How to Disable Auto Updates in Windows XP

Temporarily Turn Off Automatic Updates

1). Click on the "Start" button on the lower left side of the screen. Scroll over to Control Panel.
2). Select "Automatic Updates" by double clicking on the icon, which will open the Automatic Updates box. Choose "Disable Automatic Updates" and click "Apply."
3). Close the Automatic Updates box by clicking "OK."

1). Click on the "Start" button and then go to "Run." In the "Open" box, type "regedit" and click "OK" to open the Registry Editor, which is divided into two sections. Scroll down the left side until you find this key: "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" and open it. Go to "Software < Microsoft < Windows < Current Version < Uninstall." Double-click on "Uninstall." Scroll down to "Export" to open the Export Registry File box. Click "Desktop" in the left panel of this box. Type "Uninstall" into the File Name box and click "Save."
2). Go to the "Start" button and the go to "Run" and type "regedit" into the Open box. Click "OK" to open the Registry Editor window, which is divided into a left and a right side. Find the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE key on the left side of the window and double-click on it. Scroll down to SOFTWARE and to MICROSOFT and to WINDOWS NT and to CURRENTVERSION and to IMAGE FILE EXECUTION OPTIONS.
3). Select the IMAGE FILE EXECUTION OPTIONS folder and right click on it. Scroll to "New" and then over to "Key." Enter "wupdmgr.exe" to name the new folder subkey. Select the subkey "wupdmgr.exe" by right clicking on it. Scroll to "New" and then click "String Value." Type "Debugger" to name the new string value. Select "Debugger" and double click on it. Enter "ntsd" in the Value Date box. Click "OK."
4). Choose the "File" tab across the top of the screen. Scroll down to "Exit."