Windows 7 How to Make Windows Update Not Scan for Certain Things

VicVicVic

Senior Member
Hello, I hope you are doing well.

Windows Update scans for updates to items that I am not interested in updating, usually because an update sometimes messes up a program or hardware. For example, I found that updating some parts of my Microsoft Office software gives me weird errors, and that updating my audio drivers makes the sound get softer.

Is there any way to disable Windows Update from scanning for the updates of certain items? Thanks.

Vic
 
It will always present all available updates. As for office, this would also mean that you enabled Microsoft Update. You can hide specific updates, but I dont believe you can suppress all updates that you don't want, the heuristics just aren't there yet ;-)
 
Thanks for the prompt reply, Osiris.

By "As for office, this would also mean that you enabled Microsoft Update," what do you mean? Is there a difference between Windows Update and Microsoft Update? If I can somehow disable Microsoft Update, will it no longer scan for updates to Microsoft Office?

I have given you reputation points for your help. Thanks,
Vic
 
Given Im not sitting in front of a 7 box ATM im not entirely sure (How to disable). I know to enable them ont the Windows Update window there is a link towards the bottom that says "Find updates for all of my Microsoft products" If you where to disable it you would only get updates for Windows 7 no other products.

Thx for rep, still haven't figured out the point of it ;-)
 
Given Im not sitting in front of a 7 box ATM im not entirely sure (How to disable). I know to enable them ont the Windows Update window there is a link towards the bottom that says "Find updates for all of my Microsoft products" If you where to disable it you would only get updates for Windows 7 no other products.

Thx for rep, still haven't figured out the point of it ;-)
Ah, that's it! There's an option in the Settings section of Windows Update that allows me to uncheck that box. I have seen that option before but ignored it after reading twice because I didn't catch the difference between Microsoft Updates and Windows Update.

What's strange is that after I unchecked it, that option inside the Settings section no longer exists. I'm happy that at least Windows Update will no longer check for Microsoft Office updates. Thank you very much!
 
I did an upgrade ... then got a new hard drive (big hard drive are under $50 now) and just installed win 7 CLEAN and I am impressed at how much better my system runs and how much less disk space it takes. I had the old drive installed and could easily copy my programs and install software that I actually use. When I upgraded and ran a driver detection program, 32 hardware drivers were outdated.... when I installed clean only 4 were outdated. I have blogged my speed tweaks here Link Removed due to 404 Error

Unless I was installing win 7 for someone else there is no way I would install win 7 for myself except clean... when i finished the major tweaks and installed the software I wanted and copied all my old working files from the old drive. I cloned the Win 7 drive over the old hard drive, making it bootable with True Image. I can boot into either now.. just from my multi-boot menu. Old saved email was the only problem. I had to save emails as text to a folder that I copied over to my new drive. Even the new win 7system image doesn't include email... not that I need system image with a backup cloned drive.
 
I did an upgrade ... then got a new hard drive (big hard drive are under $50 now) and just installed win 7 CLEAN and I am impressed at how much better my system runs and how much less disk space it takes. I had the old drive installed and could easily copy my programs and install software that I actually use. When I upgraded and ran a driver detection program, 32 hardware drivers were outdated.... when I installed clean only 4 were outdated. I have blogged my speed tweaks here Windows 7 Forums - tblount

Unless I was installing win 7 for someone else there is no way I would install win 7 for myself except clean... when i finished the major tweaks and installed the software I wanted and copied all my old working files from the old drive. I cloned the Win 7 drive over the old hard drive, making it bootable with True Image. I can boot into either now.. just from my multi-boot menu. Old saved email was the only problem. I had to save emails as text to a folder that I copied over to my new drive. Even the new win 7system image doesn't include email... not that I need system image with a backup cloned drive.

Thanks for enhancing this thread? I believe you solved....what now?
 
tblount, I am not bashing you or anything, but I'm confused - how is posting your personal experience relevant to this thread? Thanks.
 
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