Really Annoying Adobe Updater

[mcdhu]

Noticed an Adobe Update icon in the bottom right of screen which implored me to update the Adobe Reader. Mindful of the words of you experts, I went to the Adobe website and installed the update from there. Unfortunately, it screwed up my machine, but a System Restore sorted that out!!

But how do do I get rid of the icon and stop the updater running? It is unchecked in the msconfig startup window.

Dell Dimension running Win Xp SP3

mcdhu

[munirfarhan]

open up adobe reader
check tools/options for Auto-Update
Make sure you uncheck it

thanks

[Bushfiva]

For some versions of Adobe Reader (maybe all), unchecking "check for updates" (if it's actually present in tools/options) doesn't work because a separate application (Adobe Updater, as mcdhu says) does it as well.

If you really hate Adobe Updater, you can simply scout around the Adobe folder looking for something called "Updater 5" or similar and wipe the directory (caveat, I've never done this but I'm happy to watch you do it).

Otherwise, you have to run the updater manually once to stop it doing its thing. In the "Updater 5" (or whatever) folder, click on AdobeUpdater.exe to start it. There will be a button or underlined text marked "preferences". Click on that, and you should be able to disable automatic checking, and also the installed products it checks for.

Alternatively, in the Adobe product under Help, if there's an option called "check for updates now", that should start the updater running.

Since I don't know the version of Reader you're running, I can't point you to the specific solution. The way to kill the idiot updater depends on the product you have, the version, the time of day, and which way the wind's blowing.

A-"You need to read a PDF, so you're bound to want us to bog your computer down with tons of other junk"-dobe.

[Albert Square]

I use Foxit Reader instead of Adobe. Does the job reading PDF files just fine and is much lighter than Adobe. It is also free.

[Nightrider]

mcdhu, running XP SP3 on a desktop with no probs while using the Acrobat Reader, however, bought an Acer notebook with Vista Pro and during installation of the reader the whole machine got screwed up.
Since this was during the early phase of having the notebook, there was no restore point to go back to.... A new installation and new setup for everything, creating a restore point and installing the reader again proved a problem with the reader. Restored the system and left it as is.
Looking around for a reader which does not interfere with my system gave me the Foxit Reader/ (http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/reader/) as it is also suggested by Albert Square. It is a bare 7 MB download, free, does a decent job and is very fast. During the installation process, which is quick and simple, it allows for customization, a very much appreciated feature.

Good luck

[mcdhu]

Thanks very much guys. When I get a chance I'll have another look at all this. But it seems as though Foxit reader might be the answer.

mcdhu

[mcdhu]

Inatalled the update to the Reader and then under Edit - Preferences - Update unchecked the tick box and it has all gone away,

Thanks again for the help,

mcdhu

[Keef]

The other one to watch out for is Google Updater. It was running all the time on my desktop and soaking up lots of CPU and memory. Nor was there a "remove" faciilty so I had to resort to violence (deleting stuff from the file system and from the Registry - which I hate doing).

I don't even know what it was updating - it never asked for permission to install itself.

[green granite]

Keef, control panel>administrative tools>system configuration and un-tick it's box in the services tab.

[Keef]

Yes, but the blighter turns itself on again - I think whenever I use Google Earth, or some such.

[Bushfiva]

Linky to deleting Google Update and Google Updater: Google Updater and Google Update : - Google Help (http://www.google.com/support/installer/bin/answer.py?answer=98805)

The Google Update instructions are novel: "A few hours after uninstalling your other Google programmes, Google Update should be uninstalled automatically."

[green granite]

Mind you I find Adobe updater even more annoying, as it seems to re-install it's self every time you open an Adobe program, some local host work is need me thinks.