Ok, this is a new one for me. I just did a fresh install of ME and I ran the updater, installed everything MS had. Now, the auto-update process - wuaclt.exe - starts itself continuously and displays a pop-up from the system tray to remind me to update. I go to settings and select "Turn off automatic updating. I will update my computer manually" and auto-update closes and is gone from the tray. A few seconds later, it's back and popping up the reminder again. The settings are back to "automatically download updates yada yada" again. I have scoured the registry and cannot figure how this thing is even getting launched. If I just ctl-alt-del and kill the process, it comes right back. I've had less annoying virii. I'm about to just delete the relevant files from the widows directory & see what that does. Anybody else see this before?

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

you could try restarting your computer as soon as you click to disable auto update.







On Saturday, August 14, 2004 at 1:05 pm, gomer wrote:

>Ok, this is a new one for me. I just did a fresh install of ME and I ran the updater, 

>installed everything MS had.

>Now, the auto-update process - wuaclt.exe - starts itself continuously and displays 

>a pop-up from the system tray to remind me to update. I go to settings and select 

>"Turn off automatic updating. I will update my computer manually" and auto-update 

>closes and is gone from the tray. A few seconds later, it's back and popping up 
the 

>reminder again. The settings are back to "automatically download updates yada yada" 

>again.

>

>I have scoured the registry and cannot figure how this thing is even getting launched. 

>If I just ctl-alt-del and kill the process, it comes right back. I've had less annoying 

>virii.

>

>I'm about to just delete the relevant files from the widows directory & see what 

>that does. Anybody else see this before? 

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

gomer, It may be a virus. Read this from Sophos Antivirus and be sure to click description and recovery.

If your av is not up-to-date you can get a free online scan at Housecall and you should be able to disable it in the registry as suggested by Sophos. ---jabuck


On Saturday, August 14, 2004 at 1:05 pm, gomer wrote:
>Ok, this is a new one for me. I just did a fresh install of ME and I ran the updater,
>installed everything MS had.
>Now, the auto-update process - wuaclt.exe - starts itself continuously and displays
>a pop-up from the system tray to remind me to update. I go to settings and select
>"Turn off automatic updating. I will update my computer manually" and auto-update
>closes and is gone from the tray. A few seconds later, it's back and popping up the
>reminder again. The settings are back to "automatically download updates yada yada"
>again.
>
>I have scoured the registry and cannot figure how this thing is even getting launched.
>If I just ctl-alt-del and kill the process, it comes right back. I've had less annoying
>virii.
>
>I'm about to just delete the relevant files from the widows directory & see what
>that does. Anybody else see this before?

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Assuming you've mispelled the name, just uninstall it from Add/Remove programs. That's 
the best way to solve that problem.

Windows Update AutoUpdate Client
Wuauclt (WinME/XP)

Answers that Work Tasklist

P.S. For other OS's, look for Wuauboot and Wucrtupd

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Donna, I tried that, but after reboot it still loads. I cannot even find a reference to wuauclt.exe in the registry, so I don't know how it's being launched.


On Saturday, August 14, 2004 at 1:43 pm, Donna R wrote:
>
>you could try restarting your computer as soon as you click to disable auto update.
>
>
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

jabuck, I'm up to date and scan is clean. I looked at your link and don't think I have the virus. My wuauclt.exe is in the windows directory, not windows\system, and I don'thave that key in HKLM\.\.\.\.\run so I still don't know what's going on here.


On Saturday, August 14, 2004 at 3:08 pm, jabuck wrote:
>gomer, It may be a virus. Read this from Sophos
>Antivirus and be sure to click description and recovery.

If your av is
>not up-to-date you can get a free online scan at Housecall
>and you should be able to disable it in the registry as suggested by Sophos. ---jabuck
>
>
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Carol, That's a good idea, but the autoupdate client does not appear in the add/remove list. Should it??? Also, that site you linked is awesome, but it doesn't seem to deal with the porblem I have now... it gives the standard directions to disable autoupdate in WinME but no mention of what to do if it refuses to be disabled :)


On Saturday, August 14, 2004 at 3:46 pm, Carol~ wrote:
>

>
>Assuming you've mispelled the name, just uninstall it from Add/Remove programs. That's
>the best way to solve that problem.Windows Update AutoUpdate Client
>Wuauclt (WinME/XP)
>
>Answers that Work TasklistP.S. For other OS's, look for Wuauboot and Wucrtupd
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Carol, pretty signature!   I took a look at the website, seems like it'd be very 
useful.

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

As you've found out, it's not a good idea to install everything MS has available. 

Anyhow, have you ran MSCONFIG? It should be listed under the startups, so you probably 
need to uncheck there also. Since it's not listed in Add/Remove, run a search for 
'file name' in your directories. It has to be located somewhere, so you can uninstall 
it. 

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Thanks Donna! I've got a pretty good supply of signatures. 

You're right, that site is an excellent source for descriptions on startup entries, 
very useful indeed.  

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Yeah, I've run msconfig and searched the registry dozens of times, and I still could not figure out how wuauclt was launching. Weird, I've never been stumped like that before. And when I killed the process, it would just start back up immediately. Anyway, I just deleted all the wuau*.* files from the win directory and that seems to have done it. I'd still love to learn how it was being launched tho. Thanks for the help.


On Saturday, August 14, 2004 at 7:46 pm, Carol~ wrote:
>

>
>As you've found out, it's not a good idea to install everything MS has available. Anyhow, have you ran MSCONFIG? It should be listed under the startups, so you probably
>need to uncheck there also. Since it's not listed in Add/Remove, run a search for
>'file name' in your directories. It has to be located somewhere, so you can uninstall
>it.
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

OK, well I hope you didn't delete anything you shouldn't have. 

Windows has many different startup locations, but we can't find out now, since you 
nuked it! I've never heard of a problem disabling that one though. You're welcome

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Take a look at page. You have to disable Automatic Updates in the Control Panel, in IE Tools - Internet Options - Advanced tab, and kill WUCrtUpd.exe which should have an entry in MSCONFIG Startup list and be listed in the Add/Remove Programs.

In the Windows ME install, there is a built in version of the Windows Update program that has problems and you have to do the Update to the WUCrtUpd.exe version (which kills the built-in update program), and then take its entry out of MSCONFIG Startup list.

Your problem with updates, may just be that you did not do all of the Windows Updates, including the automatic update program!

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

I was just having the same problem. I'm not sure how I fixed it, but somehow I managed to get it to stop. What's happening is that it's stuck in a loop trying to download an update that may or may not already be installed. Try doing the following, I think this is how I got it to stop. Kill all instances of wuaclt.exe that are running, there may be more than one. Go into the control panel and disable the auto update before the computer is able to try and reopen it. Wait a few minutes to make sure it doesn't come back and then reboot. If it doesn't start itself up again a few minutes after rebooting, then I think you are safe. It should now be safe to re enable the auto update if you wish. I had a msg asking me if I wanted to instal SP2 or not. I chose not to, I think that's what it was trying to download when it wouldn't close.


On Saturday, August 14, 2004 at 1:05 pm, gomer wrote:
>Ok, this is a new one for me. I just did a fresh install of ME and I ran the updater,
>installed everything MS had.
>Now, the auto-update process - wuaclt.exe - starts itself continuously and displays
>a pop-up from the system tray to remind me to update. I go to settings and select
>"Turn off automatic updating. I will update my computer manually" and auto-update
>closes and is gone from the tray. A few seconds later, it's back and popping up the
>reminder again. The settings are back to "automatically download updates yada yada"
>again.
>
>I have scoured the registry and cannot figure how this thing is even getting launched.
>If I just ctl-alt-del and kill the process, it comes right back. I've had less annoying
>virii.
>
>I'm about to just delete the relevant files from the widows directory & see what
>that does. Anybody else see this before?

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Hello, I read your posts carefully but I could not find the answer to this question : How to uninstall Automatic Windows Update It seems impossible. I also agree that disabling it, does not prevent him to start and say hello to m$ servers. I also agree that there is no way to find out how it is launched. marc


On Sunday, August 22, 2004 at 1:33 am, SenorDD wrote:
>I was just having the same problem. I'm not sure how I fixed it, but somehow I managed
>to get it to stop. What's happening is that it's stuck in a loop trying to download
>an update that may or may not already be installed. Try doing the following, I think
>this is how I got it to stop. Kill all instances of wuaclt.exe that are running,
>there may be more than one. Go into the control panel and disable the auto update
>before the computer is able to try and reopen it. Wait a few minutes to make sure
>it doesn't come back and then reboot. If it doesn't start itself up again a few
>minutes after rebooting, then I think you are safe. It should now be safe to re enable
>the auto update if you wish. I had a msg asking me if I wanted to instal SP2 or
>not. I chose not to, I think that's what it was trying to download when it wouldn't
>close.
>
>
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

I did not see the exact answer to this question, so I will post what I found a couple of years ago. I just finished formating my hard drive and it works. Click on the update icon and a wizard with pop up. Either on the first 1st or 2nd screen you will see SETTING at the bottom left - click on it. There you will see an option that says Remove, will check updates manually. Click that option and you will not get any more reminders for updates. The icon will also disappear from the Task Bar. Wanda


On Wednesday, December 15, 2004 at 1:15 am, plume wrote:
>Hello,
>
>I read your posts carefully but I could not find the answer to this question :
>How to uninstall Automatic Windows Update
>
>It seems impossible.
>
>I also agree that disabling it, does not prevent him to start and say hello to m$
>servers.
>
>I also agree that there is no way to find out how it is launched.
>
>marc
>
>
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Description of the Windows Critical Update Notification Utility
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/224420

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Careful, you can really fock up yer stuff in here..

Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Computer Management
1024x768 screenshot

- Mike

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Gomer you may want to also search for Wuaclt.exe though we my dad and I deleted the files of it, it said that we lost some things for the stable and secure running of our pc so we need to inject the Windows XP service pack 2 CD or something.


On Saturday, August 14, 2004 at 7:13 pm, gomer wrote:
>Donna,
>
>I tried that, but after reboot it still loads. I cannot even find a reference to
> wuauclt.exe in the registry, so I don't know how it's being launched.
>
>
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Yes, wuauclt.exe was obviously designed by some sadist at Microsoft; I've had the same problems with it refusing to die on my Windows XP box, and when I actually tried sending the files to my Recycle Bin, it popped up that same message to me about how it was going to do something awful to my system stability if I didn't have the files.

I looked up "delete wuaclt.exe" on Google, but the only results it had were a bunch of folks saying "Don't delete wuauclt.exe!" with no indication of just what exactly it would do to my system if I did. I've backed up most of my essential stuff, but I just didn't want to take the chance of having my XP box refuse to boot altogether or whatever, so I restored all of those files except for the prefetch (.pf) one. (I've never had anything bad happen to my computer for destroying prefetch files.)

Since I was also trying to get rid of alg.exe (another file which refused to stop running itself without my permission), I have discovered something that it might interest everyone here to know: apparently, stopping wuauclt.exe from running on your system requires that you stop alg.exe from running as well. The services manager in msconfig.exe, alas, doesn't actually mention which of "services" listed on there come from these files. I had to look them both up on the net.

That's the solution, in a nutshell: to keep wuauclt.exe from running, you've got to disable alg.exe as well. Unless you need "support for 3rd party protocol plug-ins for Internet Connection Sharing and the Windows Firewall" for some reason, you can do this by disabling it in msconfig.exe or the "Services" manager program in Administrative Tools. Its full name there is "Application Layer Gateway Service" and if it's still running, wuauclt.exe will run itself on your system even with the "Automatic Updates" startup disabled.

Msconfig.exe will even tell you that this is the case: you'll see the box unchecked next to "Automatic Updates" in the services tab, and next to that, in the "status" column, it'll say "running" even though it's supposed to be disabled. That's just one more sight you never want to see that reminds you someone at Microsoft thinks his program deserves to have more control over your computer than you have.

Bottom line:
Disable alg.exe (Application Layer Gateway Service)
Disable wuauclt.exe (Automatic Updates)

Only then will they both go away and stop hijacking your computer, unless they're really viruses or trojans or something. It's not hard to see where blackhats get their ideas for introducing viruses and trojans to Windows systems when some of Microsoft's own "service" programs are virtually indistinguishable from viruses in their behavior.

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

There are two settings and both will work, so it's your choice. Either enable No auto-restart for schedule Automatic Updates installations or set Re-prompt for restart with scheduled installations to a long time 1. Stop the "Automatic Updates" service. Navigate to Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Services: Right click the Automatic Updates service and stop it. You can also do the same thing at the command line by typing: net stop wuauserv After the service is stopped, the nag message stops, too. Then you can reboot when you have time. The service will restart when you reboot. 2. Modify Group Policy settings. Start, Run "gpedit.msc" to bring up the group policy editor. Then navigate to the folder Local Computer Policy Computer Configuration Administrative Templates Windows Components Windows Update There are two settings and both will work, so it's your choice. Either enable No auto-restart for schedule Automatic Updates installations or set Re-prompt for restart with scheduled installations to a long time 1. Stop the "Automatic Updates" service. Navigate to Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Services: Right click the Automatic Updates service and stop it. You can also do the same thing at the command line by typing: net stop wuauserv After the service is stopped, the nag message stops, too. Then you can reboot when you have time. The service will restart when you reboot. 2. Modify Group Policy settings. Start, Run "gpedit.msc" to bring up the group policy editor. Then navigate to the folder Local Computer Policy Computer Configuration Administrative Templates Windows Components Windows Update There are two settings and both will work, so it's your choice. Either enable No auto-restart for schedule Automatic Updates installations or set Re-prompt for restart with scheduled installations to a long time 1. Stop the "Automatic Updates" service. Navigate to Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Services: Right click the Automatic Updates service and stop it. You can also do the same thing at the command line by typing: net stop wuauserv After the service is stopped, the nag message stops, too. Then you can reboot when you have time. The service will restart when you reboot. 2. Modify Group Policy settings. Start, Run "gpedit.msc" to bring up the group policy editor. Then navigate to the folder Local Computer Policy Computer Configuration Administrative Templates Windows Components Windows Update There are two settings and both will work, so it's your choice. Either enable No auto-restart for schedule Automatic Updates installations or set Re-prompt for restart with scheduled installations to a long time 1. Stop the "Automatic Updates" service. Navigate to Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Services: Right click the Automatic Updates service and stop it. You can also do the same thing at the command line by typing: net stop wuauserv After the service is stopped, the nag message stops, too. Then you can reboot when you have time. The service will restart when you reboot. 2. Modify Group Policy settings. Start, Run "gpedit.msc" to bring up the group policy editor. Then navigate to the folder Local Computer Policy Computer Configuration Administrative Templates Windows Components Windows Update There are two settings and both will work, so it's your choice. Either enable No auto-restart for schedule Automatic Updates installations or set Re-prompt for restart with scheduled installations to a long time 1. Stop the "Automatic Updates" service. Navigate to Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Services: Right click the Automatic Updates service and stop it. You can also do the same thing at the command line by typing: net stop wuauserv After the service is stopped, the nag message stops, too. Then you can reboot when you have time. The service will restart when you reboot. 2. Modify Group Policy settings. Start, Run "gpedit.msc" to bring up the group policy editor. Then navigate to the folder Local Computer Policy Computer Configuration Administrative Templates Windows Components Windows Update There are two settings and both will work, so it's your choice. Either enable No auto-restart for schedule Automatic Updates installations or set Re-prompt for restart with scheduled installations to a long time


On Wednesday, September 13, 2006 at 6:52 pm, Meyer wrote:
>Yes, wuauclt.exe was obviously designed by some sadist at Microsoft; I've had the
>same problems with it refusing to die on my Windows XP box, and when I actually tried
>sending the files to my Recycle Bin, it popped up that same message to me about how
>it was going to do something awful to my system stability if I didn't have the files.
>
>I looked up "delete wuaclt.exe" on Google, but the only results it had were a bunch
>of folks saying "Don't delete wuauclt.exe!" with no indication of just what exactly
>it would do to my system if I did. I've backed up most of my essential stuff, but
>I just didn't want to take the chance of having my XP box refuse to boot altogether
>or whatever, so I restored all of those files except for the prefetch (.pf) one.
>(I've never had anything bad happen to my computer for destroying prefetch files.)
>
>Since I was also trying to get rid of alg.exe (another file which refused to stop
>running itself without my permission), I have discovered something that it might
>interest everyone here to know: apparently, stopping wuauclt.exe from running on
>your system requires that you stop alg.exe from running as well. The services manager
>in msconfig.exe, alas, doesn't actually mention which of "services" listed on there
>come from these files. I had to look them both up on the net.
>
>That's the solution, in a nutshell: to keep wuauclt.exe from running, you've got
>to disable alg.exe as well. Unless you need "support for 3rd party protocol plug-ins
>for Internet Connection Sharing and the Windows Firewall" for some reason, you can
>do this by disabling it in msconfig.exe or the "Services" manager program in Administrative
>Tools. Its full name there is "Application Layer Gateway Service" and if it's still
>running, wuauclt.exe will run itself on your system even with the "Automatic Updates"
>startup disabled.
>
>Msconfig.exe will even tell you that this is the case: you'll see the box unchecked
>next to "Automatic Updates" in the services tab, and next to that, in the "status"
>column, it'll say "running" even though it's supposed to be disabled. That's just
>one more sight you never want to see that reminds you someone at Microsoft thinks
>his program deserves to have more control over your computer than you have.
>
>Bottom line:
>Disable alg.exe (Application Layer Gateway Service)
>Disable wuauclt.exe (Automatic Updates)
>
>Only then will they both go away and stop hijacking your computer, unless they're
>really viruses or trojans or something. It's not hard to see where blackhats get
>their ideas for introducing viruses and trojans to Windows systems when some of Microsoft's
>own "service" programs are virtually indistinguishable from viruses in their behavior.

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

try goping into services from the admin tools and stopping it and disabling to auto updates there...should work.


On Saturday, August 14, 2004 at 1:05 pm, gomer wrote:
>Ok, this is a new one for me. I just did a fresh install of ME and I ran the updater,
>installed everything MS had.
>Now, the auto-update process - wuaclt.exe - starts itself continuously and displays
>a pop-up from the system tray to remind me to update. I go to settings and select
>"Turn off automatic updating. I will update my computer manually" and auto-update
>closes and is gone from the tray. A few seconds later, it's back and popping up the
>reminder again. The settings are back to "automatically download updates yada yada"
>again.
>
>I have scoured the registry and cannot figure how this thing is even getting launched.
>If I just ctl-alt-del and kill the process, it comes right back. I've had less annoying
>virii.
>
>I'm about to just delete the relevant files from the widows directory & see what
>that does. Anybody else see this before?

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

To turn off Security Center alerts

1. Click Start and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Security Center.
3. In the Security Center, under Resources, click Change the way Security Center alerts me.
4. In the Alert Settings dialog box, clear the Firewall, Automatic Updates, or Virus Protection check boxes, and then click OK.





On Saturday, August 14, 2004 at 1:05 pm, gomer wrote:
>Ok, this is a new one for me. I just did a fresh install of ME and I ran the updater,
>installed everything MS had.
>Now, the auto-update process - wuaclt.exe - starts itself continuously and displays
>a pop-up from the system tray to remind me to update. I go to settings and select
>"Turn off automatic updating. I will update my computer manually" and auto-update
>closes and is gone from the tray. A few seconds later, it's back and popping up the
>reminder again. The settings are back to "automatically download updates yada yada"
>again.
>
>I have scoured the registry and cannot figure how this thing is even getting launched.
>If I just ctl-alt-del and kill the process, it comes right back. I've had less annoying
>virii.
>
>I'm about to just delete the relevant files from the widows directory & see what
>that does. Anybody else see this before?

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

• Search this forum
• Start a new thread on a different subject

• Report abuse of the forum