Windows Update Re-enabling Itself

S

SHO_GuN

Member
I use this to disable WU:
Code: 
<Tweak name="wuauserv\wuauserv">4</Tweak>
After I do a Clonezille restore and boot to Desktop, WU is disabled.

However, after said Clonezilla image is around a week old, when I use it to restore WU is magically re-enabled when I boot to my Desktop.

Any ideas as to what is re-enabling it? Note that I am not trying to permanently disable WU - just hold it off until I want it re-enabled.


Thanks
 
Thanks,

I tried that and WU is still re-enabled. I tried again and this time disabled USO and WU Medic service.

Not only was WU re-enabled, but the Medic service was as well (USO stayed disabled).

*Tested by changing the computer date prior to the Clonzilla restore, making the recommened changes and rebooting, correcting date and rebooting again.
 
Are you pausing updates and then after reinstalling Windows with Clonezilla it gets unpaused?

Also to clarify on "restore" Windows, are you using Clonezilla to reinstall a clean image, or the actual Windows OS restore option?

The link below will likely be the solution for you since it sounds like your updates are paused but then unpause themselves on a clean install you do a week or so later. If that's the case it's because WU is ignoring your timestamps since they essentially expired:
https://www.ntlite.com/community/index.php?threads/guide-pause-windows-updates.2897/
 
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Hellbovine said:
Are you pausing updates and then after reinstalling Windows with Clonezilla it gets unpaused?
Click to expand...

I am using the line in the OP to set WU to disabled during the NTLite run. After a Clonezilla restore, I do a restore of email, bookmarks, etc then run a reboot script that includes changing WU back to default via the registry.

Hellbovine said:
Also to clarify on "restore" Windows, are you using Clonezilla to reinstall a clean image, or the actual Windows OS restore option?
Click to expand...

Using Clonezilla to reinstall a clean image.

The last thing I tried was to delete the entire HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wuauserv registry key first thing after setup, then restoring it using the reboot script mentioned above. This seems to be working....will know for sure in about a week I guess.

If it fails me, I will delve into the link you posted.

Thanks.
 
Sorry for any confusion I caused. I think what's throwing me off is the steps regarding Clonezilla. Can you guide me through your specific process a bit more? I interpret it as, you used NTLite to make an image. Then you used that to install Windows, and the Windows Update service stays disabled at the desktop after it's done installing?

Next, you use Clonezilla to make another image of that live install after it's customized, and then every time you use Clonezilla to perform a clean install it seems to ignore the Windows Update service and it remains enabled after the Clonezilla image is installed? The issue could be Clonezilla, but I don't know how that program works. Does it still force you to go back through the Windows Setup install process, or does it just format the drive and then copy everything back again?

Even if I can't help you, providing more details on this stuff may make it easier for someone else to find a solution. There's a million ways to install and use Windows, so it's hard to always know how each user does it.
 
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NTLite --> Make image --> Install Windows with made image --> customize and backup with Clonezilla.

No problem with NTLite or CZ. WU is disabled after restoring the image made with CZ if the CZ image is less than a week old. Restore with same image after it is older than a week and WU is enabled again.

I just verified - disable WU in services. Reboot and it is still disabled. Set computer clock ahead by a week and reboot and presto, WU is enabled again. So it seems to me that Windows will only allow WU to be disabled for a week before it takes it upon itself to re-enable it at boot time.

I am going to explore "pausing" using the link you posted and then try to "un-pause" with my reboot script mentioned above. Seems like a cleaner way to do what I am trying to do.
 
Gotcha, so it sounds like Windows is re-enabling the services after 7 days precisely, because that's the default pause time. I know that you aren't actually pausing updates yourself, but the OS doesn't see it that way I guess. It looks like the OS just examines the timestamps and after 7 days of not doing any windows updates it will re-enable the services it needs and go to town doing updates.

That link will be what you're looking for then. I too tried to disable WU, Defender, and SecurityCenter services, but I ran into far more problems than it solved, including Windows Setup failing to install. So after a ton of trial and error I gave up on trying to manipulate those services and instead tweaked them all via registry keys that I import with NTLite.

It's still going to be doable to get services manipulated I'm sure, but I think it's a lot harder because some of them have to be enabled for Windows Setup, and oobe/user provisioning, etcetera. The reg keys work so far, and it's a nice clean way to fix things without the headaches.
 
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