Automatic updates are a feature of the Windows Operating System (OS)designed to help ensure that home and business computers running the Windows OS are kept up-to-date with software patches and security vulnerability fixes. For most computer users, the recommended status of the Automatic Updates helper application is to keep it in the enabled or on state. Many times, however, Windows users will have the need arise to turn off automatic updates for a short period of time.

Turn Off Automatic Updates in Windows XP

Step 1 – Log-in to your computer with an account that has administrator permissions. If you are at a work or school environment, you will likely not have the correct permissions to disable automatic updates.

Step 2 – Select the “Start” and “Settings” menu buttons followed by choosing the “Control Panel.”

Step 3 – Select “System” and choose the “Automatic Updates” menu tab.

Step 4 – Choose “Turn Off Automatic Updating” and exit from the application.How to Turn Off Automatic Updates

Turn Off Automatic Updates in Windows Vista

The steps to turn off automatic updates in Windows Vista are similar to that in Windows XP but different enough to list the steps separately.

Step 1 – Select the “Start,” “Settings,” and “Control Panel” menu options.

Step 2 – Choose the “System” menu selection followed by clicking the “Windows Updates” menu label located on the lower, left-hand side of the screen.

Step 3 – Click the “Change Settings” menu option.

Step 4 – Click the drop-down menu and toggle the current setting to “Never Check for Updates.”

Step 5 – Exit from the system application and Windows automatic updates will be turned off.

Turn Off Automatic Updates in Windows 7

Step 1 – Choose the “Start” and “Control Panel” menu buttons.

Step 2 – Select the “System and Security” menu link on the subsequent window.

Step 3 – Select the “Turn Automatic Updating On or Off” menu option.

Step 4 – Exit from the Windows 7 System and Security application to complete turning Windows Automatic Updates off.

No matter what version of the Windows Operating System is installed on your computer, turning off automatic updates can result in exposing your computer to malicious software attacks. Ensure if you are turning this feature off, it is for a good reason and you have a plan for updating the Windows Operating System if you intend to leave automatic updates off for good.