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Resolved Question

XP Pro "Automatic Update" Service mystery

Jan 30, 2013 10:34PM PST

For years I have had to have "Automatic Updates" in the Services tab set to Manual (not Automatic) because setting "Automatic Updates" to "Automatic" caused this service to hang on boot-up and would cause the computer to take much longer to finally boot into my desktop. I read years ago that if I put "Automatic Update" to Manual then the service wouldn't hang on boot up and the computer would boot much quicker...and I would still get notified of new patches. This was true in my case so I changed this service to manual and it has worked just fine in providing me weekly security updates for many several years now.
The problem is that for some unknown reason, the "Automatic Updates Service" just started changing back to Automatic even though I set it to manual. This just started happening. I'll set it to Manual and sometime during the day it sets itself back to Automatic. What must I do to make this service keep the manual setting that I set it too?

Discussion is locked

UGADOG1 has chosen the best answer to their question. View answer

Best Answer

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Did you check the registry entries for this?
Jan 30, 2013 11:32PM PST
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/328010#method3

Because Microsoft is changing the OS to cater to consumers, everything must be as automatic as possible. We've taken MSFT to task over security and in response the updates push all the settings to be such that the updates and more are to get the updates and close up the security holes.

Along the way, folk that want control over the PC are going to feel trampled.
Bob
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huh???
Jan 31, 2013 2:08AM PST

Bob, are you saying that Microsoft has decided to not allow me to keep my "manual" settings in "Services"?

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Possibly.
Jan 31, 2013 2:19AM PST

That's why you research this, install monitoring apps to catch the suspect red handed. There are tools that monitor the registry and you also have the means to mark an entry read only so it can't be changed even by an admin.

Microsoft must move the OSes to the land of consumers in their opinion. Those that disagree may be finding something else to run.
Bob

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Answer
I'd check for viruses
Jan 30, 2013 11:09PM PST

Boot to Safe Mode and do a full system scan with your antivirus program.

Good luck.