How to disable auto-updates?

We've noticed that MSN Messenger and Windows Live Messenger both query
remote web services in the background to obtain their update information.
If a newer version is available, a BITS job is scheduled locally on the
workstation to automatically download it in the the background.

All this occurs without any user control settings, and without user
interaction.

My question: How do you disable this auto-update mechanism in MSN Messenger
6.1+ and Windows Live Messenger 8.0+ ?

I'm hoping someone replies with a magic registry setting, because from an
administration standpoint, trying to manage and support multiple versions of
MSN Messenger is a pain!

Thanks.

Greetings Lee,

The old GPOs from the older version for Messenger don't apply to MSN or Windows Live
Messenger and as such, there is no setting I'm aware of.

--
Jonathan Kay
Microsoft MVP - Windows Live Messenger/MSN Messenger/Windows Messenger
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com
All posts unless otherwise specified are (c) 2007 Jonathan Kay.
You *must* contact me for redistribution rights.
--

"Lee Harvey" <> wrote in message
news:Of7%...
> We've noticed that MSN Messenger and Windows Live Messenger both query remote web services
> in the background to obtain their update information. If a newer version is available, a
> BITS job is scheduled locally on the workstation to automatically download it in the the
> background.
>
> All this occurs without any user control settings, and without user interaction.
>
> My question: How do you disable this auto-update mechanism in MSN Messenger 6.1+ and
> Windows Live Messenger 8.0+ ?
>
> I'm hoping someone replies with a magic registry setting, because from an administration
> standpoint, trying to manage and support multiple versions of MSN Messenger is a pain!
>
> Thanks.
>