How can I REALLY turn off Automatic Updates?

How can I REALLY turn off Automatic Updates?
I have Automatic Updates set to 'Notify me but don't automatically download
or install them'. Nevertheless, Windows XP Professional SP2 has gone ahead
and downloaded IE7 and Windows "Genuine Advantage" Tool even though I do not
want them and have not agreed to download or install either of them. I would
really like to locate and delete the temporary files containing both these
software updates and also prevent Windows from re-downloading them in future
without my consent. I would appreciate any advice as to how to achieve these
aims.
For what it is worth, I do not want IE7 for various reasons and I object to
Windows "Genuine Advantage" Tool on principle because it is dishonestly
represented as conferring an advantage to me, when it clearly does no such
thing. As it happens, I do have a legitimate copy of Windows XP Professional
in a retail box and I am happy to prove it to anyone who is interested. A
corollary of all this is that I will apparently be unable to obtain SP3
unless I install Windows "Genuine Advantage" Tool because The Windows Update
website will not relinquish the Service Pack unless the application is first
installed and run. Nor can I order a copy of the SP3 CD because I reside
outside North America (although I was able to order the SP2 disc).

Barry_M wrote:

> How can I REALLY turn off Automatic Updates?
> I have Automatic Updates set to 'Notify me but don't automatically download
> or install them'. Nevertheless, Windows XP Professional SP2 has gone ahead
> and downloaded IE7 and Windows "Genuine Advantage" Tool even though I do not
> want them and have not agreed to download or install either of them.

This may mean that some software changed the setting on you - have you checked
that it is still set as you want it? It may alternately be that some software
initiated the downloads and/or installs explicitly.

> A corollary of all this is that I will apparently be unable to obtain SP3
> unless I install Windows "Genuine Advantage" Tool

You can get it here:

<http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=5b33b5a8-5e76-401f-be08-1e1555d4f3d4&DisplayLang=en>

Or if you can't see the link, go to http://www.microsoft.com/downloads and
search for "windows xp service pack 3".

Harry.

Did you recently install OneCare or change your default update source from
Windows Update to Microsoft Update?

Have your Automatic Updates settings changed?

Automatic Updates will offer the machine WinXP SP3 without the WGA Tool
installed, but the WGA tool will be required if you choose to use Windows
Update or Microsoft Update website to get SP3.

NB: Neither IE7 nor SP3 will install automatically, no matter what your
Automatic Updates settings are. You MUST approve the install of either of
them.
--
~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/


Barry_M wrote:
> How can I REALLY turn off Automatic Updates?
> I have Automatic Updates set to 'Notify me but don't automatically
> download
> or install them'. Nevertheless, Windows XP Professional SP2 has gone ahead
> and downloaded IE7 and Windows "Genuine Advantage" Tool even though I do
> not
> want them and have not agreed to download or install either of them. I
> would
> really like to locate and delete the temporary files containing both these
> software updates and also prevent Windows from re-downloading them in
> future
> without my consent. I would appreciate any advice as to how to achieve
> these
> aims.
> For what it is worth, I do not want IE7 for various reasons and I object
> to
> Windows "Genuine Advantage" Tool on principle because it is dishonestly
> represented as conferring an advantage to me, when it clearly does no such
> thing. As it happens, I do have a legitimate copy of Windows XP
> Professional
> in a retail box and I am happy to prove it to anyone who is interested. A
> corollary of all this is that I will apparently be unable to obtain SP3
> unless I install Windows "Genuine Advantage" Tool because The Windows
> Update
> website will not relinquish the Service Pack unless the application is
> first
> installed and run. Nor can I order a copy of the SP3 CD because I reside
> outside North America (although I was able to order the SP2 disc).

Thank you Harry.
Yes, Automatic Updates is still set to "Notify me". I do not know of any
software that I have installed that might have initiated the downloads. But
setting aside how I came to have them, I would like to be rid of the
temporary files, wherever they may be, just to stop the pestering popup
informing me that I have updates to install.
Thank you for the link to "Windows XP Service Pack 3 Network Installation
Package for IT Professionals and Developers". However, I am concerned about
the warning on the page: "DO NOT CLICK DOWNLOAD IF YOU ARE UPDATING JUST ONE
COMPUTER: A smaller, more appropriate download is now available on Windows
Update." The download is large, 316.4MB, and space on my system partition is
at a premium. How big is SP3 for standalone PCs? Can I weed out the hotfixes
that are not appropriate for a single computer?

"Harry Johnston [MVP]" wrote:

> Barry_M wrote:
>
> > How can I REALLY turn off Automatic Updates?
> > I have Automatic Updates set to 'Notify me but don't automatically download
> > or install them'. Nevertheless, Windows XP Professional SP2 has gone ahead
> > and downloaded IE7 and Windows "Genuine Advantage" Tool even though I do not
> > want them and have not agreed to download or install either of them.
>
> This may mean that some software changed the setting on you - have you checked
> that it is still set as you want it? It may alternately be that some software
> initiated the downloads and/or installs explicitly.
>
> > A corollary of all this is that I will apparently be unable to obtain SP3
> > unless I install Windows "Genuine Advantage" Tool
>
> You can get it here:
>
> <http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=5b33b5a8-5e76-401f-be08-1e1555d4f3d4&DisplayLang=en>
>
> Or if you can't see the link, go to http://www.microsoft.com/downloads and
> search for "windows xp service pack 3".
>
> Harry.
>

Thank you, PA Bear.
No, I have not installed OneCare, and I do not remember changing my update
source from Windows Update to Microsoft Update.

> Automatic Updates will offer the machine WinXP SP3 without the WGA Tool
> installed, but the WGA tool will be required if you choose to use Windows
> Update or Microsoft Update website to get SP3.

OK, so I can set Automatic Updates to "Download updates for me, but let me
choose when to install them" and receive SP2 without the WGA Tool being first
installed. This is good news; I will do it now. However, is there any way to
get rid of IE7 and the WGA Tool, now that they are on my system, presumably
in temporary files somewhere?


"PA Bear [MS MVP]" wrote:

> Did you recently install OneCare or change your default update source from
> Windows Update to Microsoft Update?
>
> Have your Automatic Updates settings changed?
>
> Automatic Updates will offer the machine WinXP SP3 without the WGA Tool
> installed, but the WGA tool will be required if you choose to use Windows
> Update or Microsoft Update website to get SP3.
>
> NB: Neither IE7 nor SP3 will install automatically, no matter what your
> Automatic Updates settings are. You MUST approve the install of either of
> them.
> --
> ~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/
>
>
> Barry_M wrote:
> > How can I REALLY turn off Automatic Updates?
> > I have Automatic Updates set to 'Notify me but don't automatically
> > download
> > or install them'. Nevertheless, Windows XP Professional SP2 has gone ahead
> > and downloaded IE7 and Windows "Genuine Advantage" Tool even though I do
> > not
> > want them and have not agreed to download or install either of them. I
> > would
> > really like to locate and delete the temporary files containing both these
> > software updates and also prevent Windows from re-downloading them in
> > future
> > without my consent. I would appreciate any advice as to how to achieve
> > these
> > aims.
> > For what it is worth, I do not want IE7 for various reasons and I object
> > to
> > Windows "Genuine Advantage" Tool on principle because it is dishonestly
> > represented as conferring an advantage to me, when it clearly does no such
> > thing. As it happens, I do have a legitimate copy of Windows XP
> > Professional
> > in a retail box and I am happy to prove it to anyone who is interested. A
> > corollary of all this is that I will apparently be unable to obtain SP3
> > unless I install Windows "Genuine Advantage" Tool because The Windows
> > Update
> > website will not relinquish the Service Pack unless the application is
> > first
> > installed and run. Nor can I order a copy of the SP3 CD because I reside
> > outside North America (although I was able to order the SP2 disc).
>
>

=> The "WGA Tool" is really just an ActiveX Control. I'd leave sleeping
dogs lie IIWY. Don't confuse it with the much-maligned "WGA Notifications
tool" (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/905474).

=> If you haven't installed WinXP SP3 yet, you can uninstall IE7 via
Add/Remove Programs:

Uninstalling IE7
http://www.ie-vista.com/kbase2.html

[Only use the Command %windir%\ie7\spuninst\spuninst.exe if you cannot
uninstall 'WIndows Internet Explorer 7' via Add/Remove Programs; it's safe
to ignore any warnings that such-and-such might not work if you uninstall
it.]

IE7 (Un)Installation and Anti-Malware Applications:
http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/200...lications.aspx

=> If WinXP SP3 is installed, you'd have to uninstall it before you'd be
able to uninstall IE7. See...

IEBlog: IE and Windows XP Service Pack 3
http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/200...and-xpsp3.aspx
--
~PA Bear




Barry_M wrote:
> Thank you, PA Bear.
> No, I have not installed OneCare, and I do not remember changing my update
> source from Windows Update to Microsoft Update.
>
>> Automatic Updates will offer the machine WinXP SP3 without the WGA Tool
>> installed, but the WGA tool will be required if you choose to use Windows
>> Update or Microsoft Update website to get SP3.
>
> OK, so I can set Automatic Updates to "Download updates for me, but let me
> choose when to install them" and receive SP2 without the WGA Tool being
> first installed. This is good news; I will do it now. However, is there
> any
> way to get rid of IE7 and the WGA Tool, now that they are on my system,
> presumably in temporary files somewhere?
>
>
> "PA Bear [MS MVP]" wrote:
>
>> Did you recently install OneCare or change your default update source
>> from
>> Windows Update to Microsoft Update?
>>
>> Have your Automatic Updates settings changed?
>>
>> Automatic Updates will offer the machine WinXP SP3 without the WGA Tool
>> installed, but the WGA tool will be required if you choose to use Windows
>> Update or Microsoft Update website to get SP3.
>>
>> NB: Neither IE7 nor SP3 will install automatically, no matter what your
>> Automatic Updates settings are. You MUST approve the install of either
>> of
>> them.
>> --
>> ~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/
>>
>>
>> Barry_M wrote:
>>> How can I REALLY turn off Automatic Updates?
>>> I have Automatic Updates set to 'Notify me but don't automatically
>>> download
>>> or install them'. Nevertheless, Windows XP Professional SP2 has gone
>>> ahead
>>> and downloaded IE7 and Windows "Genuine Advantage" Tool even though I do
>>> not
>>> want them and have not agreed to download or install either of them. I
>>> would
>>> really like to locate and delete the temporary files containing both
>>> these
>>> software updates and also prevent Windows from re-downloading them in
>>> future
>>> without my consent. I would appreciate any advice as to how to achieve
>>> these
>>> aims.
>>> For what it is worth, I do not want IE7 for various reasons and I object
>>> to
>>> Windows "Genuine Advantage" Tool on principle because it is dishonestly
>>> represented as conferring an advantage to me, when it clearly does no
>>> such
>>> thing. As it happens, I do have a legitimate copy of Windows XP
>>> Professional
>>> in a retail box and I am happy to prove it to anyone who is interested.
>>> A
>>> corollary of all this is that I will apparently be unable to obtain SP3
>>> unless I install Windows "Genuine Advantage" Tool because The Windows
>>> Update
>>> website will not relinquish the Service Pack unless the application is
>>> first
>>> installed and run. Nor can I order a copy of the SP3 CD because I reside
>>> outside North America (although I was able to order the SP2 disc).

Barry_M wrote:

> Yes, Automatic Updates is still set to "Notify me". I do not know of any
> software that I have installed that might have initiated the downloads. But
> setting aside how I came to have them, I would like to be rid of the
> temporary files, wherever they may be, just to stop the pestering popup
> informing me that I have updates to install.

I think if you choose "Custom Install" you should be able to deselect the
updates and it should offer to hide them for you. I may be misremembering.

Otherwise - actually, I'm not sure. You could try renaming the
SoftwareDistribution folder in c:\windows. If everything is still working in a
week or so, you can delete it.

> Thank you for the link to "Windows XP Service Pack 3 Network Installation
> Package for IT Professionals and Developers". However, I am concerned about
> the warning on the page: "DO NOT CLICK DOWNLOAD IF YOU ARE UPDATING JUST ONE
> COMPUTER: A smaller, more appropriate download is now available on Windows
> Update." The download is large, 316.4MB, and space on my system partition is
> at a premium. How big is SP3 for standalone PCs? Can I weed out the hotfixes
> that are not appropriate for a single computer?

SP3 requires 900MB of free disk space during installation, not counting the
space taken up by the download itself. Of course if you have other partitions
you could put the download there, or get the ISO version instead and burn a CD.

At the end of the process you should have the same amount of space left
regardless of which method you use to install it. (Of course, you're having to
download more data if you don't use Windows Update or Automatic Updates.)

Harry.