[New setting] Check for updates automatically (on/off)

[htcfreek]

As discussed in the issue #2688 we could add a new setting for disable the automatic update check and notifications. (In addition to the setting we have which disable the automatic download and installation.)

Technical details

• Name: Check for updates automatically
• Type: on/off switch
• Section: General > Update (see #2688)
• Setting available: only admins should be able to change

Usecases

• For example if PT is installed in companys on clients or terminal servers, where the user had no rights to install software and the software gets updated by SCCM or other tools. (For this scenario normal users shouldn't be able to change the sitting.)
• An other scenario would be an user who wants to check only manually every x days.

[htcfreek]

@crutkas Thoughts?

[htcfreek]

@crutkas Can you please add the lable and a milestone.

[kraoli]

Yes, I have the same wish.

I try to keep my system as stable as possible and do feature updates only in larger intervals with a system image done before. Never change a running system - besides it's a security fix.

I thought a bit about security. Actually, I'm not sure what's best from a security point of view. Maybe it's better to just suppress regular update notifications, but show them in case of important security updates? But this might introduce too much complexity. Just speaking for myself. I'm fine to take this risk and check manually from time to time. I don't think that PT have such a big attack surface as a browser for instance.

[wvmstr]

I like the term "notification spam" mentioned earlier. It is applicable here as well. Currently updates are implemented as such. They are a daily distraction. I have considered uninstalling PT to get rid of the notification spam.

PT is not something I use everyday, and I am not particularly interested in receiving daily, or even weekly updates and the associated notifications.

Consider all the notification spam I am already receiving from Microsoft: your account settings are out of date...your account settings are out of date...your account settings are out of date... there is a problem with your account...there is a problem with your account...there is a problem with your account... windows will update outside of active hours...windows will update outside of active hours...windows will update outside of active hours... same for Visual Studio: you need to login again...you need to login again...you need to login again... and how about Office365?, same thing: each and every day changes are made to Office365, 99% of those notification emails are about changes not applicable to anything what I am doing.

I don't want automated updates for anything (except maybe some security related matters) including the notification spam that comes with it, luckily I noticed that the new Edge browser also wants me to accept automatic updates. So I declined to install it for these reasons alone (I am a web developer).

Long story short consider the possibility that not everyone wants automatic updates, update notifications etc. Give users like me a way out to a frictionless experience.

Please

[enricogior]

@kraoli @wvmstr have you already tried to turn notification off for PowerToys?

Would that be enough or you want granularity?

[crutkas]

@wvmstr, we're working on getting this stuff better. Thanks for working with through this with us.

For hot fix releases, they typically are fixing a critical problem. For our toast does have a "don't show it again" option

[wvmstr]

@crutkas @enricogior Thanks for the reminder on the notifications, turned off now.

I would say that a hotfix for a critical problem warrants a notification, nothing else does as typically I learn about new capabilities on the various Microsoft news sites. But that is just me.

Thanks for being so responsive!

[crutkas]

we do notifications in two scenarios,

1. we detect PT is running in a state where stuff will act weird. (elevated apps and PT isn't).
2. new versions (which include hot fixes) which right now our updates tend do always include a critical fix :)

[crutkas]

We're before v1.0 and still early in development. Having everyone on the latest aids in debugging and support. This was a big issue before we started the notifications and alerting people.

[MSH14]

@crutkas Hi, I'm sitting as a sysadm, and would like to disable toast notifications on a wider scale. To do this, I could of cause go around to each user individually and disable notifications manually, though this would be highly inefficient, and time consuming.

I've been searching for a solution for the past month, but no luck so far. I've made a RegShot, in hopes of finding a solution, but again, no luck.

My question is therefore: Is there anyway to disable the toast notifications through a reg. key or the like, so it can be rolled out through for example a GPO?

Thanks.

[crutkas]

@msh14, as of right now, no. If it was, it would be done via the JSON file, not reg as well.

[MSH14]

@crutkas, thanks for the reply. In that case, I suppose I'll just have to wait and see if it will be implemented :)

[htcfreek]

@msh14, as of right now, no. If it was, it would be done via the JSON file, not reg as well.

Maybe we can have a policy json file in the program diretory which defines settings that couldn't be changed by the user.

[fredsleeve]

I would also appreciate a feature to disable update notifications/checks.

Some of our users testing PowerToys especially FancyZones as alternative for other solutions like "Dell Display Manager" and can't update PT right now due to limited rights.

If somebody has a workaround to prevent this, please let me know. Thanks.

[npg500]

Hi, I'm using PowerToys in a large coprorate network, where internet updates are not possible due to security reasons. Users just get confused by update notifications since they're not allowed to download or install anything. Software packages are exclusively rolled out via SCCM. So I second the implementation of a feature to disable update checks at all.

Thank you all for your continuous efforts to make the product better.

[nkasco]

Anything new on this? Looking to bring this into a corporate environment but can't do so without the ability to disable auto update notifications during install.

[crutkas]

@nkasco not something we're looking to add in currently. We're open source so if you feel this is a must have feature, please submit a PR.

For us, the ability to keep everyone up-to-date is critical for releases and support.

[crutkas]

Post stabilization, this could be a good item to add in for InTune / SCCM users.

[NSExceptional]

For us, the ability to keep everyone up-to-date is critical for releases and support.

I think that can be said of nearly any piece of software nowadays—however, that doesn't warrant holding a setting like this hostage. I'm aware it's not really a priority feature, but there's no need to justify your not having started it yet with something that implies you don't want us to be in control of whether or not we receive update notifications. I'm sure that's not the case, but Windows itself has not set a good precedent here, along with macOS nowadays.

Anyway, as long as it's something that will eventually make it's way into the product, that's good enough for me!

[mwadders]

Is there any update on disabling the update notifications and auto-update button? Just want to get a handle on this so can give an explanation when asked. Many thanks

[o-l-a-v]

@mwadders

Maybe look into disabling outbound connections from whatever exe is used for checking for updates, with Windows firewall rule(s)?

[Jay-o-Way]

Doesn't necessarily need to be another toggle switch. Can also be a drow-down with

• Don't check
• Check (and notify)
• Check and download/install

[lx30011]

Implement this. 2 years open issue. Malicious developers.

[htcfreek]

Doesn't necessarily need to be another toggle switch. Can also be a drow-down with

• Don't check
• Check (and notify)
• Check and download/install

Easier text for an setting named Automatic updates:

• Off
• Only notify
• Download and install

[dinvlad]

Not sure if this is the right thread to ask, but is there a setting to enable automatic updates? I'm only seeing the one for automatic downloads, but I wish it could also install them automatically instead of just notifying me about every update. Thanks!

[crutkas]

Due to UAC, until that gets rolled off, we won’t do automated. We have gotten a lot better but almost there

[lx30011]

stop this tyranny

[o-l-a-v]

Did a quick test with Windows firewall, this seems to block the check for update functionality.

$null = New-NetFirewallRule `
    -DisplayName 'Microsoft PowerToys - Block update check' `
    -Direction 'Outbound' `
    -Profile 'Any' `
    -Program ('{0}\PowerToys\PowerToys.exe' -f $env:ProgramW6432) `
    -Action 'Block' `
    -Protocol 'Any'

Result with v0.56.1 installed, but v0.56.2 is available

I'll probably add it to our (the business I work at) PowerToys install package. Or Intune configuration profile. Then keep on using winget.

This is for me only intended as a workaround in an enterprise setting until PowerToys either:

• Gets a registry setting or install switch to disable check for updates.
• Or gets rid of requirement of being installed for AllUsers, requiring admin permissions.
  • If current user only/ no required admin permissions, self updating is great.
  • Or if MSIX/ Microsoft Store becomes a thing.

[crutkas]

@lx30011 sorry you feel that way, we're open source so if you feel strongly, you could create a custom fork for yourself or discuss some of the work arounds people have discussed. We are a very small team and having a heavily version fractured eco system is hard for us to support. We learned this the hard way early on

[lx30011]

removed by crutkas for Code of conduct violation