To add or remove an Administrative Template (.adm file)

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows2000/en/advanced/help/gptext_addtemplate.htm

XP Automatic Update Nagging

XP Automatic Update Nagging

Windows XP's automatic update facility is clearly a good thing. Except when an update is installed that requires a reboot and you're working on the computer at the time. Then you get this lovely dialog:

As if I needed another reason to hate dialog boxes. This is perhaps the Naggiest. Dialog. Box. Ever. It can't be dismissed. You get two choices-- Restart Now, or Restart Later. If you click Restart Later, it pops up again ten minutes later, like clockwork. It belongs to wuauclt.exe, part of the Microsoft automatic update provider. I tried killing wuauclt.exe, and like a bad zombie movie, it keeps coming back.

I want automatic updates, but I also want to restart my computer when I feel like it. Is there any way to turn off this incredibly annoying nag dialog? UPDATE: Thanks to the many commenters, we now have at least two ways to disable Mister Naggy McNaggerson:

1. Stop the "Automatic Updates" service.

Navigate to Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Services:

Right click the Automatic Updates service and stop it. You can also do the same thing at the command line by typing:

net stop wuauserv

After the service is stopped, the nag message stops, too. Then you can reboot when you have time. The service will restart when you reboot.

2. Modify Group Policy settings.

Start, Run "gpedit.msc" to bring up the group policy editor. Then navigate to the folder

Local Computer Policy
 Computer Configuration
   Administrative Templates
     Windows Components
       Windows Update

There are two settings and both will work, so it's your choice. Either enable No auto-restart for schedule Automatic Updates installations or set Re-prompt for restart with scheduled installations to a long time interval, like 1440 minutes.

http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000294.html

Publish Post

cannot turn on the Automatic Updates feature on a Windows XP Service Pack 2-based computer

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/916261

You cannot turn on the Automatic Updates feature on a Windows XP Service Pack 2-based computer

SYMPTOMS

You may experience the following problems on a Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2)-based computer:

•The Automatic Updates feature is turned off in the Security Center. Additionally, you cannot turn on the Automatic Updates feature.

•When you try to install updates from the Microsoft Windows Update Web site, you may receive an error message that resembles the following:

0x80070424

•The Automatic Updates service may be missing in the Services snap-in.

•In the registry, one or both of the following registry subkeys are missing:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wuauserv
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\Root\LEGACY_WUAUSERV

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, follow these steps:

1.Click Start, click Run, type explorer, and then click OK.

2.Locate the following folder:

%windir%\inf

Note The %windir% placeholder represents the path of the WINDOWS system folder. Typically, C:\WINDOWS is the path of the WINDOWS system folder.

The inf folder is a hidden folder. To view the inf folder, follow these steps:

a. On the Tools menu, click Folder Options, and then click the View tab.
b. In the Advanced settings list, click Show hidden files and folders under Hidden files and folders.
c. Click Apply, and then click OK.

3.Double-click the inf folder, right-click au, and then click Install.

4.Click Browse. Locate and then click the %windir%\ServicePackFiles\i386 folder if the following conditions are true:

•You installed Windows XP SP2 from a Windows XP SP2 CD that included SP2 as part of the base installation.
•You downloaded and installed Windows XP SP2 from the Microsoft Web site.
•Windows XP SP2 was included with the computer.Note If the ServicePackFiles folder is not present on the computer, you can copy the files from a slipstreamed Windows XP SP2 installation CD.

5.Click OK to copy the files.

6.Change the setting on the computer not to display hidden files and folders. To do this, follow these steps:
a. On the Tools menu, click Folder Options, and then click the View tab.
b. In the Advanced settings list, click Do not show hidden files and folders under Hidden files and folders.
c. Click Apply, and then click OK.

7.Restart the computer.

Your current security settings put your computer at risk" Information Toolbar Nuisance (Internet Explorer 7 SP2)

http://www.dreymire.com/Technical/1122061405.htm

current security settings put your computer at risk" Information Toolbar Nuisance (Internet Explorer 7 SP2)

For some of the more experienced Internet users, and for those who recently updated to the Internet Explorer version 7, you may be finding yourself tampering with the settings in the browser for security. Unfortunately, Microsoft implemented a new feature to make sure you knew that your security is low (which, on most machines, is a pretty redundant statement). For those who don't like being treated like an adolescent, or for those who are suffering from their browsing because of this bar, here is a simple fix that can be performed using registry editor. (Make sure to back up your windows registry!!!)

1) Click on Start -> Run, type in Regedit.exe, and then click "OK".
2) In the registry editor, go to the following:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Security
3) Right click on the right side of the editor where all of the values are, select New, and select DWord.
4) Type so that the name of your new DWORD is "DisableSecuritySettingsCheck" (no quotes).
5) Double click the registry DWORD that you just created.
6) Type in "1" for the value (no quotes). Press Enter.
7) Close Registry editor, and restart your machine. The changes will take affect after restarting.

*Note* For those of you running Windows XP Pro, you can do this a little differently.

1) Click on Start -> Run, type in GPEDIT.MSC
2) Expand the "User Configuration" Node.
3) Expand the "Administrative Templates" node
4) Expand the "Windows Components" node
5) Click the "Internet Explorer" node
6) In the Settings pane, double click "Turn off the Security Settings Check" feature.
7) Using the UI, set the setting to "Enable"

IE7 - Your current security settings put your computer......

http://www.chris123nt.com/guides/5384/

Get Rid of The Nagging Windows Security Center Icon
The Windows Security Center has been one of the biggest annoyances since the inception of the idea with Windows XP Service Pack 2. Now with Windows Vista™ it is new, improved, and even more annoying than ever before! Untill now, you could not get rid of the icon from your tray.
Here's how to nuke Security Center off your system. This has been tested and there are no adverse effects from doing this.
Go to Start --> Run and type "cmd" without the quotes.
Type "cd\" followed by "cd windows\system32".
Now run the following commands:
takeown /f wscapi.dll
takeown /f wscsvc.dll
takeown /f wscui.cpl
Now you have ownership of the files. Go into the system32 directory in explorer and right click each file, go to the security tab and add an entry for everyone and give them full access permissions.
Disable the Security Center Service via services.msc if you have not already done so.
In the system32 folder rename the three mentioned dll's (change their file extension to .bak).
To get rid of the Security Center service from services.msc drop to a command prompt and type the following:
"REG DELETE HKLM\SYSTEM\CURRENTCONTROLSET\SERVICES\WSCSVC /F", hit enter and reboot.
Enjoy no more nagging or icon in your system tray!