Automatic updates becoming compulsory?

[Guest]

I have noticed of late, a tendency for automatic updates to just start up on
their own without any warning. On a laptop with little space, I recently
had to pull the plug pdq to stop service pack three loading without so much
as a by your leave.

Then today I turn on my pc (XPPro) and instantly the little shield appears
telling me it's downloading updates, with no indication of what or why.
Again, luckily, I have a wireless connection and can instantly pull the usb
dongle...

I always have my machines set to inform me of updates and only allow those
that I particularly want. Now I find that the pc has been reset to
completely automatic without any action on my part (and with no other users
currently).

How can this happen, and how can I prevent this rather alarming behaviour in
future?

Cheers,

S

 

[Leonard Grey]

I have noticed of late, a tendency for automatic updates to just start up on
their own without any warning. On a laptop with little space, I recently
had to pull the plug pdq to stop service pack three loading without so much
as a by your leave.

Then today I turn on my pc (XPPro) and instantly the little shield appears
telling me it's downloading updates, with no indication of what or why.
Again, luckily, I have a wireless connection and can instantly pull the usb
dongle...

I always have my machines set to inform me of updates and only allow those
that I particularly want. Now I find that the pc has been reset to
completely automatic without any action on my part (and with no other users
currently).

How can this happen, and how can I prevent this rather alarming behaviour in
future?

You stupid ass! Change Windows Update settings so that it will do
what you WANT it to do. They don't set THEMSELVES.
DUH!!

 

[eaj]

You stupid ass! Change Windows Update settings so that it will do
what you WANT it to do. They don't set THEMSELVES.
DUH!!

The same thing has happened to me, Automatic Updates set to 'Download
updates for me, but let me choose when to install them.' but several times in
the last month it has changed back to full automatic and rebooted my machine
without my going in and changing it. I'm the only user of the machine and
definitely did not go in and change it. Either XP or MS has some hook to
override the user preference or some other software e.g. Norton Protection is
changing it without my asking it to. It happened to me yesterday and I _know_
I didn't do it, as Norton always gives me a comforting warning on my taskbar
all day every day showing that it thinks I'm doing a bad thing by having the
full automatic updates turned off. I guess that makes me a stupid a** too.
Whether that's true or not, your answer couldn't have been less helpful,
contributing zero useful information to the issue.

 

[Leonard Grey]

What would you know about XP, and its problems?
And why waffle on about Norton?
I am one of the BEST (if not the best) resident XP experts in these XP
Newsgroups.
What I don't know, isn't worth knowing!

Have a bit of respect.

 

[eaj]

You've got to either be kidding or seriously deluded. Hopefully the former.

Anyone else have any ideas? The entire reason I went looking on the forums
was to explain this bizarre behavior of the auto update settings getting
changed without my intervention, so it was interesting to see I'm not the
only one.

 

[MowGreen [MVP]]

Norton is what's changing your updating preferences, eaj.
If you want Windows to retain them, then you'll need a security product
that is compatible with Windows.


MowGreen [MVP 2003-2009]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============

 

[Leonard Grey]

Aha...I see Murphy is active in this newsgroup as well.

Some background: I am the real Leonard Grey. The rude post copied below
was not created by me. It was created by a disturbed individual named
Murphy.

Murphy is a very angry person, and he is apparently suffering side
effects from taking Rimonabant (brand name: Zimultri, produced by
Sanofi-Adventis.) . Rimonabant is an anti-obesity drug that has been
documented by the United States FDA to cause severe depression.

Murphy's game is to try to impersonate people in these newsgroups, and
then make rude and even revolting posts in their names. He's done it to
nass, he's done it to me, and to others. Unfortunately, there's nothing
anyone can do about it, AFAIK.

It's not hard to tell the difference between posts made me - the real
me - and Murphy's impersonation.

I do not normally post to this newsgroup, and I won't post to this
thread again, so any other posts in this thread that have my name on
them are coming from Murphy.

To the OP and all others who have genuinely tried to help: I'm sorry
this mess has gotten in the way of your getting the answer you need.

 

[sgopus]

it's hard to respect a total jerk. and even harder when the jerk enjoys name
calling and belittling others.
it's a know issue with windows that one of the service packs turns the
update to autodownload and apply, can't remember which one, but it has
happend to me also, fortunatly I watch my system carefully and caught it
early, changing it back.
what you know, is how to be rude and arrogant, the rest is worthless, like
your attitude.

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

[X-post to WU NG]

Always state your full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP3) when posting to
this newsgroup, please.

1. Start | Settings | Control Panel | Automatic Updates: Is the Automatic
option enabled here or is the Notify Only option?

2. If you find the setting to be Automatic, change it to Notify Only, reboot
and look again: Is it back to Automatic?

3. What anti-virus application or security suite is installed? What
anti-spyware applications (other than Defender)? What third-party firewall
(if any)?

4. Has a Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on the machine?

 

[Ian D]

[X-post to WU NG]

Always state your full Windows version (e.g., WinXP SP3) when posting to
this newsgroup, please.

1. Start | Settings | Control Panel | Automatic Updates: Is the Automatic
option enabled here or is the Notify Only option?

2. If you find the setting to be Automatic, change it to Notify Only,
reboot and look again: Is it back to Automatic?

3. What anti-virus application or security suite is installed? What
anti-spyware applications (other than Defender)? What third-party
firewall (if any)?

4. Has a Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on the machine?
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/

I have noticed of late, a tendency for automatic updates to just start up
on
their own without any warning. On a laptop with little space, I recently
had to pull the plug pdq to stop service pack three loading without so
much
as a by your leave.

Then today I turn on my pc (XPPro) and instantly the little shield
appears
telling me it's downloading updates, with no indication of what or why.
Again, luckily, I have a wireless connection and can instantly pull the
usb
dongle...

I always have my machines set to inform me of updates and only allow
those
that I particularly want. Now I find that the pc has been reset to
completely automatic without any action on my part (and with no other
users
currently).

How can this happen, and how can I prevent this rather alarming behaviour
in
future?

Another thing that can be done, is to disable the Automatic Update
service. This also disables manual updates, so you'll have to restart
the service before updating, then disable it after updates are installed.

Norton will complain if Windows automatic update is turned off, and
if you press the Fix button it will turn it back on. However, Norton
has a setting to ignore the automatic update status.

 

[Guest]

I have noticed of late, a tendency for automatic updates to just start up
on their own without any warning. On a laptop with little space, I
recently had to pull the plug pdq to stop service pack three loading
without so much as a by your leave.

Then today I turn on my pc (XPPro) and instantly the little shield appears
telling me it's downloading updates, with no indication of what or why.
Again, luckily, I have a wireless connection and can instantly pull the
usb dongle...

I always have my machines set to inform me of updates and only allow those
that I particularly want. Now I find that the pc has been reset to
completely automatic without any action on my part (and with no other
users currently).

How can this happen, and how can I prevent this rather alarming behaviour
in future?

Right,
Thank's everybody.

I did say I normally have the updates just set to inform me, so I didn't
really need to be told how to find automatic updates (though why they have
to have the useless 'Security Centre' popping up to offer one no settings,
instead of going straight to the update settings panel...).

I don't use Norton, but do have SpyBot's 'Teatimer' running so I am
surprised the setting got changed without me getting informed.

The only system change I have made recently is to trial Avast (over my usual
McAfee).

As it happens, since turning off AutoUpdate completely the pc has started up
and gone on line much faster, so I think I will leave it off, and get my
updates when I do my housekeeping. It really is annoying when ones pc is
hijacked to MS as soon as one turns it on; and then often again when one
opens IE.

Cheers,

S

 

[Twayne]

Right,
Thank's everybody.

I did say I normally have the updates just set to inform me, so I
didn't really need to be told how to find automatic updates (though
why they have to have the useless 'Security Centre' popping up to
offer one no settings, instead of going straight to the update
settings panel...).
I don't use Norton, but do have SpyBot's 'Teatimer' running so I am
surprised the setting got changed without me getting informed.

The only system change I have made recently is to trial Avast (over
my usual McAfee).

As it happens, since turning off AutoUpdate completely the pc has
started up and gone on line much faster, so I think I will leave it
off, and get my updates when I do my housekeeping. It really is
annoying when ones pc is hijacked to MS as soon as one turns it on;
and then often again when one opens IE.

Cheers,

S

You might want to run your updaed antivirus scans and your full aresenal
of spyware detectors. If that were happening in general and cause by MS
there would be quite an uproar, I'm sure. I suspect something else,
perhaps simple file corruption or a slipped mouse click did that to you.
Since you get started and go online "much faster" there is definitely
something afoot that's not right. That shouldn't affect startup or time
to get online unless there are a gazillion updates to be downloaded.
And startup time it shouldn't have any affect on at all.

Twayne

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Right,
Thank's everybody.

I did say I normally have the updates just set to inform me, so I didn't
really need to be told how to find automatic updates (though why they have
to have the useless 'Security Centre' popping up to offer one no settings,
instead of going straight to the update settings panel...).

I don't use Norton, but do have SpyBot's 'Teatimer' running so I am
surprised the setting got changed without me getting informed.

The only system change I have made recently is to trial Avast (over my
usual
McAfee)....

You're running both Avast and McAfee VirusScan?? Why?