Cannot make changes to 'Automatic Updates' via Control Panel

[Guest]

Hello,
After Windows Automatic Updates automatically updated, I wanted to select
(via the Control Panel), 'Notify me, but don't automatically download or
install them.' Ironically, I thought that was my previous choice, but
surprise, surprise: That was not the case. Anyway, the entire 'selection
panel' under Automatic Updates is 'greyed out,' with my 'stuck' selection on
'Automatic.'
Ditto my Microsoft Firewall.
I have administrator rights, but I have VPN to a university's computer
science department - could their updates be 'overriding' my administrator
rights?
Thanks much, in advance.

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Hi Lori,

Automatic Updates options are greyed out:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/aupolicy.htm

Windows Firewall options are grayed out:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/resetfwpol.htm

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


Hello,
After Windows Automatic Updates automatically updated, I wanted to select
(via the Control Panel), 'Notify me, but don't automatically download or
install them.' Ironically, I thought that was my previous choice, but
surprise, surprise: That was not the case. Anyway, the entire 'selection
panel' under Automatic Updates is 'greyed out,' with my 'stuck' selection on
'Automatic.'
Ditto my Microsoft Firewall.
I have administrator rights, but I have VPN to a university's computer
science department - could their updates be 'overriding' my administrator
rights?
Thanks much, in advance.

 

[Guest]

Hi, Ramesh!
Here's why this didn't work:

Automatic Updates options are greyed out:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/aupolicy.htm

Navigate to this location:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \
Policies \ WindowsUpdate

In the right-pane, delete the value DisableWindowsUpdateAccess

The trail leads to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer (ending in 'Explorer,' not 'WindowsUpdate')

The first step worked, but - is that an error - with the registry key? I
couldn't delete the value, as it wasn't in the 'WindowsUpdate' location.
All still greyed out, no joy.
Can you help?
Thanks much,
Lori
--
Lori R. Price
Mgr., Citizens For Legitimate Government
http://www.legitgov.org/

Hi Lori,

Automatic Updates options are greyed out:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/aupolicy.htm

Windows Firewall options are grayed out:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/resetfwpol.htm

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


Hello,
After Windows Automatic Updates automatically updated, I wanted to select
(via the Control Panel), 'Notify me, but don't automatically download or
install them.' Ironically, I thought that was my previous choice, but
surprise, surprise: That was not the case. Anyway, the entire 'selection
panel' under Automatic Updates is 'greyed out,' with my 'stuck' selection on
'Automatic.'
Ditto my Microsoft Firewall.
I have administrator rights, but I have VPN to a university's computer
science department - could their updates be 'overriding' my administrator
rights?
Thanks much, in advance.

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Lori,

What about the other two values AUOptions and NoAutoUpdate?

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


Hi, Ramesh!
Here's why this didn't work:

Automatic Updates options are greyed out:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/aupolicy.htm

Navigate to this location:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \
Policies \ WindowsUpdate

In the right-pane, delete the value DisableWindowsUpdateAccess

The trail leads to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer (ending in 'Explorer,' not 'WindowsUpdate')

The first step worked, but - is that an error - with the registry key? I
couldn't delete the value, as it wasn't in the 'WindowsUpdate' location.
All still greyed out, no joy.
Can you help?
Thanks much,
Lori
--
Lori R. Price
Mgr., Citizens For Legitimate Government
http://www.legitgov.org/

Hi Lori,

Automatic Updates options are greyed out:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/aupolicy.htm

Windows Firewall options are grayed out:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/resetfwpol.htm

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


Hello,
After Windows Automatic Updates automatically updated, I wanted to select
(via the Control Panel), 'Notify me, but don't automatically download or
install them.' Ironically, I thought that was my previous choice, but
surprise, surprise: That was not the case. Anyway, the entire 'selection
panel' under Automatic Updates is 'greyed out,' with my 'stuck' selection on
'Automatic.'
Ditto my Microsoft Firewall.
I have administrator rights, but I have VPN to a university's computer
science department - could their updates be 'overriding' my administrator
rights?
Thanks much, in advance.

 

[Guest]

Hi, I was able to implement those changes. (I did that first.)
Thanks,
Lori
--
Lori R. Price
Mgr., Citizens For Legitimate Government
http://www.legitgov.org/

Lori,

What about the other two values AUOptions and NoAutoUpdate?

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


Hi, Ramesh!
Here's why this didn't work:

Automatic Updates options are greyed out:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/aupolicy.htm

Navigate to this location:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \
Policies \ WindowsUpdate

In the right-pane, delete the value DisableWindowsUpdateAccess

The trail leads to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer (ending in 'Explorer,' not 'WindowsUpdate')

The first step worked, but - is that an error - with the registry key? I
couldn't delete the value, as it wasn't in the 'WindowsUpdate' location.
All still greyed out, no joy.
Can you help?
Thanks much,
Lori
--
Lori R. Price
Mgr., Citizens For Legitimate Government
http://www.legitgov.org/

Hi Lori,

Automatic Updates options are greyed out:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/aupolicy.htm

Windows Firewall options are grayed out:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/resetfwpol.htm

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


Hello,
After Windows Automatic Updates automatically updated, I wanted to select
(via the Control Panel), 'Notify me, but don't automatically download or
install them.' Ironically, I thought that was my previous choice, but
surprise, surprise: That was not the case. Anyway, the entire 'selection
panel' under Automatic Updates is 'greyed out,' with my 'stuck' selection on
'Automatic.'
Ditto my Microsoft Firewall.
I have administrator rights, but I have VPN to a university's computer
science department - could their updates be 'overriding' my administrator
rights?
Thanks much, in advance.

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Lori,

Is the Automatic Updates tab still grayed out after making those changes? Also, did you reboot the system once after deleting the values?

Note that if your system is connected to a corporate network, the Policy keys will be populated again, automatically.

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


Hi, I was able to implement those changes. (I did that first.)
Thanks,
Lori
--
Lori R. Price
Mgr., Citizens For Legitimate Government
http://www.legitgov.org/

Lori,

What about the other two values AUOptions and NoAutoUpdate?

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


Hi, Ramesh!
Here's why this didn't work:

Automatic Updates options are greyed out:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/aupolicy.htm

Navigate to this location:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \
Policies \ WindowsUpdate

In the right-pane, delete the value DisableWindowsUpdateAccess

The trail leads to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer (ending in 'Explorer,' not 'WindowsUpdate')

The first step worked, but - is that an error - with the registry key? I
couldn't delete the value, as it wasn't in the 'WindowsUpdate' location.
All still greyed out, no joy.
Can you help?
Thanks much,
Lori
--
Lori R. Price
Mgr., Citizens For Legitimate Government
http://www.legitgov.org/

Hi Lori,

Automatic Updates options are greyed out:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/aupolicy.htm

Windows Firewall options are grayed out:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/resetfwpol.htm

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


Hello,
After Windows Automatic Updates automatically updated, I wanted to select
(via the Control Panel), 'Notify me, but don't automatically download or
install them.' Ironically, I thought that was my previous choice, but
surprise, surprise: That was not the case. Anyway, the entire 'selection
panel' under Automatic Updates is 'greyed out,' with my 'stuck' selection on
'Automatic.'
Ditto my Microsoft Firewall.
I have administrator rights, but I have VPN to a university's computer
science department - could their updates be 'overriding' my administrator
rights?
Thanks much, in advance.