There are some files still remaining because there is more than one SxS module installed for the Windows 7 End Of Service Notifier application (EOSNotify)...
To date 17-Feb-2020 (after the End Of Support for Windows 7 on 14-Jan-2020), I have counted 4 updates which install EOSNotify while using WSUS Offline Update to install Security-Only updates onto a fresh installation of Microsoft Windows 7 Pro SP1 x64 RTM 2012 Official ISO, they are:
KB4493132 October 17, 2019 Windows 7 SP1 support notification for Windows 7
KB4524752 October 17, 2019 Windows 7 SP1 support notification for Windows 7 Professional
KB4530692 December 10, 2019 KB4530692 (Security-only update)
KB4534314 January 14, 2020 KB4534314 (Security-only update)
You should NOT exclude/remove the latter two Security-only updates from your ISO because they also contain important (security) patches!
Each of the above updates have a different varient of the EOSNotify SxS module manifest, these are:
amd64_microsoft-windows-eosnotify_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7600.18067_none_41b0929ee4b7e75e
amd64_microsoft-windows-eosnotify_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7600.22194_none_4216bec7fdf08ef6
amd64_microsoft-windows-eosnotify_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7601.24541_none_44301f27faf12bb3
amd64_microsoft-windows-eosnotify_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7601.24544_none_44332005faee77b8
There is only one entry in the registry , which is:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SideBySide\Winners\amd64_microsoft-windows-eosnotify_31bf3856ad364e35_none_cf9552e0f1896db2
(Note, I have also tried using the
KB3125574 Convenience rollup update for Windows 7 SP1 (originally released in 2016) and although that update did not include EOSNotify, it's prerequisits packages (the SSU) did inlcude GWX (the Get Windows 10 application), so I have avoided it.)
So, given that EOSNotify is now included in other updates which cannot be avoided, the only option is to remove the EOSNotify application after it installed. Blocking the standalone updates is not enough...
For doing that on my systems I have compiled this batch script which removes EOSNotify program from the SxS sub-system manifest and also the related scheduled tasks. I run it both before applying updates (to block notifications) and afterwards (to remove the application).
My script sets the "DisableGwx" and "DisableOSUpgrade" opt-out flags in the registry as recommended at the original release back in 2016, in addition to setting "DiscontinueEOS" and "Discontinue" opt-out flags in the registry as recommended by Microsoft in KB4524752 in Oct 2019. I suggest the script can be run to set these flags before any updates are applied to a fresh install, to prevent the prompt(s) from appearing.
It would be great if this functionality could be integrated by nuhi into NTLite by Nlitesoft and other tools like WSUS Offline Update by Torsten Wittrock, for example. I welcome anyone to use the information I have gathered here to enable them to clean up Windows 7 installations, it would benefit the community greatly.
However, as nuhi points out I think it is important that the user has the choice wether or not to completely remove EOSNotify or to simply disable it from running, as there are pro's and con's of each solution.
I have tested the batch script extensively on my systems but I suggest that you review the contents of it carefully to make sure you are OK with what it does to your installation(s) before you run it/integrate it into your ISO.
I hope this is useful to help you find out how to remove EOSNotify from Windows 7 to prevent End Of Support notification nag screen, and I welcome any feedback anyone may have regarding my script which will help you to automate the process.
I have attached my batch script (and also a VBS script I found which can detect and hide the EOSNotify standalone updates if they are pending). I have commented the script to enable anyone to follow what is happening during the uninstallation of EOSNotify.EXE in the hope that it will be useful for you if you are developing a better solution this issue.
Bests,
sli