I do get why security updates need to be done. But they're doing the UX related to these updates all wrong in a way that's inconvenient and insulting.
It could be as simple as this:
-Run all updates/"upgrades" via WU.
-If they won't support an old win10 build anymore, clearly show a deadline with a date a week before it happens. Don't just sneak-force it outside of WU.
Clearly, there
is a date. They just won't show it to the users. The scenario where you open up your laptop only to see the blue update screen without it being announced properly with a clear deadline date should never happen.
I'm not even opposed to the idea that you should have a windows pro license to be able to forever-block updates (it probably does a lot of casual users good to not have this option while the pro license will let you seal a station (say, a music studio DAW or a terminal used for process control in a factory or something).
Meanwhile, all visible traces of this update have been mildly annoying and time consuming. Ranging from combing through settings to getting everything in order to removing bundles, figuring out what to do with the telemetry & if i'm affected, to the little annoying interface changes. For example, the task manager is now obfuscated (see attachment) behind the requirement of an additional click. (Important note to microsoft UX staff: Stop overthinking. Don't fix what isn't broke).
Can't say I've ever been much in love with Windows, but 8 and X really make me want as little to do with Windows ever again.
I have quite the opposite experience actually. With the introduction of Vista, my workflow was swamped and it felt a bit feverish using windows on a bad day and there were always troubleshooting elements. Windows 7 was better, but both 8 and 10 marked significant improvements to my workflow, and that's really important to me.