Is Windows Installing Updates Without Permission?

This is one reason I'm switching to Linux. Linux is open-source. I trust it much more. The concept of paying $100 to $200 for something that is inherently worth much closer to $10 is ridiculous. Monopoly abuse to the extreme.

Windows eventually installed all the updates it wanted to on my system. There are a few I don't want but get any way. Especially notable is the Windows Genuine Advantage update. I bought my Windows XP from Office Max I don't need Microsoft corporation telling me what to believe or hassling me about my purchase. I set the system to ask for permission but it installed everything any way. Its just an extra piece of junk I have to deal with and now its on my system bogging it down to some tiny degree. Frankly I don't trust Microsoft at all to not snoop through my personal information on my computer and send it to their corporation using the update service. However, the update service is worth the increased security it provides.

This happened with my previous Windows install as well.

Ive done many re-installs on machines in the last few months and each time i turn the updates off but they start downloading the WGA program anyway. They then try to get you to install the program on every reboot.

This can be resolved by deleting the contents of the folder

Windows\System32\KB905474


[edit on 27-6-2009 by VitalOverdose]

reply to post by VitalOverdose


you sure that is the exact folder?

If so that should put a damper on this unauthorized downloading and install.

Show hidden files and folders!

Great post OP.... I was having similar problems with my old computer, updates kept coming along telling me i needed to update because some hacker could get into my system so at first i would update & update until my computer was content but then i saw these updates were just taking up way too much memory so i started deleting a whole bunch of them and the system still worked normally... there were no hackers trying to get into my system etc...

I've just upgraded to a new computer and installed everything from the Microsoft site that i wanted and will probably get the bubble telling me there is something new every day until it catches up on itself but i was really getting suspicious about all those updates!!

BTW I have mine set to tell me when downloads are available but not to install anything.....

reply to post by burntheships


Yes KB905474 is the code number for the WGA program, when it download it just creates a dir of the same name in the Windows\System32 folder which then contains the install program .

You can check through google

I think its 3 files (2 x .exe and a txt file). Just delete the 3 files and reboot to remove the 'Install WGA nag'

There are alternative ways of getting updates. There is free software for download that will gather and install the latest updates for you from Microsoft with out you having to go to the site or use the automatic updates.

[edit on 28-6-2009 by VitalOverdose]

reply to post by TruthxIsxInxThexMist


I wish you the best of luck with this! I sincerely do. I had a similar situation, downloaded what I wanted, and left the instructions as no automatic downloads, that I would do only manual downloads. This was fine for about one month. After that...

my efforts have done no good whatsoever. When I go into the settings, they are as I left them, but completely disregarded. It will also update anytime it likes. My computer is pretty fast generally, but not when microsoft is downloading -no-telling-what---that I don't want.

I notice when things "slow down", a while later I get the message "updates completed....please restart your computer".


PERSONAL COMPUTER my derriere.
I guess Bill Gates knows whats best for us too.

I was just wondering if anyone has actually read the terms of use agreements and whether or not it states that they reserve the right to update when they want to. I have to admit I haven't. So I just accept that it's happening.

This happens every once in a while with Microsoft. It certainly is nothing new.

I manage 4 Server Farms in 4 different Data Centers, almost all of which are running Microsoft Windows Server exclusively (except DNS Services which are flavors of *NIX). 9 out of 10 of the Security Updates that are released on Patch Tuesday do as they should and await the criteria you have set for either download or installation. However at least once a year they get pushed out regardless of your settings in Windows, and force a reboot of your system. For normal workstations, this isn't too big of a problem, but for Mission Critical Servers that millions of people depend upon, and account for potentially millions of dollars of lost revenue when they are automatically restarted outside of their Scheduled Maintenance, you tend to notice when this happens (as do all of your customers who become highly agitated and irate).

Registry hacks can't prevent it. I've tried in vain.

The only thing more ironic are these same Critical Security Patches that rather than fix a Security Vulnerability in a Microsoft Product just disable it entirely (last month one of these Critical Security Patches disabled Microsoft FrontPage Extensions on Windows Server products because Microsoft FrontPage was too vulnerable and insecure. Rather than fix the vulnerability their product had, they blocked their own product from working permanently with their Windows Server line. Imagine how to explain to customers that they can't connect anymore because the software they purchased Microsoft deemed too broken and costly to fix, so they just disabled it instead!)

I don't think it's a conspiracy, I just think that sometimes Microsoft gets caught with a huge gaping vulnerability the size of Texas in their software when they've marketed the heck out of it being more secure than the competition, so they force these updates for the betterment of all, whether you want them installed or not. Believe me, SysAdmins who'd rather test out these updates in a controlled environment first before rolling it out to thousands or tens of thousands of workstations and servers are the ones most annoyed by this behavior at Microsoft.

reply to post by Darthorious


Listen to this guy! Yea that is true. By the way, to turn off auto-update, feature, go to Control Panel >> automatic updates. Choose the 'off' option. It shouldn't 'auto update' again without permission

Then a red shield will start appearing and bothering you , bla bla bla on your tray. To disable the warning, go to Control Panel >> Administrative(not sure if that's the correct name) >> Services. Then you'll see a list of services, look for 'Security Center'. Double click the service, set to disable, then go to 'Hardware' tab. Double click the entry on the window, it will set it to disabled, click OK, apply, whatever, then reboot. The 'red shield' should disappear.

Note the ^^above^^ step won't disable the security system, like the windows firewall for example, it will only disable the nag . After those setups, you should never be bothered again by the auto update, not get updates without your knowledge

I also decided to turn off the update feature. The recent updates has been causing problems with my audio drivers, particularly the High Definition Audio update, causing Blue Screen of Deaths (BSOD) when playing 3D games.

[edit on 28-6-2009 by ahnggk]

Yea and there are also reports coming in about sightings of bigfoot at the local state fair.

Alien Mind

Originally posted by burntheships
Reports are coming in that Windows XP and Vista are, in some cases, installing updates at system shut down on systems where they are configured to ask for permission first!

The forced-install behavior has been witnessed at least three times by Windows Secrets editors, but Microsoft says its procedure for Automatic Updates hasn't changed in the last 10 months.

The behavior seems to occur only if a Windows user has Automatic Updates configured to "download updates but don't install them" or "notify me but don't install them." If updates are scheduled to occur automatically, with no notice to users, the silent installation of updates would be expected.

windowssecrets.com...

? Has anyone noticed this happening on thier system with Windows?

That's because they changed it 11 months ago and is on a time release kind of thing that will will start to do it more now......

Just what I think though.

reply to post by ahnggk


This is what we are referring to. You are right...."it shouldn't"...
but it does.

I don't remember if this happened with my last version of windows. I'm running XP-pro at home, and Vista at my office. Both set on "off" for automatic updates. Both update anyway.

Yes, it all appears to be security upgrades. Nothing else.
Still annoying.

But thanks for the "walk thru", on disabling. I will go through it again, as per your instructions, and hope for the best.
_____________________________________________
Later: just walked through it, and auto updates are on "off", however, I have a AVG (I think) virus thingie, and there is not an "off" option. Along with it's firewall. I see it scan everyday.

[edit on 29-6-2009 by ladyinwaiting]

[edit on 29-6-2009 by ladyinwaiting]

Don't have automatic update service turned on.
Have it disabled and check them manually.
Oh yeah, you have to turn automatic updates on to use windows update.
Funny that isn't it?Perhaps if you forget to turn it off?
Most of them are rubbish anyway.

my efforts have done no good whatsoever. When I go into the settings, they are as I left them, but completely disregarded. It will also update anytime it likes. My computer is pretty fast generally, but not when microsoft is downloading -no-telling-what---that I don't want.

I notice when things "slow down", a while later I get the message "updates completed....please restart your computer".


PERSONAL COMPUTER my derriere.

I guess Bill Gates knows whats best for us too.

Hmmmm..... I used to think my computer had a mind of it's own too

Maybe you should get your computer seen by a computer expert.... may be something wrong with the main computer bus board & components or could be some code which is out of date or out of place!!

reply to post by TruthxIsxInxThexMist


Thanks, but it has been seen, and completely cleaned up. The computer tech said he can find no reasons for it to continue to update.

It's okay, now, but I'm thinking after a year or so of this it will start to slow the computer down.

I can counter some of this, by deleting some of the less significant updates.

if most pc users knew how to monitor their background services, pcs wouldn't be so scary. i just turn a bunch of things i don't need off.

more info on services here
system tweaking for performance
great tool for cleaning up junk

reply to post by ladyinwaiting


I would say either delete some updates or if you have the original windows you could always wipe the whole thing clean and start again or buy a new hard drive with more memory.... mine was pretty low on memory only 5GB Hard drive so i went out and bought a new computer with a 40GB hard drive which is enough for my usage....

good luck!

"Is Windows Installing Updates Without Permission?"

Nope. You're just computer illiterate. Also, I've never had a microsoft update break anything.

yep, my computers does this. I even got forced to download some new software to figure out if I have a pirated copy which didn't detect any pirated software. All this was done without asking for permission.

Not just that since on one computer I have 2 operating systems. Well windows detected that I had linux partician drive. So what did it do? oh ya it wiped it clean and decided without my permission to reformat it to ntfs. Then once I restarted my computer I was not able to start my computer and ended up losing my website files and many important files like my college essay.

So I seen many cases of this. I hope google OS is way better then windows OSES so Microsoft can go out of business since their major sales come from Windows OSES and no it's not really much from individual people but mostly from licenses from businesses and computer repair shops that is how Microsoft makes their money well most of it.

Question:

I see in another post I remarked that these unsolicited updates could start to slow my computer down "in a year or so". Well, that was very optimistic! It's already slowing it down. All these updates.


But anyway, I've forgotten (can't find) those list of updates where you can go in and delete them. (Select the ones you want to delete).

Can anyone tell me how to get there? lol. I'm running window XP-pro. (please remember that I have everything checked appropriately NOT to auto-update).

Thanks,
liw