Quitting Time is Best for XP's Automatic Updates
Microsoft's Automatic Updates is a pain. I'm not the only one who thinks so, either.
Jon D., a buddy from a private list I'm on, wrote and said:
I allowed a Windows Media Player update today. After it installed, I got a "you need to reboot" message. I clicked "later" and kept working.I forgot that Microsoft thinks it's more important than me. That damn box kept popping up every, I dunno, 15 or 20 minutes. And eventually, I accidentally rebooted my computer when the box popped just as I was clicking something else (I have the mouse set to jump to active button).
I'll go dig out my copy of your Annoyances book and see if you've covered this, but even if you have, you might want to blog on it sometime.
You bet it's in my book, Jon, and it's as annoying as all get out.
Automatic Updates slams an icon in your System tray as a not-so-subtle way of informing you that upgrades are available to download and install. Once you click the icon in the System tray and choose either Express Install or Custom Install in the dialog that appears, you're stuck. Because like a pouty three year old, XP doesn't care what you're in the middle of doing. It will keep reminding you to reboot until you're so aggravated that you throw in the towel, close all your open apps, and reboot.
My recommendation? Wait till the end of the day before clicking on the icon and agreeing to take the update. [Editor's note: You sure? Since these are typically security updates, wouldn't you want those suckers working ASAP? Bass's reply: Stop being such a ninny. Nothings so critical that it can't wait until the end of the day.]
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I completely agree with your gripe Steve. I turned off any access by Windows for updates and am stuck with the dumb red sheild on my system tray. I simply check updates once a week. But they have to stick you in the eye because they don't have access to my system. I had it set for 'Notify me and I will download', but changed it on a tip to cut down on connections to my system. Besides since 'Vista' came out the updates don't seem as much as often. The last 2 updates I got last week, one of them was stopped by my security as having malware. I tried to figure out a way to run Windows own Malicious Tool on it, which I download each month, as Windows only runs it once, when you download it. But any way after the download got kicked back 7 or 8 times I wrote to Microsoft about the 'Malware'? and they wrote back wanting all kinds of info and do this do that. Well after 2 days of me telling them no, I again tried on the third day and it downloaded.
But yes I agree it can wait till the end
I leave my computer running all the time, as it doubles as my alarm clock, and an ftp server. Anyway, what I find most annoying is the fact that it will automatically restart the computer after a certain amount of time, so if I'm sleeping, or otherwise away, the computer restarts, and there's no alarm clock in the morning!
I don,t understand this one?? I get the same notifications you guy,s get I click the icon in the systems tray it advises me theres an upgrade i click install and it advises me to carry on with what i,m doing and promptly disappears when it,s complete it advises me the installation was successful and disappears again no restarts nada.Now I live in Canada do you think the staff at Microsoft are more polite here?? lol THE GREAT CANADIAN BEAR.
I find that even with the "download but let me install" working, that damnable idiot screen keeps popping up, usually when I am in the middle of a complicated shooting game and clicking on it costs me points or in the middle of video. You would think there could be a "notify me when I shut down" button. Too much to ask from Micro$oft?
Install the update when you like. To stop the restart prompt simply type,
net stop "automatic updates"
in the command line (start -> run). Stopping this service will stop the nag boxes. Then you can reboot when you have time. The service will restart when you reboot.
You can also disable it in Group Policy.
Local Computer Policy / Computer Configuration / Administrative Templates / Windows Components / Windows Update / Re-prompt for restart with scheduled installations
and
.../ No auto-restart for scheduled Automatic Updates installations