Windows 10 updates keep shutting down Prime 95

[piforbreakfast]

I've had a lot going on the past several weeks and just realized my two main computers hadn't been signed in on Prime 95 in close to a month, probably because of Windows 10 updates that have knocked it offline before. Is there a way to disable those updates so Prime 95 will keep running without interruption? I'm not worried about security issues from disabling the updates because Prime 95 is the only thing I'm doing on those computers.

[M344587487]

You could format windows from the face of the earth and use Linux instead. All it takes is downloading Ubuntu 20.04, burn to USB (if you don't know how, use this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etcher_(software) ), install OS, migrate your Prime95 working directory, then use the commandline mprime instead of Prime95.

[Viliam Furik]

You could set the Prime95 to autostart on boot. In the options setting, there's an option called "Start at Logon", which should start Prime95 when Windows starts.

[kriesel]

Buy prime95 some time by pausing Windows 10 updates. Settings, Updates & Security, "pause updates for 7 days" adds a week of delay per click. Up to 4 weeks as I recall.

I receive an email alert when a PrimeNet registered system of mine is AWOL, not reporting in for days. The email address is entered on https://www.mersenne.org/update/ Enable the email options for cpus individually, from https://www.mersenne.org/cpus/ by clicking on a cpu's name to get its detailed properties page.

[Uncwilly]

Originally Posted by Viliam Furik

You could set the Prime95 to autostart on boot. In the options setting, there's an option called "Start at Logon", which should start Prime95 when Windows starts.

Not in a multiuser setup [happens to by borg machines] (and I believe if after the reboot you don't log in it won't start in a single user setup if you have a password set.)

[endless mike]

I ended up installing the service version on my Windows machines after losing a few days of work due to Windows updates and their reboots.
A few updates (major updates I think) have resulted in the service being uninstalled though. So, I’ve still got to keep tabs on them.

[Prime95]

Tell Windows you are on a metered connection and it won't download updates to install. This will stop most, but not all, updates.

[chalsall]

Originally Posted by Prime95

Tell Windows you are on a metered connection and it won't download updates to install. This will stop most, but not all, updates.

Or, as M344587487 et al have suggested...

If you're just doing Compute, just use Linux...

The learning curve isn't actually that steep. And you won't have things fall out from under you while you are working...

[kriesel]

Originally Posted by chalsall

you won't have things fall out from under you while you are working...

Right, because CentOS8.3 is reliably refusing to install at all on a test system I have. It has rejected 3 different verified repository URLs in 5 of 5 attempts so far, and refused to progress any further than demanding a valid repository after apparently having been given a valid repository. And that's from a full-blown ~9GB ISO on a 16GB flash card & USB adapter as install media. Win10 install on the same hardware was an easy successful install in one try, from USB portable DVD. This CentOS install was intended as practice before doing the real deal dual boot on a Xeon Phi system that is problematic during restarts and otherwise inconvenient to work on due to physical layout.

[chalsall]

Originally Posted by kriesel

Right, because CentOS8.3 is refusing to install at all on a test system.

Personally, I recommend deploying CentOS 7.9 if you're using that (read: RedHat) path. Recommending staying back one major version of anything has served me well over my many years...

Have you tried installing Ubuntu instead of CentOS?

Canonical offers an LTS version (for free) which is *very* attractive to those extremely risk-averse.

[ATH]

Originally Posted by Prime95

Tell Windows you are on a metered connection and it won't download updates to install. This will stop most, but not all, updates.

I use that plus disable auto update and auto reboot as a triple protection. Here are the relevant registry keys. You can change those manually in the registry or create a text file called .reg and run it. I think you need to reboot after changing them, I do at least to be sure.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\DefaultMediaCost]
"3G"=dword:00000002
"4G"=dword:00000002
"Default"=dword:00000002
"Ethernet"=dword:00000002
"WiFi"=dword:00000002

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU]
"NoAutoUpdate"=dword:00000001
"NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers"=dword:00000001

If you run updates manually sometimes which is a good idea, those registry values are sometimes changed back by the updates, and you have to change them again.