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Windows Update : Now 200% More Annoying!

Richard Tallent is as annoyed with this as I am. A much worse thing is that when I originally installed the updates today, I got a dialog telling me that both of the 2 updates had failed to install. No reasons were given, just the sad fact of failure. There was no option to do anything except click "okay", so I did. Then the updates began the installation process. WTF?!?!

This is the 2nd bungled security handling issue out of the last 3 Microsoft has faced (I give MS a passing grade on the recent ASP.NET vulnerability). Why does it seem that Microsoft is working against themselves and their users lately? Why are there not loud public firings (nor even corrections!) over debacles like this (and the worse than worthless GDI+ vulnerability scanner)?

[UPDATE] Why did I just accidentally reboot my machine? Because that "restart now"/"restart later" dialog has "n" as the hotkey for "reboot now". Come on, people, "N" is the universal English letter for NO, NOT, NEGATIVE.

Published Wednesday, October 13, 2004 5:02 PM by sjh
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Richard Tallent said:

Just updated my post. Turns out that if you dismiss the dialog too many times, you start getting another, more imposing dialog with a *COUNTDOWN* to force a reboot unless you dismiss it.
October 14, 2004 4:12 AM
 

Shannon said:

GREAT...
October 14, 2004 12:39 PM
 

jason said:

this friggin thing keeps poping up and asking me to restart now or restart later. do the idiots at MS think that I am not capable of deciding when I want to restart my PC? Can't the thing see that I'm busy? Why can't it work like a screen saver? If I don't do anything for 10 minutes after an update, restart the pc. If I'm typing a friggin letter, let me type my friggin letter and be quiet.
Damn.
November 17, 2004 4:16 PM
 

simon said:

any chance this might be a virus and not anything related to xp?
November 30, 2004 5:09 PM
 

scott said:

Im currently working on my computer and windows update needs a restart and I dont want to do it for a long time. It keeps popping up Im trying to watch TV and I have to get up every 10 minutes to tell this thing to bugger off!

anyone got any ideas on how to get rid of this thing?!?!?
December 8, 2004 1:47 PM
 

scott said:

wait I just got it! go into services.msc and chose Automatic Updates and click Stop. This will stop the process and bye bye annoying icon. Although dont forget to start the process again before you reboot.
December 8, 2004 1:53 PM
 

Shannon said:

Beautiful. Thanks, Scott. I don't think I'll be turning it back on before I reboot though. It'll probably come back on anyway, but between the MS secutiy bulletin emails, the posts on everyones' blogs, and the "windows update" shortcut at the top of my start menu, I think I can handle updates myself, especially if it is the only way I get to choose if and when I reboot.
December 15, 2004 12:33 AM
 

Adrian said:

Absolute legend, been trying to disable this annoying thing for ages, always pops up while im in the middle of a game.
June 16, 2005 10:34 PM
 

Nihir said:

Just in case anyone doesn't know how to access the services that Scott's talking about. Click on your Start Menu --> Control Panel --> Administrative Tools --> Services

You'll see a list of Services in alphabetical order. Then follow Scott's steps.
June 17, 2005 3:10 AM
 

Val said:

leaving it on automatic should enable it to automatically be on by the next reboot. Either way, automatic should be on by default unless you like regular vists to microsoft's update website :)
July 13, 2005 2:59 AM
 

LJ said:

Thank you, thank you, thank you ... you just saved me from putting my fist through the monitor !
July 13, 2005 6:40 PM
 

slasher said:

Thanks a bunch scott! I have been trying to disable it from task manager but it keeps coming back lol. Stupid freaking windows!
July 14, 2005 8:11 AM
 

Vess said:

Dear friend,

Microsoft has a very annoying dialog box about rebooting when Windows update has downloaded and installed a patch that requires a reboot. Somebody there thought it would be a good idea to annoy the user every 10 minutes until they rebooted or bought a Macintosh. You can help fix this sorry state of affairs. Please send the following message to mswish@microsoft.com with the subject line "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to reboot any more".

---------8<--cut here-->8----------
Dear Microsoft,

Your mice are great. Rodents are far less annoying than your reboot reminders. Please let me determine how long I want to wait between reminders when a patch has been installed
that requires a reboot, or else please let me know which model Macintosh I should purchase.

Thank you.

P.S. Please re-read this email every 10 minutes until you have fixed the annoying popup box.

P.S. Please re-read this email every 10 minutes until you have fixed the annoying popup box.

P.S. Please re-read this email every 10 minutes until you have fixed the annoying popup box.

P.S. Please re-read this email every 10 minutes until you have fixed the annoying popup box.

P.S. Please re-read this email every 10 minutes until you have fixed the annoying popup box.

P.S. Please re-read this email every 10 minutes until you have fixed the annoying popup box.

P.S. Please re-read this email every 10 minutes until you have fixed the annoying popup box.

P.S. Please re-read this email every 10 minutes until you have fixed the annoying popup box.

P.S. Please re-read this email every 10 minutes until you have fixed the annoying popup box.

P.S. Please re-read this email every 10 minutes until you have fixed the annoying popup box.

P.S. Please re-read this email every 10 minutes until you have fixed the annoying popup box.
---------8<--cut here-->8----------

Now pass this along to everyone you know and ask them to send the same email to mswish@microsoft.com.
July 29, 2005 11:31 AM
 

Tobias said:

I don't know if anybody else did it, but I sent that email to them, hehe :)
August 13, 2005 9:57 AM
 

George said:

Thanks for the tip. Finally disabled that... aggravating... little window.
August 15, 2005 9:53 AM
 

Henrik Sjöström said:

Why not let ME choose when to restart MY freakin' computer after installing updates.
August 16, 2005 2:31 PM
 

Psychomenace said:

Fucking brilliant :) I have been looking for this answer for about 2 hours. Today that is, I've look for it before (everytime this fucker is bugging me) but not found it :( I just stopped automatic update and wolla the annoying thing just went away :) still have it on automatic so it will start on reboot but att least I CAN REBOOT WHEN I WANT TO :) not when friking windows want's it :Þ
October 12, 2005 8:41 AM
 

Stephen said:

I was so annoyed by this auto update issue that I made a web site. <a href="http://evilupdate.com">EvilUpdate.com</a>
I have the methods for stopping the service, and for disabling restart reminders.
And a little humor as well. Enjoy,
Stephen
November 10, 2005 1:42 AM
 

Andy said:

Thanks for saving my sanity!
You can also find 2 other ways of disabling/changing its behaviour at:
http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000294.html
January 6, 2006 9:25 AM

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