forums.wsusoffline.net

Has anyone tried the new ExcludeListForce-all.txt concept... as mentioned in release notes for 10.5 --> .\exclude\custom\ExcludeListForce-all.txt
I just updated to 10.5 and tried to see if the ExcludeListForce-all.txt actually does what I suspect it should

I assume... that all one has to do is
1) complete an ExcludeListForce-all.txt as per their own preferences
2) I assume file format is KB#######,whatever comments...... or is it kb######, whatever comments.... ie: case does not matter
3) put said ExcludeListForce-all.txt in a specific location
4) run the updateinstaller and it WILL follow the ExcludeListForce-all.txt even if the KB's listed within are "STATIC"

And yes, I made sure to use the exact name ExcludeListForce-all.txt as mentioned in the release notes.....


My test:
I put a known KB that I want always want "excluded" into wsusoffline\client\custom\ExcludeListForce-all.txt
I ran the Updateinstaller..... Result... IT installed the KB I did not want......

OK, so maybe I miss understood the release notes
I put the file into \wsusoffline\exclude\custom\ExcludeListForce-all.txt

I ran the Updateinstaller (again) ..... Result... IT installed the KB I did not want.(AGAIN).........

So clarification is needed on
a) where to put said ExcludeListForce-all.txt would help
b)format of the data with it...... (in case method is different from KB######,what ever comment)....
c) Confirm that the exact file name should be " ExcludeListForce-all.txt".... (typos happen so.......I'm just asking)

Anybody ?????

Format, as far as I know, is

Code: Select all

kbxxxxxxx
kbxxxxxxx
kbxxxxxxx


It doesn't take any comments, as it is for download. You can have a corresponding ExcludeList.txt in ./client/exclude/custom/ with comments, to prevent showing warnings at install time.

Boco...

As far as I can tell, we always had the option to add ./client/exclude/custom/ExcludeList.txt
but this did NOT WORK for static updates.... (See my comments viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5377)

I presumed since other exclude lists were simple list of kb#####, this excludeforce-all should be the same.....
As per the update notes:
- Introduced file ..\exclude\custom\ExcludeListForce-all.txt to exclude even statically defined updates from download (Thanks to "archiveguy", "boco" and "aker")

notice the .\exclude\custom\ExcludeListForce-all.txt vs ./client/exclude/custom/ExcludeList.txt

this is what I am getting at:
1) where is this "ExcludeListForce-all.txt " located
2) why does it not work, unless I put the file in the wrong folder

See my test at the beginning of this "topic"
Try yourself.. use one of those nasty tracking KB's...

Unless I did something wrong, it seems to not work.......

You may need to delete the specific updates from your client-folder, if you did not enable the cleanup-option of UpdateGenerator.
Please clear .\client\md, too.

As far as I can tell, we always had the option to add ./client/exclude/custom/ExcludeList.txt

Correct. Since the new ExcludeListForce-all.txt affects only downloading, the corresponding files will be missing from the generated ISO/USB repo. That will cause a lot of warnings for then on install.
Adding a ./client/custom/ExcludeList.txt will suppress those warnings for dynamic updates.

but this did NOT WORK for static updates....

We have to live with them.

I presumed since other exclude lists were simple list of kb#####, this excludeforce-all should be the same.....

Simple list, without any comments.

With all due respect... if this new "ExcludeListForce-all.txt" only affect down loading then isn't this like putting the wagon in front of the horse so to speak.

Granted, it stops them from downloading, but how does the user know what new KB's are released so they can stop them before they "DOWNLOAD"??

Not all users go look on "Patch Tuesday" to see what is new, so maintenance starts to become a bit of a ____ (fill in what ever you like)

Effectively, the user now has to figure out what new KB's MS is doing, derive the "Nasties" from figure out list, add them to the ExcludeListForce-all.txt, then proceed...

Previous methods allowed the application to download what ever was required ( I know you may say that's kinda dumb.... ,and maybe we get a few more than we really want aka nasties) , but then the user simply had to look at the cmd window results from updategenerator, or look browse the applicable client sub folder and look at the dates the files were created on their system.

simply google theses results and then yah or nay (roman style) to these for installing.....

Thanks, but I will stay with my little scripts I mention (viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5377)

At least this way... I can control any UPDATE STATIC or Dynamic my way, not the MS way.... (at least for now... )

The solution discussed here is only for WSUSOU. The force list does stop those updates from being downloaded and installed by WSUSOU. It can in no way stop WU/MU from doing bad things. Alone the fact that we have to discuss the subject at all is ridiculous, MS turned against its users. We cannot fully trust anything coming from them, anymore.

That's why I do usually recommend installing GWX Control Panel and enabling the Monitor Mode.

Granted, you can put these regkeys in place, but there won't be any guarantees they will stay that way. The Win10 upgrade now comes as recommended, means that any user with default WU settings will get it and be essentially forced to upgrade, using finest malware behavior. And it will download multiple GiB of data without permission. How would you call that?

I do fully understand what you say. You just should not be too trusting into those regkeys. Install any of the new WU Client updates (they come almost monthly now) and there's a chance these keys are being wiped. Has happened before.

With respect to your responses:

MS turned against its users. We cannot fully trust anything coming from them, anymore.

I totally agree. We can no longer trust them
IF you have been following the win 10 news lately, MS is now saying US pentagon will install win 10 on all 4 million computer before Feb 2017.
OK, so let me point out a few items to think about
if win 10 is basically malware as many people seem to be saying, and the US Pentagon is going to use it, then the only logical answer is MS, US government and NSA are all in this together to gather & spy. Think about it...... Any other nation's military operations would never accept "spying" especially on themselves from a third party, unless 3rd party is not really a 3rd party anymore... if you get my drift.... Time will tell
Funny there is no comments available on the net for WINDOWS 10 use in Europe..... I doubt they would accept all this "MALWARE SPYING" but then again.....

Granted, you can put these regkeys in place, but there won't be any guarantees they will stay that way. The Win10 upgrade now comes as recommended, means that any user with default WU settings will get it and be essentially forced to upgrade, using finest malware behavior. And it will download multiple GiB of data without permission. How would you call that?

To that I say...... IF I don't have any of those nasty prep for win 10 update KB's installed, then in theory, regardless if "recommended" or not, it should not download those 5+GB of win 10 updates I Hope......

maybe we will have to use a combination of the new "ExcludeListForce-all.txt" to stop downloading those win 10 Update KB's, but then again, MS is one step ahead so to speak, however, we the end users out number all of the MS programmers combined, so we still have numbers on our side for now that is....

May need to have to dig out that old typewriter as my new & improved word processor and say goodbye to MS or move to Linux & open office..

Solved?

So far it seems to work... We'll see.