# Live updates - Windows XP **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 13, 2005, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/live-updates-windows-xp/299180 "2005-04-13T20:33:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/live-updates-windows-xp/299180/1 "2005-04-13T20:33:29Z")
I’m not exactly sure what they call these little programs that run periodically to see if there are any updates for your software. But my question is … is there any way to know how many of these tasks are loaded on your system? Where would you look to find them? My problem is this, after I re-boot, one of these tasks grabs ahold of my modem and won’t let go. So when I try to dial out the dialer tells me someone else is already using the modem. So then I unplug the modem, re-boot, after everything has settled down, plug the modem back in and dial out. Do I miss my DSL connection? Oh yes I do. ---
**Author:** ![autobulb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@autobulb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/autobulb)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/live-updates-windows-xp/299180/2 "2005-04-13T20:38:32Z")
Are you talking about Automatic Updates? That is one process that can be disabled easily, even uninstalled using some programs. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/live-updates-windows-xp/299180/3 "2005-04-13T20:46:07Z")
> [@autobulb](#): > > Are you talking about Automatic Updates? That is one process that can be disabled easily, even uninstalled using some programs. Well I seem to have a whole family of them running around on my system, not just the one from MS. ---
**Author:** ![autobulb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@autobulb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/autobulb)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/live-updates-windows-xp/299180/4 "2005-04-13T20:50:48Z")
Did you get it from a company like Dell or HP or something similiar? I know they usually load up a bunch of software to check for driver updates and such. Is that what you’re talking about? ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/live-updates-windows-xp/299180/5 "2005-04-13T21:00:40Z")
> [@autobulb](#): > > Did you get it from a company like Dell or HP or something similiar? I know they usually load up a bunch of software to check for driver updates and such. Is that what you’re talking about? Well the ones I know of are MS and Norton. But I’m fairly sure I have a few other applications doing me this service. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/live-updates-windows-xp/299180/6 "2005-04-13T21:57:32Z")
look deep into the settings menu of each prorgam you have, and disable the settings for automatic updates. Also, go to the start menu, and look for a program folder names, **Startup**. Delete any program you see ruining in it you don’t want to start up. It will not delete the programs themselves, just the fact they start up with the computer. Plus, please name your Operating System. You use the dread words, “Automatic Updates”, so it must be windows, but which one? ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/live-updates-windows-xp/299180/7 "2005-04-13T23:20:00Z")
> [@Scott\_plaid](#): > > look deep into the settings menu of each prorgam you have, and disable the settings for automatic updates. Also, go to the start menu, and look for a program folder names, **Startup**. Delete any program you see ruining in it you don’t want to start up. It will not delete the programs themselves, just the fact they start up with the computer. Plus, please name your Operating System. You use the dread words, “Automatic Updates”, so it must be windows, but which one? Thanks for the info. The OS was on the OP, Windows XP. ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/live-updates-windows-xp/299180/8 "2005-04-13T23:41:28Z")
Note that if automatic updates (for XP) isn’t running, no, isn’t on FREAKING AUTOMATIC startup, you can’t manually download security patches and the like. GRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrr :mad: