Windows automatically turned on Updates

Computer Help and Discussions The Lounge
1

I have had my Windows 7 on & just put it to sleep occasionally. This has been so for the last, oh, say, 3 months or so. Under Windows Update, I have Never check for updates cleared, & also the other two under updates settings.

Now, I haven't installed any new apps or anything. But when I rebooted Windows, my weather app disappeared & it showed the Clock, Feed, & Slideshow gadgets.

Ok, not too bad, I closed those out. Sigh. THEN, I noticed that Windows had enabled Updates, as well as a couple other options that were checkmarked to received them regularly. SIGH! So I went back, & re-disabled them.

Whatever triggered it, this is definitely a big fat no & a zero tolerance for their control over MY system. No, no, no, no. I have a reason I have updates off on this machine, as it is only used for certain things ever. And all I have up here is Firefox, CCleaner, Defraggler, & AVG.

I really don't know what triggered this, or whether it is because my machine is usually on for so long, then I rebooted, but whatever the case, this really annoyed me to no end. I know this may not occur frequently, but when it does, it just makes me so MAD! LOL!

My machine would bluescreen if I let MS download updates because of the custom audio card I use here, & if I let MS handle the update, I would not be able to boot once they put their recommended audio driver on it. GRRRR!!!! Shakes fist! Get yo greedy hands off my machine, Microsoft! LOL!

Anybody else had this happen to them, or know what could cause it?

* 32 Bit Windows 7 / Estimated 3 or 4 month uptime before reboot, usually put to sleep

2

The new updates that came today (or yesterday?) included Active X killbits. They're always a concern since you never know what app you have that they might kill.

3

I know having to reboot after updates annoys a lot of people. As far as I know this is done because until you do reboot you are still using the old code that a particular update is replacing. Rebooting flushes out the old code.

In Windows 7 there seems to be more instances of Updates settings being changed without any user input' than there were with previous operating system versions. I count myself lucky as it hasn't happened to me yet. (set at 'let me know and I will install')

4

When Microsoft decide you need an update - you GET an update for your own good :angry: :angry: :angry:

I have set my to never even notify me, but it is only a flag so I depend upon Macrium to rescue me when an update crashes through.

I will let an update in when I am good and ready.

5

@Alan_B

If you use Microsoft Security Essentials that alone can trigger Automatic Updates to turn on by itself (even if the service is stopped and set to the Manual startup type) since it uses that service to download updates.

In Windows 7 there seems to be more instances of Updates settings being changed without any user input' than there were with previous operating system versions.

I'd think there could be a registry key to set the permissions to read-only so it couldn't be changed, but then again it's Automatic Updates so it may have a way around that by assuming some malware tampered with the settings forcing it to always be turned off - then another caveat would be forgetting the registry key was tweaked when wanting to actually install Windows updates.

6

@Alan_B

If you use Microsoft Security Essentials that alone can trigger Automatic Updates to turn on by itself (even if the service is stopped and set to the Manual startup type) since it uses that service to download updates.

I'd think there could be a registry key to set the permissions to read-only so it couldn't be changed, but then again it's Automatic Updates so it may have a way around that by assuming some malware tampered with the settings forcing it to always be turned off - then another caveat would be forgetting the registry key was tweaked when wanting to actually install Windows updates.

Well, I don't use Microsoft Security Essentials. However! There is Windows Defender (Pre-installed by MS) when I set up my 7, but it says it is manual & that the service is stopped.

Hmmmm.... Not sure what did/could have caused it!