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11/27/2018

Disable Cortana Using Group Policy Editor

To disable Cortana in windows 10

  1. Press Win + R keyboard accelerator to open Run dialog box.
  2. Type GPedit.msc and hit Enter or OK to open Local Group Policy Editor. Navigate to Local Computer Policy -> Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Search.
  3. In the right pane, double click on policy named Allow Cortana.
  4. Select the Disabled radio button.
  5. Restart the PC and Cortana and Bing Search will be disabled. (May work after signing out and in again)



    Source: https://superuser.com/questions/949569/can-i-completely-disable-cortana-on-windows-10

11/24/2018

How to Disable Windows 10 Update in Every Way

Windows 10 Forces Me to Update

"Every time I try to shut down my computer, I was forced to update my Windows 10. But I really don't want to update my operating system because the automatic update might take up the system and network resources. Is there anybody can help me solve this problem and disable Windows 10 update? Thanks in advance."
Whenever you are faced with Windows 10's automatic update notification like:
  • Install updates automatically 
  • Download Updates but choose when to install them
  • Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them
What would you do? Here, we have the following solutions.
Tips
Before proceeding with the four solutions to fully stop Windows 10 updates, check your own Windows 10 edition (Home, Professional, Education or Enterprise) by going to Settings -> System -> About so that you can find the most appropriate solution. Besides, the fourth way of trying to control the Windows 10 update by using Registry is somewhat risky, do remember to backup your data and the details will be shown in the extra tips section.

How to Disable Windows 10 Update

Solution 1. Disable Windows Update Service

Understand the limitations of this method. While disabling the automatic update service will temporarily halt any Windows 10 cumulative updates, the service will re-enable itself after a certain amount of time. Here are the directions:
1. Press the Windows logo key + R at the same time to invoke the Run box.
2. Type services.msc and press Enter.


invoke run box and type services.msc


3. Scroll down to Windows Update, and double-click it.


find windows update and double-click it


4. In Startup type, select Disabled. Then click Apply and OK to save the settings.


disable the windows update service

Solution 2. Change the Setting of the Group Policy Editor

The Group Policy feature is not available in the Home edition. So, only when you run Windows 10 Professional, Enterprise, or Education, you can use the Group Policy Editor to change the settings to prevent Windows 10 from automatically updating. The group policy editor will notify you of new updates without automatically installing them.
  • Press the Windows logo key + R then type gpedit.msc and click OK.
  • Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update.
  • Double-click Configure Automatic Updates.
  • Select Disabled in Configured Automatic Updates on the left, and click Apply and OK to disable the Windows automatic update feature.
Note: If you need to update your Windows version later, you can repeat the steps above, then select Enabled to turn on this feature, so that you can continue to download the updates.

Solution 3. Meter Your Network Connection

Understand that this method won't work for Ethernet connections. You can only disable automatic updates by using this method on a Wi-Fi connection. If your computer is connected to WiFi, you can try this to stop Windows 10 automatic updates.
1. Click the Start button at the bottom left on your desktop, then click the Settings app.
2. Click Network & Internet.


click network and internet to meter your network connection


3. Click WiF in the left pane, then click the name of your Wi-Fi connection.
4. Click to turn on Set as metered connection.

Solution 4. Change the way of Windows 10 Updates Using Registry

Extra Tips: Editing the registry is risky, and it can cause irreversible damage to your installation if you don't do it correctly. It's recommended that you make a full backup of your computer before proceeding. All you need to do is use this free backup software to back up your data in three steps:
Step 1. Launch EaseUS Todo Backup and then choose the backup option you want.


choose the data that you want to back up


Step 2. Choose the system, hard drive, files or apps that you want to backup, and then select a destination where you want to store the backup file.
Step 3. Click "Proceed" to backup data from hard drive.
With a backup at hand, now it's safe to customize a Windows 10 update without receiving any forced updates on your computer. Here's how to make the change in Registry:
1. Use the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run command.
2. Type regedit, and click OK to open the Registry.
Browse the following path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows
3. Right-click the Windows (folder) key, select New, and then click Key.
4. Name the new key WindowsUpdate and press Enter.
5. Right-click the newly created key, select new, and click Key.


disable windows 10 update in registry


6. Name the new key AU and press Enter.
Inside the newly created key, right-click on the right side, select New, and click on DWORD (32-bit) Value.
7. Name the new key AUOptions and press Enter.
Double-click the newly created key and change its value to 2. It's for "Notify for download and notify for install". Click OK.
8. Close the Registry to complete the task.
Using this value prevents Windows 10 from downloading updates automatically, and you'll get a notification when new updates are available. By this way, you can avoid any auto Windows 10 update effectively.
That's how you could make an attempt to disable Windows 10 update in every way. Each method has been proved to work as long as you wish to turn off all the automatic updates in Windows 10.
In the end, we're also asked to address another similar Windows 10 update issue which frequently bothers users for a long time, if you're the one who is looking for a way to stop a Windows 10 update in progress, leave this page and move to the linked page for help.

Source: https://www.easeus.com/todo-backup-resource/how-to-stop-windows-10-from-automatically-update.html

11/01/2018

macOS Mojave Dynamic Theme

A great free Windows 10 theme is the macOS Mojave Dynamic Theme. You will need to download the UXTHEME patcher for your version of Windows 10. I am running version-build 1803 and it works great. I also installed the Classic Start Menu. See my screen shots and a link below where to find it. The author also created the wallpaper to go with it. Enjoy...



















You can get the theme here:

https://www.deviantart.com/hs1987/art/macOS-Mojave-Dynamic-Theme-748766967