[Allison]

Yesterday I got a popup from my computer asking if I wanted to do Windoze Updates automatically, which seemed like a good idea at the time. When I got up this morning, the computer had closed all open windows in order to do said update and I lost a lot of stuff I was working on. Now I can't for the life of me figure out how to turn it off. Can someone tell me how to perform this presumably simple task?

[MCaver]

Click on the start button and select "Run...". Type "services.msc" to open the list of services. Find the Automatic Updates service, right click on it and select Stop. That should stop it for now. To disable it permanently, right click on it again and select Properties. Change the "Startup Type" to Manual and click OK. That should do it. MS released several new security updates for Windows XP yesterday, so I recommend everyone install them.

[Allison]

Thanks. Will I still get the popups from time to time telling me that there are new things available? I prefer that, so I can shut things down when it's convenient for me.

[MCaver]

No, that should stop Automatic Updates completely. I'll see if I can find out how to just turn off the auto-installing.

[MCaver]

Ok, this is much easier: Click on the Start button and select Settings, then Contol Panel. There should be an entry for Automatic Updates -- click on that. That should give you all the options you need. You probably want to set the service back to Automatic via the instructions above.

[Snowshoe Hare]

I use Windows Update option "Automatic- notify me of updates but don't install them." I'll do that myself. All critical/recommended ones I download but some non-critical updates (for other software) I never use. If it ain't broke... Of course I use Firefox for 99% of my browsing.

[Malachai Constant]

You can also set it up so it installs the updates on shutdown so you do not risk losing anything.

[MCaver]

I'd recommend installing the IE hotfixes even if you never use IE. The components that IE uses are embedded pretty deeply in Windows and may be used by other applications. The same goes for Windows Messenger.

[Dayhike Mike]

Ditto what MCaver says. He speaks the truth.

[Allison]

So they make ya take this free software (IE) when ya buy Windoze, and then even if ya never use it, you're vulnerable because it's on your computer. Doesn't seem like free's such a good deal to me.

[MCaver]

The line between Windows funcionality and IE functionality is definitely blurred these days. Some of the basic web browsing functionality, like HTML and XML rendering, are shared between the two to the point that I don't even know which development team is actually responsible for it. I personally think of IE as a component of Windows rather than a separate product, although I think that would get me in trouble with some folks at MS and maybe the DOJ.

[Malachai Constant]

Not only that but it is integrated into their programing tools such as the msft versions of C# and the like. So it will even pop up handles in 3rd party software

[Backpacker Joe]

[Justan]

[Lagerman]

DONT TO IT AUTO!! They try and cram alot of crap down your throat, but do look for updates, ask if you don't know case to case, but all the hackers gun for Windows and outlook etc etc. So security updates are needed if you use this stuff.