I wrote this as feedback to Microsoft, but I can't publish it because they want me to turn data telemetry (i.e. spying) back on in order to give feedback:
“Every day, at approximately 8:30 PM, my computer completely slows to a crawl. Internet, offline functions, my machine is practically disabled for nearly an hour every day.
Turns out, all that hard work my computer went through and all that waiting I had to do in order to have a functional computer again was so that I could receive this message daily from Windows Update:
‘There were problems installing some updates, but we'll try again later. If you keep seeing this and want to search the web or contact support for information, this may help: Office XP Service Pack 3 - Error 0x80096004
I don’t even use Office XP.
Now, it wouldn’t be right to merely complain of an error. As such, to help Microsoft narrow down the cause of this problem, I have come up with several technical explanations for why my internet connection and RAM are monopolized by a single application for HOURS every week for literally no benefit at all:
- Microsoft Update is mistakenly trying to download the entirety of the Hubble Space Telescope’s raw data for the last month onto my computer.
-Microsoft Update is mistakenly attempting to back up the entirety of Microsoft’s database servers on my humble 1TB hard drive.
-Microsoft Update is experimentally being turned into an exhaustive performance test utility for high-end gaming computers (i.e. not my computer) by the Microsoft research division.
-Microsoft Update is using its peer to peer update sharing features to try to echo Windows 10 updates to all individuals in the United States who have dial-up connections, via my machine
.-Microsoft is altruistically attempting to discourage the use of Windows Office XP in favor of whatever fancy-ass-named version of Office is out now.
-Microsoft Update is being experimentally modified by Microsoft’s little-known psychologist division to see how much system dysfunction that select Windows 10 users can put up with before complaining. Possibly also for personal entertainment purposes.
It is up to Microsoft’s brave engineers to attempt to determine the root cause among these suggestions and patch this problem. Or, unlikely as it may be, it could simply be that Windows Update was designed by people who thought that having a functional computer is not nearly as important as having an up to date one. In that case, there is an easy patch for this issue I have painstakingly developed through my experience in software development-
1) Find the Microsoft product manager who thought it was a good idea to incessantly devote massive system resources to repeatedly hammering at failed updates, without trying anything different ever.
2) Raise your right hand.
3) Slap this person silly.
Problem fixed. A simple, easy and quick development cycle. If this is indeed the case, I heartily recommend Microsoft experiment with my stated approach multiple times in order to best resolve this issue.”