Spontaneous Restart

I am using Windows XP. I'm very busy on my work, and so I put off Automatic
Updates for quite a while. I was busy working on a project and suddenly the
computer restarted with no warnings. When the computer loaded and I logged
in, it said Automatic Updates were done and they required restarting.

I purposely saved the updates for later so I could focus on my work first.
Somehow, the computer bypassed asking me, updated the computer without
notifying me, and then forced the computer to restart without any
notifications, reminders to save files, or anything. Why did this happen, and
is there a way to prevent this from happening?

ShadowOchibi wrote:
> I am using Windows XP. I'm very busy on my work, and so I put off Automatic
> Updates for quite a while. I was busy working on a project and suddenly the
> computer restarted with no warnings. When the computer loaded and I logged
> in, it said Automatic Updates were done and they required restarting.
>
> I purposely saved the updates for later so I could focus on my work first.
> Somehow, the computer bypassed asking me, updated the computer without
> notifying me, and then forced the computer to restart without any
> notifications, reminders to save files, or anything. Why did this happen, and
> is there a way to prevent this from happening?

Right click on My Computer/Properties/Automatic Updates tab and choose
Turn Off Automatic Updates.

Alias

That's absurd advice, Alias. Disabling Windows Update leaves the system
at risk to known vulnerabilities and published exploits. There are other
options besides disabling automatic updating.

@ShadowOchibi - set Automatic Updates to " Notify me but don't
automatically download or install them "
Click Apply, OK.

The next time the update icon appears in the Notification Area click on
it. There will be a list of detected updates. You can see more
information for them by clicking on each one listed and reading what
they are intended to do in the lower window.

DO NOT approve the download of the updates until *you* are ready to
download and *install* them. Critical Security updates are usually not
fully installed until the system is restarted. Any file[s] in use that
must be updated/replaced is [are] still *vulnerable*.

If you'd like to find out why the system restarted check the
WindowsUpdate.log, the System Event log, or ReportingEvents.log.

How to read the Windowsupdate.log file
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902093

To open the System Event log *right* click My Computer either on the
Desktop or Start Menu and choose Manage.
Expand the Event Services and click on System
In the right frame under Source, look for entries with the Source being
NtServicePack and/or Windows Update Agent. Double click the entries to
see what was installed at the time the system restarted.

The ReportingEvent.log shows all automatic updates that were
successfully installed. It's located in
WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution


MowGreen [MVP 2003-2009]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============



Alias wrote:

> ShadowOchibi wrote:
>
>> I am using Windows XP. I'm very busy on my work, and so I put off
>> Automatic Updates for quite a while. I was busy working on a project
>> and suddenly the computer restarted with no warnings. When the
>> computer loaded and I logged in, it said Automatic Updates were done
>> and they required restarting.
>>
>> I purposely saved the updates for later so I could focus on my work
>> first. Somehow, the computer bypassed asking me, updated the computer
>> without notifying me, and then forced the computer to restart without
>> any notifications, reminders to save files, or anything. Why did this
>> happen, and is there a way to prevent this from happening?
>
>
> Right click on My Computer/Properties/Automatic Updates tab and choose
> Turn Off Automatic Updates.
>
> Alias

MowGreen [MVP] wrote:
> That's absurd advice, Alias. Disabling Windows Update leaves the system
> at risk to known vulnerabilities and published exploits. There are other
> options besides disabling automatic updating.

Yeah, there are. I use disable because I know that MS releases its
updates every second Tuesday of the month and if there is an out of
cycle update, most tech web sites let you know that it's available.

I also wait a day or two after they come out to check out this newsgroup
and other sources to see if there are any problems with this month's batch.

What you say, below, is OK but I would add that one should disable the
real time anti virus scanner before letting the updates install. I also
set a restore point before doing the updates along with clearing out the
temp files with Crap Cleaner.

Due to the above procedure, I have not had a single problem with updates
since 97 except that MS fooled me once by LYING and saying the WGA/N was
a "critical" update.

Alias
>
> @ShadowOchibi - set Automatic Updates to " Notify me but don't
> automatically download or install them "
> Click Apply, OK.
>
> The next time the update icon appears in the Notification Area click on
> it. There will be a list of detected updates. You can see more
> information for them by clicking on each one listed and reading what
> they are intended to do in the lower window.
>
> DO NOT approve the download of the updates until *you* are ready to
> download and *install* them. Critical Security updates are usually not
> fully installed until the system is restarted. Any file[s] in use that
> must be updated/replaced is [are] still *vulnerable*.
>
> If you'd like to find out why the system restarted check the
> WindowsUpdate.log, the System Event log, or ReportingEvents.log.
>
> How to read the Windowsupdate.log file
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902093
>
> To open the System Event log *right* click My Computer either on the
> Desktop or Start Menu and choose Manage.
> Expand the Event Services and click on System
> In the right frame under Source, look for entries with the Source being
> NtServicePack and/or Windows Update Agent. Double click the entries to
> see what was installed at the time the system restarted.
>
> The ReportingEvent.log shows all automatic updates that were
> successfully installed. It's located in
> WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution
>
>
> MowGreen [MVP 2003-2009]
> ===============
> *-343-* FDNY
> Never Forgotten
> ===============
>
>
>
> Alias wrote:
>
>> ShadowOchibi wrote:
>>
>>> I am using Windows XP. I'm very busy on my work, and so I put off
>>> Automatic Updates for quite a while. I was busy working on a project
>>> and suddenly the computer restarted with no warnings. When the
>>> computer loaded and I logged in, it said Automatic Updates were done
>>> and they required restarting.
>>>
>>> I purposely saved the updates for later so I could focus on my work
>>> first. Somehow, the computer bypassed asking me, updated the computer
>>> without notifying me, and then forced the computer to restart without
>>> any notifications, reminders to save files, or anything. Why did this
>>> happen, and is there a way to prevent this from happening?
>>
>>
>> Right click on My Computer/Properties/Automatic Updates tab and choose
>> Turn Off Automatic Updates.
>>
>> Alias

Alias wrote:

> MowGreen [MVP] wrote:
>
>> That's absurd advice, Alias. Disabling Windows Update leaves the
>> system at risk to known vulnerabilities and published exploits. There
>> are other options besides disabling automatic updating.
>
>
> Yeah, there are. I use disable because I know that MS releases its
> updates every second Tuesday of the month and if there is an out of
> cycle update, most tech web sites let you know that it's available.
>
> I also wait a day or two after they come out to check out this newsgroup
> and other sources to see if there are any problems with this month's batch.
>
> What you say, below, is OK but I would add that one should disable the
> real time anti virus scanner before letting the updates install. I also
> set a restore point before doing the updates along with clearing out the
> temp files with Crap Cleaner.
>
> Due to the above procedure, I have not had a single problem with updates
> since 97 except that MS fooled me once by LYING and saying the WGA/N was
> a "critical" update.
>
> Alias
>

You know how to keep an OS secure. Never assume that posters are as
knowledgeable as you are, Alias <w>
Most AVs don't cause updating issues ... only the most 'prevelant' ones
do and we all know who they is. <g>

MowGreen [MVP 2003-2009]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============

See this discussion:
http://blogs.technet.com/mu/archive/...c-reboots.aspx

One way to avoid this is by selecting the Notify Only option in Control
Panel | Automatic Updates.

The best way to avoid this is to only Install updates if and when you're
prepared to reboot.
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/

ShadowOchibi wrote:
> I am using Windows XP. I'm very busy on my work, and so I put off
> Automatic
> Updates for quite a while. I was busy working on a project and suddenly
> the
> computer restarted with no warnings. When the computer loaded and I logged
> in, it said Automatic Updates were done and they required restarting.
>
> I purposely saved the updates for later so I could focus on my work first.
> Somehow, the computer bypassed asking me, updated the computer without
> notifying me, and then forced the computer to restart without any
> notifications, reminders to save files, or anything. Why did this happen,
> and is there a way to prevent this from happening?