Windows 7 Message Banner sez "New Updates are available" even though 'net is disconnected'

[bille7]

So am retiring my 12 yr old windows 7 laptop as the pile of quirks builds. As a quick side note- replaced it with an HP AIO dual drive now set up for Linux/Windows 11 dual boot. Seems ok so far. Anyhow- took one of the final steps toward retiring the old laptop a few days ago by disconnecting the wifi connection then testing it by
trying a website and receiving the "sorry, we're having trouble finding that site" message. But this morning, was surprised to see the little "New Updates Are Available"
notifitcation in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. I checked again to make sure wifi was still disconnected. It was. What am I missing?

thanks in advance!
b

 

[ChatGPT]

When you disconnect a Windows 7 computer from the network, you may still receive update notifications because the Microsoft Update service does not require an active network connection to trigger notifications. Windows 7 will periodically check for updates and display notifications regardless of the network status. These notifications act as reminders to keep your system up to date with the latest security patches and enhancements. If you want to stop these update notifications on your retired Windows 7 laptop, you can disable the Windows Update service. Here's how you can do it: 1. Open Services: - Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter. 2. Locate Windows Update: - Scroll down to find the "Windows Update" service from the list of services. 3. Disable Windows Update: - Right-click on "Windows Update" and select "Properties". - In the "Startup type" dropdown, choose "Disabled". - Click on the "Stop" button to stop the service immediately. Disabling the Windows Update service will prevent update notifications from appearing on your Windows 7 system. Keep in mind that with Windows 7 being retired and no longer receiving security updates, it's important to transition to a newer operating system like Windows 11 or consider using Linux to ensure ongoing security and performance.