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> “why not just stop”

Because most regular people will never choose to turn them back on, that’s why. We already know what the world looks like when millions of computers run an unsecured OS. Last I heard, a stock Windows 98 machine lasted 30 seconds online before being compromised. Automatic updates are good, and they’re here to stay.

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Actually it's the wrong question. Implement rebootless updates is the right ask. You'll have to reboot like once a month still but it's better than how it is now.
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I had to reboot my laptop only once since 02-20. Similar the month before that. The only exception was around mid January. So this shouldn’t be much worse on average even now.
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next up: an automatic visit from your friendly neighborhood policemen to install a camera in every room of your home. we already know what the world looks like when millions of "adults" are allowed to "do whatever they want" in the privacy of their homes.
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Looks like you'll be able to pause them indefinitely with the new update so we'll see if this prediction comes true. Most computers will spend their entire life never once exposed to the public internet, the firewall does still work even if a cafe is your threat vector, and browsers and AV definitions are still automatically updated so I'm siding with the doubters on this one.
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Apple has, AFAICT, never required automatic updates. I just checked the iOS 26 settings, and sure enough, I have both download and install automatically turned off. So it is possible.
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But what will happen to your computer once you connect it to internet ??? You will be infected if it doesn't get updated asap !!

No one should be able to have control over his computer.

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Well, if yo allow random users to just stop updates forever in a non-managed environment, then a good portion of them won't remember to reenable them. This would create new breeding grounds for security vulnerabilities. Remember Sasser and Blaster?

Average computer owners don't really care about their machines, let alone understand them. Computers are appliances to them like their washing machines and microwaves.

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Later in the post they expand on that point:

> More direct control over updates, including the ability to pause updates for as long as you need

So it does sound like you'll be able to pause updates forever and also therefore not automatically reboot.

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Agree, even if it reads like you are exaggerating it, I fully understand it.

I was forced to work on windows for years too, it's like working with a tool that's broken and repaired with duct tape. You can't stop thinking it's amateurish and this product should have perished a long time ago.

Switching everything to apple was like a breath of air, sadly it's starting to become bad. Every updates brought stuff that felt out of place but last one is complete nonsense..

And it's not like there is much competition, it's either'duct tape' windows, macos or 'broken' Linux.

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No exaggeration. I wasn't sure why mental health improved without any other major shift in my personal life. When windows entirely disappeared once I wasn't forced to use it at work, I could only conclude Windows was the culprit. Just looking at it when I run a VM for some experiment brings me anxiety. It's as if my brain worries I'm switching back.

There is the forced aspect, which alone is problematic. I can imagine that Linux forced upon millions of casual users would bring more clients to consult with a doctor if they were to use it personally, and 8h per day for a living.

What makes Windows particularly guilty, is that while lambda Linux users would get better at understanding how computer is work, the opposite is true on windows, it is dumbing down and obscuring how things work.

The growing number of invasive ads for other MS products and their partners.

The revamping of core OS navigation features, UX for things like launching apps, the fact that in Windows 10 (maybe first version of 11) a lookup for a local app would trigger a web search with a spinner indistinguishable from local search, followed by the display MSN news..

The forced reboot when you have 12 applications running a long task, and downloads that are at 80%, after a 4h long wait on a slow server that doesn't offer download management.

the regular blue screen to prompt you for privilege escalation permission even though you had just granted it 35 seconds ago for that same app, and about to see that inception blue screen again since the very same app will keep crashing until you figure out where the bugs lurk.

I literally call the compounded effects of these: mental health hazard.

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