[HOWTO] disable automatic updates

[Ophiel X]

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\Auto Update]
"AUOptions"=dword:00000001
"ScheduledInstallDay"=-
"ScheduledInstallTime"=-
"ScheduledInstallDate"=-
"DownloadExpirationTime"=-
"NextDetectionTime"=-

i know this is common knowledge, but there are also a few keys there that can/should be removed.

[Yzöwl]

All you need is this

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

;This setting lets you specify if automatic updates are enabled on this computer.
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU]
"NoAutoUpdate"=dword:00000001

Nothing else matters since the policy setting will always take priority

Edited June 1, 2006 by Yzöwl

[mhc]

Not true...removing the key:

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wuauserv

will take precedence over everything. You can put whatever you want in a policy, if the Automatic Updates service isn't in the registry, it HAS no policy!

If the above key is removed, any/all keys associated with Automatic Updates can be removed as well. Oh, it would probably be a good idea to save a backup of the above key, just in case you want to re-install Automatic Updates in the future. And don't worry about the other Automatic Updates keys you delete, if you re-enable the service, it will re-create the keys for you.

mhc

[Yzöwl]

Why go to such extremes, surely this is sufficient:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wuauserv]
"Start"=dword:0x00000004

You only have to break my feet to stop me running away, not chop both my legs off!

[mhc]

I suppose it's personal preference, but I would rather remove the entry (though keeping a backup!) than set it as disabled.

mhc