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Hide Windows Update Icon

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by men

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I'm in the proccess of setting up SUS server in a test environment. Our regular environment is still using NT PDC and BDCs, so I'm changing the clients through the registry. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU.
I have read the windows articles and I know what the keys within the Windows update hive do, but I was wondering if their is a setting somewhere or a registry hack to disable the Icon from popping up in the tool bar when there are updates. I'm trying to make the proccess as invisible to the clients as possible to prevent any type of user interaction. I know how to lock it down so they can't change anything, but I would just prefer that they didn't even know that it is updating at night. Thank you in advance.

10 replies

by men

What I meant was that I'm trying to hide that actual icon from showing in the task bar. The little world globe that shows up that you can right click and tell it to install now or later, in 30 min, or 3 days. That is the icon that I am trying to hide, I'm not trying to lock the users down from installing software.

by thechas

Okay, if I understand things correctly, your PCs have automatic updates installed.

The simple thing would be to uninstall automatic updates, or disable it from running at startup.

I've never installed automatic updates, so I don't know if you can right click on the automatic update icon and change the properties or options for automatic updates.

With the number of patches from Microsoft that have caused problems, I would not want automatic updates in a business setting.

You really need to test updates before rolling them out to the users.

Chas

by men

I appologize if I didn't clearly state my problem. SUS is a server that houses all of the windows updates from Microsoft. It synchronizes with Microsoft daily to check for new updates. By changing the registry the Windows update service points to the our SUS server and it will only allow updates that I specifically approve for the clients to get. I am not trying to disable the Windows Update service at all, I am trying to utilize it in my environment, but before I roll it out, I want to stop the "icon" from showing up on the test boxes that the updates are being pushed out to, because that is what I want the rest of my environment to look like. All I am trying to do is disable the 'icon'. Thank you again for all of your help.

by gh0ztalarm

Hide the windows update huh? Hmm, msconfig, startup tab, and disable it, if you can control it manually, then there is no need to have it up, is there?

by men

I appreciate the comments, but I don't want the service disabled, that is the point. I am using the service to push out updates that I have blessed through the SUS server which they are pointing to instead of windows update. I just want to hide the icon. If the windows update service isn't running, then it will never check my SUS server for updates.

by aledj

Did you manage to sort this out? I'm looking for the same solution!

Cheers

by gh0ztalarm

I see, no problem, but, what about tweak UI? perhaps it can hide it? im not "really" sure if it can or not, as it hides everyhting else, lol. anyways, no problem just trying to help :D

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