Disable 'Automatic Updates' service

**El Jamo** · August 31st, 2004, 10:59 AM

Does anyone know of any unwanted side effects of disabling the 'Automatic Updates' service in the 'Services' tab of MSCONFIG (XP PRO)? I can't turn it off from the My Computer properties tab, due to group policy restrictions, but I would like to turn it off.

Thanks for your help

**FatalException** · August 31st, 2004, 11:05 AM

Chances are, if it is disabled by a group policy setting, you are using a work computer that was setup by your company for you to use. If this is so, you may want to check with your IT people before you go mucking around with services and settings. If you don't check first, the worst "unwanted side-effect" you may experience is being fired from wherever you work because of a breech in security at some point down the road because your laptop was not kept up to date with the latest security patches.

**B71655** · August 31st, 2004, 04:14 PM

windows update said no updates without it to me..........

**El Jamo** · August 31st, 2004, 04:30 PM

Thank you very much for your help. I stopped the service in 'Services', in the Administrative Tools folder, and I disabled it from starting up in MSCONFIG.

In answer to FatalException's (legitimate) concerns, it's not on a work computer. I bought the computer from my school, who provides support while I'm in attendance. I do, however, own the computer and have full administrative privilages, but was told in another thread that I couldn't change group policy settings at all.

Again, thank you very much.