URGENT - Attn:

[CC7997]

Hi Nonsequitur777,

I hope you are well. 

• I’m still unsure how to link my follow up responses to your previous correspondence.  I’m hoping you will receive this message without delay. 

• I did not come back to you as due to health reasons, I have not as yet sorted my photos & Videos or created the Windows Boot Disc recovery USB for HP550-153na PC or ASUS etc. 

• I’ve been leaving my PC in sleep mode with Ethernet Cable removed. 

• My dilemna now is I was offered the option to enrol in Windows 10 Extended Security Updates ESU to

(12th October 2027, 2 days ago and I want to do this. 

• However, in the meantime an impromtu pop up also appeared for update which I was forced to schedule, attached below. 

• It is also forcing me to backup to ‘Cloud Storage’ which I do not use.  How do I stop this please? 

• Is there a way to cancel the scheduled installation updates, until after I have: 

• Enrolled in Windows 10 Extended Security Updates ESU to (12th October 2027?
• In addition to totally refreshing myself of your previous instructions for: 
• Transferring Photos from HP 550-153na PC and iPhone XS to External HD - & Create a Windows Boot Disc
• Back up both PC’s (to external HD), as I do not use One Drive or any other Cloud or other storage service.
• Is it possible for you to leave a 'reply' button open for my to respond to you please?
• This would avoid me having to start a follow up new discussion.
• Did you see my post on 04-18-2026 at 07:09am?

Thank you in advance for your assistance. 

I await your reply.

Kind regards,

[NonSequitur777]

@CC7997,

Hello again, and thank you for coming back with an update!

Yes, I received your message -though only because I happened to review individual Community posts and noticed your call.  There is as of yet no mechanism available to notify us directly if a User wants to reach out to a specific Expert, unfortunately. Perchance @SteffenBaierUK has something to comment on this issue.

Please don't worry about having to recreate the entire previous discussion in a new thread. Given the amount of work we were doing previously, I think the best approach is to proceed slowly and methodically, especially since you have not yet had an opportunity to complete the photo backup and recovery-media work.

There is also some good news regarding your immediate concern about Windows 10 ESU.

1. I would not cancel the Windows Update simply to wait for ESU:

Microsoft's current ESU process actually requires the Windows 10 system to be sufficiently up to date before ESU enrollment can be completed. Microsoft has now released KB5126256, the Windows 10 ESU Licensing Preparation Package, which prepares Windows 10 22H2 for ESU enrollment. Microsoft states that this package is a prerequisite for ESU and can be delivered through Windows Update. Installing it does not itself enroll you in ESU; you still have to complete the ESU enrollment process afterward.

Therefore, I would not deliberately stop ordinary Windows security/quality updates while waiting to enroll in ESU. In fact, keeping the system current is part of getting it into the proper state for ESU.

Microsoft confirms that consumer ESU is intended to keep eligible Windows 10 PCs receiving critical and important security updates through October 12, 2027.

2. The cloud-storage/OneDrive message is a separate issue:

If Windows is asking you to back up files to OneDrive or another cloud service, you do not have to abandon your preferred backup method.

Since you specifically want to use an external hard drive rather than cloud storage, we can deal with that separately. I don't want you clicking through a backup wizard simply because Windows is presenting it prominently.

For now, if it is merely offering or encouraging cloud backup, you can decline/dismiss that offer. Do not delete or move any of your existing files in response to the message.

3. I think our priority should remain your data:

Before we do anything ambitious with Windows, I would like to get the following completed:

1. Copy the important photos and personal files from the HP 550-153na to your external hard drive.

2. Transfer the photographs from your iPhone XS to the external drive.

3. Create the Windows recovery/installation USB we discussed.

4. Make the appropriate backup of your other PC.

5. Verify that the backed-up files can actually be opened from the external drive.

Only after we know that your important data is safely preserved would I recommend doing anything potentially disruptive to Windows.

4. About the scheduled update:

If Windows has already scheduled an update, please don't start changing Windows Update settings yet.

Instead, please tell me exactly what Windows says on the Update & Security > Windows Update screen — preferably with a screenshot if you can provide one. In particular, I want to see the name/KB number of the update and whether Windows describes it as a security update, cumulative update, ESU preparation, or something else.

That will allow us to identify exactly what Windows is trying to install rather than guessing.

5. And yes — we can work through the previous instructions again:

You have nothing to apologize for. Health issues understandably take priority, period.

Rather than trying to remember all of our previous steps at once, I suggest we restart at the beginning and work through them one step at a time, beginning with protecting your photographs and other irreplaceable personal data.

Once that is safely backed up, we can return to the ESU enrollment and the Windows recovery USB.

And regarding the "Reply" button: unfortunately, I cannot control whether HP Community keeps the reply function available on a particular thread. If HP requires you to start another discussion, simply reference the previous thread and include NonSequitur777 in the post. That should make it much easier for us to recognize the continuation.

Most importantly, please don't rush or make changes simply because Windows is presenting an alarming notification. We can identify what it is asking you to do and then decide what should actually be done.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[Babish]

Hello NonSequiter777,

​I came across your helpful posts regarding CPU upgrades on the EliteDesk Mini series and was hoping to ask two quick technical questions about an EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini (65W model with an i7-8700 running on a 150W power supply):

​Vcore & Thermal Optimization: Is there any pathway either through system configuration or tuning utilities to apply a negative voltage offset or fine-tune core voltage to lower operating temperatures under heavy load?

​9th Gen CPU Compatibility: Can the G4 Mini motherboard run an i7-9700? I have an extra i7-9700 available and wanted to confirm if 9th Gen microcode is supported in the BIOS before attempting a swap.

​Thank you for your time and help.

​Best regards,

[CC7997]

Hi NonSequitur777,

Thank you for your patient response.

• I do not know where to find Windows update files to be installed or pending completion of installation.

• The screenshot below shows the latest date I was able to extend it to.  I would like to extend to the end of October, but I’m only being allowed 2 days ahead at this time.  I have since extended to 21 September 2026.

• Or how to verify that the backed-up files can actually be opened from the external drive.

• I also have multiple folders displaying as ‘empty’ which are irreplaceable.  Open File Explorer. Click on the View tab and tick Hidden items made no difference.

• I also have multiple copies of photos which will take me into the next Millennium to individually delete, before saving to 4TB external drive.  

• I don’t know how or when any of the above occurred.

[CC7997]

Hi NonSequitur777

Screenshot of desktop message.

[NonSequitur777]

@CC7997,

Hello again,

Thank you for the photographs -this is actually quite helpful.

We can now establish one important fact: Windows does have an update ready to be completed.

Your photograph shows both "Update and restart" and "Update and shut down." Those options appear when Windows has an update waiting for the computer to restart and complete the installation.

Please do not select either of those options yet. We don't need to force the update to install while we are still sorting out your important files.

The first screenshot you sent, showing Schedule the restart, is consistent with this. The two-day limitation you are seeing is related to scheduling the restart; it does not mean that you have found a way to postpone Windows Update until the end of October.

What we still need to determine is exactly which update Windows is waiting to install.

Please do this next:

From the normal Windows desktop:

Start → Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update

Please take a photograph or screenshot of that main Windows Update page and post it here.

I particularly want to see any wording such as:

• "Updates are available"
• "Pending restart"
• "Restart required"
• the KB number
• or the name/description of the update.

Don't click Install, Restart, Update and restart, or Update and shut down yet.

More importantly, let's protect your photographs:

You also mentioned something potentially much more important than the Windows update: folders that appear to be empty even though you believe they contain irreplaceable material.

Please do not delete those folders, move them, or attempt to repair them yet.

And please don't start manually deleting the duplicate photographs either. At this point, having several copies is considerably preferable to accidentally deleting the only usable copy.

We will first establish what is actually present on the computer and get a safe copy onto your 4 TB external drive. Duplicate cleanup comes later.

For one of the folders that appears empty:

1. Right-click the folder.
2. Select Properties.
3. Tell me what it says for:
   • Location
   • Size
   • Size on disk
   • Contains — number of files and folders.

If possible, please also provide a photograph/screenshot of that folder open in File Explorer, with the address bar visible.

Let's investigate one folder only at first. There is no need to tackle all of them at once.

Finally, regarding the duplicate photographs: please don't spend hours or days deleting them individually. Once we have a verified backup on the external drive, there are much safer ways of dealing with duplicates.

Our order of operations should therefore be:

1. Identify the Windows update waiting for restart.
2. Investigate one supposedly empty folder.
3. Safely copy your important files/photos to the external drive.
4. Verify that the backup can actually be opened.
5. Only then deal with duplicate photographs and the remaining Windows/ESU work.

This way, we aren't making several potentially consequential changes at the same time.

For now, please leave the "Update and restart" option alone and send me the main Windows Update screen.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[CC7997]

Hi NonSequitur777,

Thank you for your reply.

• ***I do not know how to verify that the backed-up files can actually be opened from the external drive.
• Unfortunately, I have deleted a few duplicated pics, most are still available.
• ***Folders screenshot missing files

Hopefully, I have provided all the information you asked for.

Thank you.

Kind regards

• Screenshots of Windows Update screen…

Screenshots of update history…

I have also screenshot below the update history...

[NonSequitur777]

@CC7997,

Hello again,

Thank you -these photographs are very helpful, and I now have a much clearer picture of what is happening.

There is actually some good news here: we now know exactly what the pending Windows update is.

Your Windows Update screen shows:

Extended Security Updates (ESU) Licensing Preparation Package for Windows 10 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5126256).

This is not a random Windows update. It is the Microsoft package that prepares your Windows 10 PC for enrollment in the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program.

Microsoft specifically states that KB5126256 is required for ESU enrollment. It prepares the PC for ESU, but it does not by itself enroll you in ESU.

Please do NOT try to cancel this particular update.

Because you specifically want to enroll in Windows 10 ESU, this is an update we ultimately want installed, assuming your PC is otherwise ready for ESU.

Your screenshot shows that Windows is currently waiting for a restart to complete the installation, and you have scheduled that restart for 23 September 2026.

For the moment, however, I would leave the scheduled restart where it is. We don't need to force the restart tonight while we are still investigating your personal files.

Now, about the folders that appear to be empty:

The photograph of the 2019-05-06 folder is particularly useful.

Windows reports:

• Location: C:\Users\Crist\Pictures
• Size: 0 bytes
• Size on disk: 0 bytes
• Contains: 0 Files, 0 Folders

So, Windows is not simply displaying the folder incorrectly. At least according to its Properties, that particular folder is genuinely empty.

Please do not delete that folder.

I also don't want to assume yet that the photographs have been permanently lost. We need to determine whether the photographs were moved elsewhere, exist under another folder/name, are on another device or backup, or whether there is some other explanation.

Please do this next — ONE folder only:

Let's use the 2019-05-06 folder as our test case.

Please open:

File Explorer → Pictures → 2019-05-06

and send me a photograph showing the folder open, preferably with the address bar at the top visible.

Also tell me whether you remember this folder previously containing photographs.

That's all I need you to do for that folder.

And please stop deleting duplicate photographs for now.

I understand that you have already deleted a few duplicates. That's okay -don't worry about that.

But from this point forward, please don't delete any more photographs until we have established that your important photographs are safely copied to the 4 TB external drive.

There is no advantage in spending hours deleting duplicates right now. We can deal with that later, and there are much safer ways to identify duplicates than manually opening and deleting them one at a time.

Verifying the external-drive backup:

You also said you don't know how to verify a backup.

That's completely fine. We will make this very simple.

After we copy a group of important photographs to the 4 TB external drive, we will:

1. Open the external drive in File Explorer.
2. Open the folder containing the photographs.
3. Double-click several photographs.
4. Confirm that they actually open and display correctly.

We can also compare a few files on the PC with their copies on the external drive.

You do not need special backup software to perform this basic verification.

So, for now, please don't worry about ESU, duplicate photographs, or trying to repair anything.

Our immediate sequence is:

1. Leave the KB5126256 update scheduled.
2. Do not delete any more photographs.
3. Investigate the 2019-05-06 folder.
4. Then begin copying your important photographs/files to the 4 TB external drive.
5. Verify that the copies can actually be opened.
6. Once your important data is protected, we can allow Windows to complete KB5126256 and proceed with ESU enrollment.

You are doing the right thing by stopping and asking before making further changes. Let's solve one problem at a time, and most importantly, let's protect your irreplaceable photographs before doing anything potentially disruptive.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777