# how to delete "wuauclt.exe" - Windows Update (unwanted, advice please?)



## xrecoba (Oct 5, 2010)

Hello my friends
I am sick of Windows Update and want to remove it from my machine. I do not care about receiving updates and see it as a sort of malware - I don't trust it.
But when I try to delete wuauclt in System32 it won't let me - and yes, I am logging in as Admin and yes the process has been ended. So basically, I cannot remove it from my machine.

If you have a solution I would be delighted to hear it.

Many thanks.


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## lunarlander (Sep 22, 2007)

Windows Update is an important part of security of your machine. You see, white hat hackers try to find flaws before the black hat hackers, and report them to Microsoft, which then fixes the security bugs and offer to you as patches via Windows Update. If you don't patch, your machine will be "owned' in no time. What makes you think Windows Update is malware?

wuauclt.exe is protected by Windows Resource Protection in Vista, ( and Windows File Protection in XP ) In Vista, the only account allowed to touch it is the TrustedInstaller. You can't log in as that account.


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## xrecoba (Oct 5, 2010)

I know the risks, _I just_ _want rid of it.
If you can help please offer a suggestion
_


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## Cheeseball81 (Mar 3, 2004)

What version of Windows are you using?


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## xrecoba (Oct 5, 2010)

windows vista home basic


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## Phantom010 (Mar 9, 2009)

Why remove it? Just disable it.


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## xrecoba (Oct 5, 2010)

Phantom010 said:


> Why remove it? Just disable it.


I have disabled it. Now I want to remove it. Suggestions?


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## Phantom010 (Mar 9, 2009)

I don't think it can be done. Disabling it completely, including the Automatic Updates service is quite enough to not be bothered by it again.

However, I believe there are more risks involved in never installing new updates.

I've never heard of such a request.


The Automatic Updates service is located in the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wuauserv


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## Cheeseball81 (Mar 3, 2004)

I've heard of disabling it, not removing it completely. As Phantom said, I don't believe you can. 

I'd just turn off updates completely if it bothered me that much.


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## lunarlander (Sep 22, 2007)

Even illegal copies of Windows can get updates, so that the entire Windows ecosystem is protected. Because one infected machine can infect others, MS has made that decision a while back since XP days. It is important enough for MS to consider losing money to pirates vs Windows safety. So its a big deal.

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/windows-pirate-bootleg-security-patches,7666.html

While patches can some times cause software problems, the majority of home users who don't have custom built in-house software won't experience any problems. And MS does test patches extensively before releasing them.

The most severe catagory of security vulnerability is remote code execution which basically ends up as remote control. All your data would be viewable and all privacy lost, not to mention losing important stuff like banking passwords. ( hackers are in it for the money nowadays ).

Since you want to go without protection, be sure to back up your data regularly.

You mentioned thinking of windows update as malware. Rest assured that the updates from MS are cryptographically signed and windows update can't be fooled into installing malware.

Are you having a malware problem currently?


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