This was a bad week or so for updates, even with Windows 7 -

Windows 7 - restarted my laptop twice in one day - automatically (or if not automatically then it must have launched a confirmation screen under a keystroke going into another window and chosen yes as the default answer. )

A client who has a single core Celeron based PC ( Thanks Harvey Norman) has been having huge issues. After 3 days and two auto reboots it's still using 100% cPU with windows updates, makecab.exe, dot net optimisation etc etc. Completely unusable.

What makes this weird is I disabled Windows updates to avoid this very issue. He wants to use his PC but literally 2 - 3 days for it to process some of the updates, remake cabs etc.

• Previously disabled Windows Update Service and stopped it.
• Created a batch file sc stop wuasrv that runs every start up.
• Set settings to be never check for updates.
• Killed the security service so it stopped whinging.

This got his PC working again but today it's all gone to hell in a hand basket. No matter what I do Windows Update re-enables itself and runs.

today I have:

• Disabled Windows Update Service using Windows Services
• Disabled windows updates using the Windows update settings screen and set to never check for updates.
• Killed Security Centre so it wont check updates
• Truned of Nod32 / Eset from checking if Windows updates are up to date
• Used GWX Control panel and cleared all updates cache, all updates settings, and every other setting possible.
• Turned off all security  / monitoring systems which may ask if Windows updates are up to date
• Created a log on batch file that sets Windows updates to disabled and turned off
• Set registry to disabled. set auto delayed start registry setting for that to 0.

I've reset and rechecked everything 5 times, rebooted between changes and still Windows update service sets itself to Auto Start nad is running. It even survives sc stop wuasrc

• CCleaner shows no auto startups setting it off. Task scheduler is now wiped clean. gpUpdate set nad run.
• User is the sole user on the Pc and is an administrator.
• Reran all the above using run as administrator.
• Tried net stop windows update services settings.

Any ideas?

And if some one tells me Windows updates are required to keep a PC safe I'll throttle them. Windows updates cost my clients more downtime nad pain nad loss of production than everything else put together. A darn good firewall, AV and updated web browsers do more than windows updates do.

When I was young, PC's did as they were told and only when they were told. I backed up early and often as loss of work was caused by bad software or hardware  not half baked / untested / PITN / intrusive updates auto rebooting and screwing around with the systems.