Daz 3D is part of 
Connect
DAZ Productions, Inc.
7533 S Center View Ct #4664
West Jordan, UT 84084
Licensing Agreement | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | EULA
© 2025 Daz Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Comments
This discussion is seriously making me rethink my search for a suitable gaming/DAZ capable pc. I may just stick with my MacPro and 3Delight renders until, at least, when they also become non-compatible with each other; and that doesn't appear to be far off from what I have heard.
I'm going to play devil's advocate here for a moment and ask what would you have done if your hard drive where your DAZ stuff just up and died? Microsoft might be a disaster but it's just one of many possible types of disasters. Backups are not a law, but they are a very good idea.
I use a microsoft program called WUShowhide. Googling "wushowhide download" will allow anyone to find a link.
The program allows you to hide Microsoft updates, which stops them from installing. They will eventually appear again, and can be hidden again, but it does give some breathing space from Windows 10 installing new and buggy releases.
I use this on Windows 10 Pro, so not certain how effective it is on other Win 10 versions, but as it is free, it is definitely worth a go.
I wouldn't blame MS for the DRM. I guess there are international treaty or laws that regulate these thing, a bit like DVD Region. At least you didn't have to hack anything to make use of something you bought
I began using Windows 10 last year, and it was reluctant to obey, but after a few whipping that's what I get now
When you want to change file association, you must get elevated rights. W10 asks me each time if I want to process as administrator and then opens the file association panel. If you want to do it from the application, you should run the application "as administrator"
We agree on that point. I'll just add that Windows 7/8 are still a viable alternative with less hassle
Backup is one of the most difficult thing to make people understand and do. Last year I got into it with a close friend. She bought a W10 surface pro and the April update messed her computer. She called for help, I saved all her datas on her external drive then did a fresh W10 install. After that I spent one hour explaining the importance of doing backups and was disappointed to see that she was barely listening to me. I lectured her about that and knew she wouldn't do it, although I warned her I may not be nice next time. Guess what ? She called me after the October update messed her computer (thanks MS again) and of course she made no backups. Fortunately, the backup I made the first time was enough but I was very tempted to make her learn the hard way, even if she is very dear to me. I hope she learned her lesson the second time but I wouldn't bet on that
Part of the problem as described here seems to be that the update did not actually delete those user files, it simply messed with the settings for those useless (IMO) My This, My That, My Whatever folders that Microsoft created to help people whom they apparently thought wouldn't know where to put stuff way back in Windows 95. Creating such folders and having them set as the default locations for storing files was one thing, but the big problem with them today, as it has always been, is that Microsoft made all those folders system folders, with the same protection as real core system files. They never should have done that for something that is supposed to store user data. The argument most often used that such protection is meant to prevent accidental deletion of important user data is mostly hogwash, since it is only the folders themselves and not the data that they contain which is protected. I suspect that the update changed some security settings on those My Whatever folders that simply made the contents inaccessible due to inheritance from the parent folder, but I'm only guessing.
My sincere sympathys to those who are using Windows 10 and were affected by this. In my opinion, not only should it not have happened, but it most certainly should not have happened without the expressed knowledge and permission of the user.
Absolutely true. Well, assuming you knew in advance that the reason why your Powerpoint turned to unrecognizable, garbled mush in Linux Libre Office was related to fonts. Which I had no clue about, nor would 99.99% of people who tried it. And chasing the source of the problem took forever. And no, I found no way to merely add the correct fonts. After a long search I learned those fonts not only don't exist for use in Libre Office, they are not licensed, which means you are not even allowed to use them. Which means I had to totally re-write my presentation from scratch.
In any case, this is just one of many issues I had with Linux before I totally banned it from any of my networked computers.
Yes, having an alternative to Windows 10 is a very nice idea. But when you finally realize all you have to go thru, and all the stuff that doesn't work, and all the things you have to re-learn, moving over to a new OS can be a huge pain. I just caution folks to really consider what they may be facing if they jump to a new OS.
So while "20/20 hindsight" sounds wonderful, it can be pretty much irrelevant.
This! And, FWIW, the only content I've installed on the C: drive since NT 3.5 and/or Windows 95 has been programs I had the disks for or the downloaded zip files to install from - even if the D: drive was just a partition on the same physical drive. I never put anything in 'My Documents' - the stupidest idea Micro$quish ever came up with. I'm supposed to spread files for a project over 4 high-level directories? Whoever came up with this idea never held a real-world job in his or her life!
In any case - USB drives are cheao enough now that there's no financial excuse for not doing backups.
Yeah, I'm also in the devils advocate camp. Sounds like this wasn't strictly a case of failure to back up causing a problem, but for those who haven't yet backed up let me suggest the following:
...
Windows was more "benign" until W10 with these often bug ridden semi annual updates (and if you have the Home Edition you are at MS's mercy as you can't defer them). With 7 and 8./1 you were able to choose which updates you wanted and install them at your's, not MS's convenience. When I saw all the issues people were having in the beginning, I turned down the free upgrade offer. Then came the nagware, and after that the bundle approach to updates so you could no longer accept or reject individual files all of which many felt were ploys to discourage those who held out.
Indeed all they had to do was give us a good solid OS without all the additional feature rubbish bloat (and a UI that didn't turn your desktop into a giant smartphone) that followed the original updating procedure as W7 did. I ask is it that hard? The basic function of an OS is to support running of software on a computer, not be your "Girl Friday" or personal weather station. That sort of rubbish should be available as an add on app, not integrated into the OS out of the box.
In some cases I'm not sure which is worse, the risk of malware or MS updates breaking things.
...been there (and still in recovery).
Now I am feeling extremly silly. I thought my files had gone because I couldn't find them and the free space on the disc had increased. But after a lot of poking around and getting confused when file explorer kept saying that copying from one directory to another was copying to the same directory I finally found the answer. Windows had changed the Documents shortcut to point to a directory called TEMP.DESKTOP-9LB1M2.000 in the Users drectory. So everything trying to access Documents was being sent here instead. Changing the location of Documents got my Daz Library back. I don't know why the free space increased unless windows did some sort of cleanup that I didn't know about.
OK, I am an idiot. But I am still annoyed with Windows. It managed to erase my custom categories and I don't know how, these aren't stored in the Documents folder. And any users less used to mucking around with computers might never have found their documents again.
Latest update - Turns out there is an AppData folder in that temporary desktop folder as well, and that has got a cms content cluster in it. I had backed up the content cluster earlier in this process and I thought it was from the real AppData folder so I tried copying that into both AppData folders (backing them both up again first) and I got my categories back. I don't know which one the cms is using, how it decides, and right now I don't really care.
It seems there is no lasting damage done although this whole process has been a long frustrating waste of time, made worse by my poor understanding of Windows system admin. I think I can now keep things working OK but shutting the system down with Documents reset to it's proper location did start the whole process off again last time so it'sprobably going to be fiddly.
Hold on to yer headgear folks coming next month version 1903 Win 10 is rolling out. I made the mistake of trying to install 1809 went through the download only to have it fail to install. Luckly since it didn't install 1803, which was the version that was installed when I built my machine in May, is still working nicely. My gripe with MS is that they seem to want to lure users with eye candy and cool features and not enough effort into bug squashing before releasing updates. Now I know that no program is let loose with no bugs but for some reason MS seems to have more then others.
If you are on Pro then you should not need it. Go to the Update and Security page, choose Advanced Options and set it to the Semi Annual Branch (formally know as the business branch). This will stop MS from upgrading you to the latest and greatest and instead lets you stay on one version while only giving you security updates until that version is no longer supported. I only recently went from 1703 to 1709 because of this. You can also pause updates for a month.
just my 5 cents about recovery: last summer i had this massive issue - as did thousands of users - after a windows update where i couldn't even start my system any more. more or less black screen with a few icons. no recovery points, no deinstall possible, no back to previous version, not even all icons on the blue repair system screen - nothing. my files were there but i couldn't really access them. anyhow, after days/weeks not knowing what to do roaming the net on my tablet, i found out there was a way to reboot the whole thing. i had a buddy syend me an usb key with a boot .bat. but since i had a language conflict, the reinstall deleted all my program installs, and part of my files too, the ones not in an official folder under public = all my program archive... finally i found out the whole chaos was due to some problem between MS's update and Avast antivirus...
short: there are some different recovery and backversion possibilities usually - but when a windows update screws everything up, you might actually not even have the most basic options from your repair screen, and deinstalling the update manually usually didn't work back then because the stupid OS would update AGAIN as soon as you restarted, since the update files were - and stayed despite deleting them!!! - already on your pc ~
and everyone on every forum i visited back then was freaking out exactly because win10 does not let you refuse updates. there was one only possibility i think, i used it for a few weeks, with setting your connection to metered and the option "no update when metered" (don't ask me where, i had to search and i forgot again). not certain how good it works or if it always does - and ofc if it does you don't get any updates, not even security ~
Yeah, personally I think that Windows long ago exhausted the necessary functionality of an operating system, and any updates now are pretty much useless. And the things they SHOULD be fixing (like the insanely poorly implemented networking/file sharing functionality that's been a horrendous mess since the early '90s) gets ignored in favor of stuff nobody needs.
That being said, I honestly can't recall ever having really serious issues, and I've been using it since the Windows 3.1 and earlier days. Tons of annoyances and wasted time with poorly implemented nonsense, but I have had far more serious issues with other applications (hardware driver bugs, other software updates that caused big issues, etc.).
And let's face it, we get all of this for free, so I tend to give software folks a pass to some extent for that. And MS gets a huge pass from me for free stuff like Visual Studio, which is an EXCELLENT free software development environment. And there's NOTHING like that in Linux.
So yeah, we can complain about Windows, but at the end of the day it is what it is, and in the scheme of things we have it pretty good with all this free software. And it doesn't just come together by magic, they do have to get some income to pay the zillion developers who produce it, so you pretty much have to put up with all of these useless updates. You never get something for nothing.
...in my case ""free" would not have been a very good price as I'd have W10 Home Edition which would have given MS almost total control over what goes on your my system and myself, little to none.
Still weighing out W10 LTSB. Yeah, about 100$ more than 10 Pro, but with none of the useless feature fluff or interruptions.every six months.
Meanwhile, my Windows 8 computer just works...and it's nice enough to ask me about updates. I'm happy to do them, when asked and when my bandwidth isn't tied up downloading things like huge Daz store product packages.
I'll be sad when support goes away for Window 8. 7's EOL of support is creeping up pretty quickly at the moment, and 8.1 won't be far behind. I'll miss the faster boots too when this computer finally dies. It's sad when a slower computer running windows 8 can boot twice as fast as a faster computer running windows 10.
I wish my other computer was on Window 8. I might hook it up to the internet again at that point... some of the installed hardware at the time required Windows 10 stuff, though... The new mobo might play nice with Win 8, but 10 is already installed so... no internet for that computer! At least not until I move my Daz install to the 7nm Threadripper 3 system much later this year when those finally hit the market.
Back on topic, yeah there is always the Apple OS alternative, Microsoft doesn't control ALL of the market. But Apple charges premiums for just about everything, and some of us have limited budgets.
Seriously, if Microsoft made a new version that supported the major hardware, but didn't have all of the Microstoft bloatware, and that was nice enough to ask for permission every time it wanted to phone home, I'd be pretty happy. That way, I could do things like a full backup before doing a major update, not suddenly seeing the 'installing updates and shutting down message' out of the blue.
You all mentioned the software support issue. Linux distributions are getting better and better with each iteration. I can't say I feel the same about Windows 10. Critical vulnerabilities needing to be addressed aside, Microsoft really should stop trying to change things just because they want to, and end up breaking a bunch of stuff in the process because they aren't paying attention.
I'm glad the OP was able to find the temp folder that had his Daz files, but the fact that the OP had to go through several days of the stress created by what the update did should not be lost on anyone. Again, Microsoft has to be held accountable for it's bad behaviour in this regard somehwow.
Mind if I ask what software do you use for cloning your C: partition? I made a backup of Windows 10 onto a 2nd hard drive via a Windows Image, but of course it loses its registration with Microsoft. It flashes a warning that it needs to be registered. I'd like a clone that's all set are ready for use when necessary without hassles.
I used to use XXClone, but that's gone. I use Linux for online security, music and other software, and Windows for DS because, no choice.
This. On W10 pro you can even defer "feature updates", which are usually the ones that break things, for up to 365 days. I don't love W10, but if one has to have it always get the pro version. You have so much more control.
YES! Grrr. and Windows update issues are so frustrating to hear, but common. I agree with others here that backups are the way to go and also I found installing the majority of my software on another drive vs the C drive to be the ticket. The last update did cause me to have to reinstall some software (My Snagit Screenshot which is loaded on C). And.. some minor software I had was rendered useless and sent me in a loop,i.e. I can no longer use my old copy of Google Picasa as a viewer
As far as feeling like my computer is no longer mine..YES
!! my biggest gripe as well...it appears MS is doing more and more to force the user to go cloud based..(recently discovered they removed MS Excel file sharing features) I feel as though I should have the choice whether to install their updates ..and IMO it almost feels like the end users are their testors.
Here is what it tells me about pausing the updates (win 10 pro). So, if I pause the updates, I can only do so for I guess 35 days? grrr
So I cannot just pause it permanently.. on April 12..it will unpause and download the latest updates unless I can figure out a back door fix for stopping the updates. If anyone knows one please share.
Right below that there should be an option to defer feature updates:
Free spaced increased because new updates are now compressing files and folders on your pc.If you go to disk cleanup you will also see they check marked compress files as part of the cleanup.
Oh, wow.. thanks @zombietaggerung This is really helpful and right in front of my nose!!
Glad to help.
@PeterWade
Just cruising for info on Daz newest version (pros and cons) and Daz landed me here. I was very annoyed with windows until I cut the apron strings. I have Windows 10 Pro on two machines and the whole point of Windows Pro 10 vs home version is that it allows you to be in control of windows vs windows controlling you.I also have a linux server and three apple devices one being a MacBook and for me, Daz plays best with windows. On the Windows 10 Pro I turned off updates less than an eon ago. I also turned off other stuff that sparkled and dazzled but bloated my computer by controlling it. To see updates all you do is type updat (partially spelled on purpose) in the search area of the task bar (mine was called cortana but I snuffed her out because her searches were biased ;)) anyhow I regress, if you type updat, all settings related to updating or update populate. Choices include (but are not limited to) manage window updates, view update history, Advanced Window Update Options, recovery options etc. With windows pro 10 you are in full control of what windows does and doesn't do. When I check for updates it tells me my PC is up to date and was last .... date is well in the past, and some other info along with a link to check for updates. The Advanced Window Updates Options are where you get the opportunity to uncheck use my sign in blah blah blah. It is also where you uncheck update other Microsoft products, and where you get to choose if and when and how Microsoft/Window updates are installed, oir not.
Have a good one
JRay
You can permently disable upgrades through the advanced settings, after you pause them.
Is that Win 10, because I don't see those options.
They seem to change the options, or their location, regularly. From the screenshots it seems to be a rather old version, things have changed a lot since 2016.
You can however change many things in the Group Policy Editor: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/deployment/update/waas-wu-settings
There are some free cloners out there though I've never used them. I stick to Image for DOS, been creating and restoring system images for over 15 years hundreds of times on several PCs and never had a problem or a corrupted image/restore. But I guess it's mostly for nerds, it has is a ton of advanced settings (and a very good manual covering these). One thing I like is that it can validate the image after creation as well as byte-for-byte validate the restored partition (compare it with the image). This way you can be certain that the restored system is 100% identical to the one the image was created from.
...with the LTSB Edition (an offshoot of Enterprise) you don't have to worry about feature updates interrupting things at all, however, you can still receive security updates. It is designed for "mission critical" applications that cannot be interrupted by the normal W10 update scedule. You basically have up to 3 years to update (sort of the way it used to be). The LTSB version also does not have all the annoying fluffware like Cortana and other features that can bog down or interfere with a process.This is the way W10 Pro should have been done.
I consider rendering to be a "mission critical" process.