Computer boob question if I may

[Mudcat]

My computer thinks for itself a little bit and runs regular updates on Firefox and I think the system in general.

So when it does something it tells me that I have to restart the computer for the updates to take effect. That's fine. I have never noticed these updates having any great effect on anything so I am not in any rush. I will shut off my computer overnight.

But I keep getting this message popping up every fifteen minutes or so. The only options are Restart Now and Restart Later. I don't want to Restart Now because I'm doing something. If I click Restart Later, this thing will keep popping up at regular intervals all day.

And I can't just click other windows and make it go behind stuff. It stays there front and center.

I need an option for Restart Whenever The Hell I Feel Like It. Is there a way to turn off this pop-up? Like just have it give me one reminder then fukk off.

[betplom]

Just restart the fukking computer already.

Mudder pal, don't be such a drama queen.

[RogueScholar]

ROFL, I love you Mudcat, but Plommer is right. There's no way around it, just save what you're doing and let the thing restart. Alternatively, make regular visits to Microsoft Update when you're thinking about it and get those updates before they get pushed out to your computer involuntarily. Same with Office Update, better to get those when you have a moment than wait for them to activate the Automatic Updates.

[RageWizard]

I'm coming down on the Mudcat side, it pisses me right the fuk off as well. This may come as a shock to people, but sometimes, I have my computer engaged in a program that will take the computer several hours to complete. The last thing I need is some asshole update that thinks it needs my full attention every 10 minutes. If it let me know and then fukked off, and then when I'm shuting the computer down, it gave me another reminder, fine, I can deal with that, but the way they pop up 4 times an hour is enough for me to not even want the fukking update.

[ryanspeer2001]

After you restart let me know if the problem persists.

[betplom]

Your only other option is to turn off automatic updates, in the future you can choose to update manually, problem solved.

[RageWizard]

Now we are getting somewhere, how the hell do I do that?

[betplom]

Now we are getting somewhere, how the hell do I do that?

Are you using XP?

In XP go to "control panel" => "security center" => make sure the "Turn off Automatic Updates" is checked, click "OK" then you are finished.

Eazy fosheezy.

[Mudcat]

I suppose I should be glad. There is one update that will pop up and automatically start a 5 minute countdown. If I am looking in another direction or something and don't react to it, it will shut itself down at the end of the countdown.

It doesn't ask me if I want to save anything. It doesn't matter if it's 2 minutes before gametime, it just shuts down. Bastard.

I was already aware of the option of just restarting the computer. I was wondering if there are other options. That would be preferable to me. Computers are so clever about so many things. It is stupid IMO that there wouldn't be other options.

Like, what does the computer care if I wait till later? Why be so rigid? Know what I'm saying? Loosen up little computer.

[Dark Horse]

It's Windows updates, isn't it?

Ah. Problem solved already.

[Mudcat]

I still haven't restarted my computer. Every time the pop-up appears I just click Restart Later.

I'm teaching it a lesson.

[Matt Rain]

I still haven't restarted my computer. Every time the pop-up appears I just click Restart Later.

I'm teaching it a lesson.

It will win, trust me. That pop-up is like chinese water torture.

[Data]

To get rid of that pop-up while retaining all the functionality:
right-click My Computer icon on your desktop
select Manage
click on a + sign next to Services and Applications to expand that section
click on Services
right-click Automatic Updates that is listed in the right-hand side window
select Stop

This does not disable Automatic Updates which is the most important part of non-professional user computer protection.

[SBR Lou]

This does not disable Automatic Updates which is the most important part of non-professional user computer protection.

That is an interesting comment.

Automatic Updates are invasive, most times not critical, actually most every time, and really accomplish nothing with respect to "protecting your computer".

[MonkeyF0cker]

Anti-virus updates are the most critical.

[MonkeyF0cker]

So, yeah. I agree, Crazy...

[Data]

There are two ways for a computer to be compromised. First, the user does something reckless. Second, the computer being attacked over the network by a self-replicating trojan. Those trojans exploit certain Windows vulnerabilities that are discovered on a regular basis, sort of, holes in Windows defense. Windows Updates close those holes. If the machine is not updated but has an antivirus installed, there were number of precedents in the past, and there are going to be incidents in the future, that anti-virus could not prevent the infection even while anti-virus "knew" the trojan.

Another reason why the anti-virus is less important for a non-professional user is that Windows Updates are very reliable and the probability of them not working is very small, perhaps less then 0.1%. I do not have the reference handy but I estimate/recall that the number of user's who have their anti-virus software up-to-date is less then 50% and if anti-virus is not up-to-date it practically useless. That happens because there are number of reasons for the anti-virus not to work/update properly and a regular user would not have a clue that this is the case.

Not that anti-virus is unimportant but everything being equal it is better and simpler to make sure that Windows Updates are running.

[Immortality]

Data why does it say this then?


Enables the download and installation of Windows updates. If this service is disabled, this computer will not be able to use the Automatic Updates feature or the Windows Update Web site.

[Data]

If you stop a service then it will not be running until you restart. Then, it starts up again. If you disable it, it will not start up after restart. There is no harm in stopping Windows Update service once it prompted you for a restart, it will not do anything but annoy until you restart.

[losturmarbles]

most of the time the critical updates are to patch security holes in ms products, so they are probably important.

if you have xp, adjust the auto updates to dl but wait to install, dont remember exactly how they phrase it. then dont install the update until you are ready to restart or power down.

if you have vista, instead of the reminder popping up every few minutes, you can set it for 1 hour or 4 hours. so its not as annoying.

[Mudcat]

This last block of discussion has just made me nervous and confused. I hate being a computer boob. I really do. It is frustrating.

Thanks for the thoughts from everyone though.