How to disable the annoying pop-up window after automatic updates are installed on Windows XP

Question

I'm running Windows XP SP3. After automatic updates are installed, there shows up an annoying pop-up window every 10 minutes that tells me whether I want to restart the machine now or later. This interrupts my work as it pops up in the middle of an important process.

I don't want to disable automatic updates. I just want to disable this annoying pop-up window and restart the machine without having to see this warning. Thanks.

Solution

Short answer from Lifehacker:

• To stop this service, open [Command Prompt] (Start>Run>cmd>Enter)
• Type the following command sc stop wuauserv.

This will not prevent Automatic Updates from starting at the next boot. So don't worry, you'll keep getting Windows updates. Just don't forget to restart eventually.

or try:

Now, to get rid of it:

• Start
• Run
• gpedit.msc
• Local Computer Policy
• Computer Configuration
• Administrative Templates
• Windows Components / Windows Update
• Re-prompt for restart with scheduled installations

Jeff has a post with some more explanations around it if you're interested

Comments

[Tobias Kienzler]

Any ideas for non-admins? superuser.com/questions/152302/…

[qroberts]

This works great. I usually just suspend the process using process explorer.