Vista Tutorial - Windows Update - Windows Automatic Updating

**Brink**

How to Turn Windows Update Automatic Updating On or Off in Vista

Information

This will show you how to turn Windows Update automatic updating on or off and how to adjust it's settings in Vista.

NOTE

To have Vista install important updates as they become available, turn on automatic updating. Important updates provide significant benefits, such as improved security and reliability. You can also set Vista to automatically install recommended updates, which can address non-critical problems and help enhance your computing experience. Optional updates are not downloaded or installed automatically.

Tip

For a complete list of Windows Updates with descriptions, see: ITsVISTA: Windows Updates
For more about the types of updates that Microsoft publishes, see: Microsoft KB824684
For more about automatic updating, see: Microsoft Help and Support: Understanding Windows automatic updating

RELATED LINKS:

Here's How:

1. Open the Start menu.
A) Click on All Programs, then Windows Update.

B) Go to step 3.

OR

2. Open the Control Panel (Classic View).
A) Click on the Windows Update icon.

3. Click on Change settings. (See screenshot below)

4. To Turn On Automatic Updating with Automatic Install -
A) Select (dot) Install updates automatically (recommended). (See screenshot below step 7)

B) Under Recommended updates, check the Include recommended updates when downloading, installing, or notifying me about updates check box.

C) Under Update service, check the Use Microsoft Update check box.

5. To Turn On Automatic Updating without Automatic Install -
A) Dot either Download updates but let me choose whether to install them, or Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them. (See screenshot below step 7)

B) Under Recommended updates, check the Include recommended updates when downloading, installing, or notifying me about updates check box.

C) Under Update service, check the Use Microsoft Update check box.

6. To Turn Off Automatic Updating -
NOTE: Be sure to manually check for updates at least once a month to keep Vista up to date. You will get a Security Center alert warning that Windows Update is turned off. To turn off this alert warning, see: How to Disable or Enable the Security Center Alert Warning Notification in Vista
A) Select (dot) Never check for updates (not recommened). (See screenshot below step 7)

7. Click OK.

8. Click on Continue for UAC prompt.

9. Close Windows Update window when done.

That's it,
Shawn

locones · 07-26-2009

Quote: Originally Posted by clh

I appreciate the tutorial, very helpful for the most part, but it doesn't say anything about disabiling notifications for Automatic Updates. I do of course run Windows Update manually regularly to keep updated but I prefer to do it manually so I have Automatic Updates turned off and thus want to keep Security Center from warning me all the time that Automatic Updates are turned off.

Thank you!

I was looking up for this solution too and found it at Microsoft Support site (How to configure automatic updates by using Group Policy or registry settings).

1. Locate and then click the following key in the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU
(You may have to create the keys WindowsUpdate and AU)

2. Create the following DWORD entry:
NoAutoUpdate (Value Data=1)
AUOptions (Value Data=4)

Done! It was hard to find, but it's surelly simple.

The Automatic Update configuration will be locked at Windows Update and you gotta delete the entries in order to unlock.

Laters

**Brink** · 07-26-2009

Hello Locones, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Thank you for sharing this.

Shawn

07-26-2009
locones Newbie Join Date: Jul 2009 Windows Vista Business 64bit 1 posts	Re: Security Center Specific Alert Notification Quote: Originally Posted by clh I appreciate the tutorial, very helpful for the most part, but it doesn't say anything about disabiling notifications for Automatic Updates. I do of course run Windows Update manually regularly to keep updated but I prefer to do it manually so I have Automatic Updates turned off and thus want to keep Security Center from warning me all the time that Automatic Updates are turned off. Thank you! I was looking up for this solution too and found it at Microsoft Support site (How to configure automatic updates by using Group Policy or registry settings). 1. Locate and then click the following key in the registry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU (You may have to create the keys WindowsUpdate and AU) 2. Create the following DWORD entry: NoAutoUpdate (Value Data=1) AUOptions (Value Data=4) Done! It was hard to find, but it's surelly simple. The Automatic Update configuration will be locked at Windows Update and you gotta delete the entries in order to unlock. Laters
My System Specs

07-26-2009
Brink Administrator Join Date: Apr 2007 Vista x64 Ultimate SP2, Windows 7 (7600) x64 25,806 posts	Re: Windows Update - Windows Automatic Updating Hello Locones, and welcome to Vista Forums. Thank you for sharing this. Shawn
My System Specs

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