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Enabling or Disabling Automatic Windows Update

Intended For
Windows Vista
Windows XP
Windows 2003
Depending on your settings, Windows XP may routinely activate the Windows Update feature to scan for and download updates to Windows XP automatically. If you have a fast Internet connection, and usually don't remember to check for updates yourself, you'll probably want this feature turned on. However, if you already check for updates, and would rather not have your work interrupted, you'll probably want to disable automatic updating.

  • To control or disable automatic updating, open the System icon in Control Panel (or right-click My Computer and select Properties), and choose the Automatic Updates tab.

  • To check for updates manually, open Internet Explorer and select Windows Update from the Tools menu.

Note: even if you have enabled full automatic updating, Windows XP may only install critical updates. It's a good idea to check with Windows Update manually to make sure the updates you want are installed.


Written by: Annoyances.org
Last updated: Wednesday, February 7, 2007

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