and I've never had a problem doing so in 15+ years.

Lastly, I use these mini-PC's to run just 1 program - Think or Swim stock trading platform on TD Ameritrade/Charles Schwab. I do not use these PC's for any web browsing, photos, music, not even office like Word, Excel, any chat messengers or anything. These PC's will have no other programs loaded into it besides Think or Swim and never used for anything else. They are as barebones as you can get, only the default installed programs from the Windows disc. I use an iMac as my daily workhorse, I don't need to use these PC's for that.

So the update issue whether some think is good or bad is irrelevant. So with all that being said, my question is what Windows platform can I completely shutdown the automatic updates? Can a Dell reinstall disk do this with no product key code or a reusable key code for multiple machines? And I'm told that all the drivers for Windows 7 are the exact same file as used in Windows 10 so is that true as well? Thank you.

 

[DVDR_Dog]

32GB is a little small these days. I am running into problems at work with some systems here running standard issue SSDs depending on what else they have. Engineering diagrams and databases are killer. Those files used to reside on local servers until the "Event" I wasn't here at the time. As a result everything got pushed up to Azure and loading/saving times get pretty crazy so the keep the files local.
To answer your question, with the cost of SSD dropping like a stone you would rather keep those outdated 32GB drives, and not do the updates. Since you are doing stuff on financial sites makes you a juicy target even if you have nothing on interest on your system. I have bought some 1GB Intel M2 drives for around $50 and they work well. Time to pony up some cash and update your rigs.

 

[Bondppq]

well I can't update just the drive and take the VivoSticks apart and reinstall another drive, its probably soldered anyways. But even upgrading the package and buying a new mini-PC will put me in the same problem of unwanted automatic updates so I'm going the route of Windows 7 is what many are telling me and all drivers will work from what I'm reading. Unless someone here can tell me more or otherwise?

 

[DVDR_Dog]

To be honest, the Asus VivoSticks TS10 is like a bad joke. Exactly what did Asus think you were going to do with those limitations in a Windows environment? It's certainly not a 24/7 desktop replacement which is what you are trying to push it to do. Something with such limited resources should be confined to Android or maybe Chromium to be useful for your application. I would think you should get you little army on a scheduled reimaging w/current updates to keep them useful. Honestly most members here probably have phones that would kick those sticks asses. Asus has a lot of balls calling those mini-pcs. When you hear mini-pc you think of the micro-ATX specs.
Sorry when I see something like this it brings up past memories when Asus was the only manufacturer that wouldn't warrant their mainboards when the electrolytic capacitors swelled and failed. They blamed the manufacturer that they bought the cheap bargin caps from and told users to get them to replace their bad motherboards. Some funny philosophies get cooked up over at Asus. Given the fact that Asus didn't even include a way to add a memory card, you are screwed. Asus discusses using the G-drive associated with a gmail account for storage, are they kidding?
This is nothing new, not sure why they keep trying to make a bad idea work: https://thewindowsforum.com/threads...dates-reverting-changes-error-80070661.84091/
Not sure how Microsoft will deal with disabling updates entirely. Don't forget you now have Windows Defender aka Security looking over your shoulder and reporting back to The Fatherland. They could shut you down remotely if they considered your system a security risk or at least severly hobble it's performance.

 

[Bondppq]

I bought the Asus VivoSticks as travel computers because of size and easy-of-use. But now I will use one to run a monitor 12/5 yes. But I also have an AceMagician T8Pro which will be my first Win 7 downscaling attempt. Does Win 7 have the Windows Defender and can I shut that down?

 

[DVDR_Dog]

I bought the Asus VivoSticks as travel computers because of size and easy-of-use. But now I will use one to run a monitor 12/5 yes. But I also have an AceMagician T8Pro which will be my first Win 7 downscaling attempt. Does Win 7 have the Windows Defender and can I shut that down?

The bad news about Win 7 and Defender, well yes it does. The good news is you and shut it down VIA add/remove programs or maybe Revo and definitelyCCleaner. Win 7 is going to present some browser problems unfortunately. It's been a while for me, but if you keep trying you will find a browser that sites will allow you tto connect with.

 

[Bondppq]

ok thank you for those 3rd party programs, I'll look into those. I don't care about any browser issues, I won't use one on the Win 7 anyways, not even the defaults unless I absolutely have to, but it will be very rarely if at all.

I stumbled upon the Tiny7 myself and the more I read up on the Tiny7 the more I like it for my 2GB RAM / 32 GB HD Asus VivoSticks. I didn't even know these Tinys existed, I wished I did.

 

[Bondppq]

error correction: I did not find Tiny7 myself so I can't take credit for it. I found something else similar called Lite and mixed up the two. Either way, they seem like good approaches to fix any PC with low RAM and HD space.

 

[DVDR_Dog]

error correction: I did not find Tiny7 myself so I can't take credit for it. I found something else similar called Lite and mixed up the two. Either way, they seem like good approaches to fix any PC with low RAM and HD space.

Yes if you look around the forum we discuss the tiny or stripped down versions of 7, 10 and I think 11 is out now too. Windows does have a lot of fluff you will never use. The only danger you run into is sometimes updates will balk and do funny things in these versions. No worries just get the latest versions and reimage with all the security updates.

 

[Bondppq]

Well then that is a danger that I don't want "updates will balk and do funny things" but I don't want any updates at all. I'm trying to avoid the latest versions Win 10 & 11 and security updates, my goal here is to downsize and go backwards to Win 7 or even Tiny 7.

I have been thinking that my best approach now is to install Tiny 7 and install an OSX into it like Mojave as I don't like the latest OSX's. And then run the Think or Swim platform on the OSX which is really the ultimate and only goal here.

This will always keep atleast 10 GB's of space on those little 32 GB VivoSticks I have and I can run TOS fluidly. I'm thinking of going this route now. I prefer OSX to Win or Linux, I use OSX mostly so I'm trying to stick with it.