Configuring Automatic Updates by Editing the Registry

In a non-Active Directory environment, you can edit registry settings to configure Automatic Updates.

Note: You must manually create these registry keys.

You can use either of the following methods to set these registry keys:

• Manually edit the registry by using Registry Editor (regedit.exe).

• Centrally deploy these registry keys by using the Windows NT 4.0-style System Policy functionality.

To use Registry Editor, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, and then type regedit in the Open box.
2. Locate and then click the following key in the registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU

1. Add any one of the following settings:

• Value name: NoAutoUpdate

Value data: 0 or 1

• 0: Automatic Updates is enabled (default).

• 1: Automatic Updates is disabled.

Registry Value Type: Reg_DWORD

• Value name: AUOptions

Value data: 1 to 4

• 1: Keep my computer up to date has been disabled in Automatic Updates.

• 2: Notify of download and installation.

• 3: Automatically download and notify of installation.

• 4: Automatically download and scheduled installation.

Registry Value Type: Reg_DWORD

• Value name: ScheduledInstallDay

Value data: 0 to 7

• 0: Every day.

• 1 through 7: The days of the week from Sunday (1) to Saturday (7).

Registry Value Type: Reg_DWORD

• Value name: ScheduledInstallTime

Value data: n, where n equals the time of day in a 24-hour format (0-23). Registry Value Type: Reg_DWORD

• Value name: UseWUServer

Value data: Set this value to 1 to configure Automatic Updates to use a server that is running Software Update Services instead of Windows Update. Registry Value Type: Reg_DWORD

• Value name: RescheduleWaitTime

Value data: m, where m equals the time to wait between the time Automatic Updates starts and the time it begins installations where the scheduled times have passed. The time is set in minutes from 1 to 60, representing 1 minute to 60 minutes) Registry Value Type: Reg_DWORD

Note: This setting only affects client behavior after the clients have updated to the SUS SP1 client version or later.

• Value name: NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers

Value data: Reg_DWORD: 0 (false) or 1 (true). If set to 1, Automatic Updates does not automatically restart a computer while users are logged on. Registry Value Type: Reg_DWORD

Reference:

Microsoft KB Article ID : 328010

• Configuring Automatic Updates by Editing the Registry
• Windows Security Page
• Windows 7 Updates to Avoid
• Annoyances of Windows Vista and Windows 7
• KB971033
• Microsoft Windows Telemetry and Privacy
• Windows Genuine Advantage