• Visitors can check out the Forum FAQ by clicking this link. You have to register before you can post: click the REGISTER link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. View our Forum Privacy Policy.
  • Want to receive the latest contracting news and advice straight to your inbox? Sign up to the ContractorUK newsletter here. Every sign up will also be entered into a draw to WIN £100 Amazon vouchers!

Resurrecting old PC and fearing Update Hell

Collapse
X
  •  
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Resurrecting old PC and fearing Update Hell

    I just plugged in my old Windows desktop. I bought it way back in like 2010 for about £300 but moved to Mac a few years back and then after we moved house 2 years ago, it sat in a corner. I just plugged it in to see if I had some R&D demos and it went from cold to running in ~10s which is STILL faster than any other device I own!

    It was originally on W7 but got updated to 8->10 via cheap/free updates. I haven't dared connect it to the network for fear it might never run again but I want to get files off it and maybe even use it. Is there a way I can do this... block Windows Update, allow it on my network but not on the internet, etc? Medium term it either needs to be retired or allowed to try updating but right now, I don't have the time.

    It's running Windows 10 Pro, 10.0.14393. I know it hasn't run for at least 2 years, not sure how I might find out more precisely.
    Originally posted by MaryPoppins
    I'd still not breastfeed a nazi
    Originally posted by vetran
    Urine is quite nourishing

    #2
    Originally posted by d000hg View Post
    I just plugged in my old Windows desktop. I bought it way back in like 2010 for about £300 but moved to Mac a few years back and then after we moved house 2 years ago, it sat in a corner. I just plugged it in to see if I had some R&D demos and it went from cold to running in ~10s which is STILL faster than any other device I own!

    It was originally on W7 but got updated to 8->10 via cheap/free updates. I haven't dared connect it to the network for fear it might never run again but I want to get files off it and maybe even use it. Is there a way I can do this... block Windows Update, allow it on my network but not on the internet, etc? Medium term it either needs to be retired or allowed to try updating but right now, I don't have the time.

    It's running Windows 10 Pro, 10.0.14393. I know it hasn't run for at least 2 years, not sure how I might find out more precisely.
    Fire it up off the network and disable auto updates, and/ or get stuff off it with a USB stick.

    Your router may allow you to selectively block access to the internet based on IP or MAC address.
    "Being nice costs nothing and sometimes gets you extra bacon" - Pondlife.

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by DaveB View Post
      Fire it up off the network and disable auto updates, and/ or get stuff off it with a USB stick.

      Your router may allow you to selectively block access to the internet based on IP or MAC address.
      I had thought W10 stopped you bring able to turn off updates... This is what I'm worried about. If I can easily restrict it to my intranet that would be good.

      Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk
      Originally posted by MaryPoppins
      I'd still not breastfeed a nazi
      Originally posted by vetran
      Urine is quite nourishing

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by d000hg View Post
        I had thought W10 stopped you bring able to turn off updates... This is what I'm worried about. If I can easily restrict it to my intranet that would be good.
        As mentioned above, you should be able to restrict it at the router, but you might need to turn it on to get the MAC address (just turn off the wifi first).

        I've checked my own machine, and apparently you can pause updates for 35 days:



        Failing that, you could buy a harddrive caddy, take the HDD out and use it as an external drive?

        Comment


          #5
          Wireless?! Did I mention this is a ten year old desktop?!

          It might actually be the case my version is old enough I can pause updates... It's something windows 10 had got more restrictive on I think?

          I'll look... It's certainly before the huge updates that were effectively new OS versions, I'm on original W10 before it pissed everyone off

          Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk
          Originally posted by MaryPoppins
          I'd still not breastfeed a nazi
          Originally posted by vetran
          Urine is quite nourishing

          Comment


            #6
            oh!, deary , deary me

            Comment


              #7
              Just unplug your broadband from the phone socket so the internal network still works, while you fire up the PC to check content and whether worth persevering with it in its current state.

              For fun, copy anything off you want to keep then let W10 run a while to see what it does. It may update or it may give up and ask you first if it is too far behind the major updates.

              If it was upgraded to W10 and ran ok then no reason the updates won't work if you leave it to sort itself out. You can always roll back to W8 (if still retained during the upgrade to W10) or even W7, XP, or some other non-M$ OS if W10 borks.
              Maybe tomorrow, I'll want to settle down. Until tomorrow, I'll just keep moving on.

              Comment


                #8
                Take the HDD out and plug it into an external SATA thingy so you can copy files off directly to your Mac.

                EDIT: Actually, HB's advice above is better :-)

                Comment


                  #9
                  Don't really see the issue with allowing it to update over night? It's not like you are sitting there wanting to use it.
                  Rule Number 1 - Assuming that you have a valid contract in place always try to get your poo onto your timesheet, provided that the timesheet is valid for your current contract and covers the period of time that you are billing for.

                  I preferred version 1!

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by d000hg View Post
                    I just plugged in my old Windows desktop. I bought it way back in like 2010 for about £300 .
                    I stopped reading at that point. A computer that was tulip 9 years ago.

                    Bin it and buy a new one.

                    HTH BIDI

                    Comment

                    Working...
                    X