The Automatic Updates tab appears even when Automatic Updates Service is
disabled.
Thus, you have a problem.
I know there is a virus that removes the System Restore tab. Perhaps there
is similar that affects the Automatic Updates tab, don't know.
Worst case, a repair install of Windows XP will solve the problem. I had to
do one recently. A repair install is a relatively painless procedure...
- It does NOT require you to reinstall your applications like a clean
install.
- First, a little pain is involved in finding the instructions. It seems to
go by several names, Repair install, In Place Upgrade, maybe just Upgrade.
The wording (steps?) seemed to vary depending upon which Windows XP CD you
are using, Regular CD, Upgrade CD, OEM CD
- You must reinstall the windows updates. Order the FREE SECURITY CD from
Microsoft that has all of the updates through Feb 2004. It is handy to use
after doing a repair install.
- I lost a few windows settings, but surprisingly most stayed in tact.
If you are not going to do a repair install, I would recommend
- first go to the updates page and get the updates manually so you are
protected
- then figure out why the tab is missing
Automatic Updating sounds good, but often introduces problems. I disable it
on all family machines, and teach people to routinely get the updates
manually.
For example, my niece's computer was not working well to say the least. I
asked her if all Critical Windows Updates were installed. She said, oh Yes,
I use Automatic Updating. I asked her if she had installed an Anti-Virus
program and was it up to date. She said Yes, we have Norton installed, we
bought two years of updates service, it gets it's updates automatically.
In the end my neice brought her computer to me to straighten out. Here's
what I found out.
- Automatic Updating was checked, Windows Updates would sometimes start to
download, but apparently not finish. The updates were not installed.
- She had two viruses. One of them disabled Norton AntiVirus. The Automatic
Updates were not downloading because Norton AntiVirus had been disabled by
the virus.
- My neice is on a dial-up ISP, every time she tried to use her computer the
automatic downloads would conflict with what she wanted to do.
I cleaned the machine, then disabled automatic updating anywhere I could
find it: Windows Updates, Anti-Virus, Internet Explorer, WMP, Adobe Acrobat.
She now does manual updates. She knows her Windows Updates are installed
because she does it.
Now she can use her computer without having to compete with the automatic
downloading of updates. She downloads the updates at the time of her
choosing.
Lilla
