Recently, I’ve received a number of questions from readers who have had odd problems occur after Windows XP updated itself. One reader had a notebook computer that lost the ability to dial up her MSN account after the update. Another reader had network problems that may have begun after a Windows 2000 update.
Here’s my take on automatic updating. I’m a big believer in using anti-virus software and keeping virus definitions updated. Virus definitions are small. Downloading them doesn’t take very long and is certainly worth the time, since the alternative (getting a virus) is extremely unpleasant. I don’t want that experience.
However, I have always taken issue with Microsoft’s automatic updating features. Somebody at Microsoft apparently thinks that everyone in the known universe has access to high-speed Internet lines like they do "on campus." Well news flash people: there is no way I want Windows downloading some 26MB update to itself while I’m online working on something else. It’s well-documented that Windows XP had some problems to begin with, so patches were necessary. I have patched my system appropriately and in the future I’ll download important fixes. However, I’ll do it on my timetable, not Microsoft’s.
Turning off the automatic update function was one of the many changes I made to my settings in XP when I started using this computer. To turn off automatic updating, right-click on the My Computer icon and choose Properties. Click the Automatic Updates tab and change the option. You can set it so you are prompted before Windows downloads an update or you can turn it off completely.
If you learn of a hideous problem with XP (they are often well-publicized, after all) and decide you want to update Windows, you can search for updates manually. Just connect to the Internet and in Internet Explorer, choose Tools|Windows Update.