Hi VB.NET Gurus,
Is there any way to enable or disable Windows update using vb.net.
Please suggest me something.

Thanks, Scott.

Scott wrote:
When, how long, why? Which kind of window? Every control? A Form?


Armin

We want to enable the windows automatic updates if it is disabled.
We also want it to run at a specific time, and for all windows updates.
We are using VB.net. We need to run our program to all our clients machine
to enable windows update.
It could be windows XP, Vista or other Microsoft operating system.

Any suggestion.
Scott


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Gawd, this is so scary.  What makes you think you have complete
control of not only  the user's machine but the network?  Speaking
metaphorically, "Are you nuts?"

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We will run this only if the client allows us to turn on the update.
They may choose not to enable windows update.
We want to give them an option from our program.

Any suggestion?
Scott.

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You know your environment far better than we do, but in many environments,
the users don't have control over whether WU runs on their machines, so what
you're asking about is still scary from the perspective of admins who are
responsible for system integrity and standardization.

I got your point. But I am doing what I was told me to do.
Can you give me some condition where we should not run automatic windows
update.
I might raise these points if they are not aware of these.

Thanks, Scott

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Well, you would have to first make sure you enable the service and
then  find out where in the registry the options are for it.

Enabling MAY be easy. How you do it via VB.NET?

    Google:

      .NET "Enabling NT Services"
      .NET "Enabling Services"

The hard part is that if you are running under one account, it may not
let you. So it may require impersonation.  If you need that:

    Google:

      .NET Impersonation

For the Update options:

    Google something like:

       "Windows Update" "Registry Options"

It may be easier for your VB.NET to start the WU control panel applet.

    Google:

    Windows Update Control Panel Applet

My Opinion:

Btw, just curious why you need this?  WU is for MS updates,  not
yours.  Just a very odd thing to do in my opinion, especially in this
heighten area of security, virus, user privacy,etc.  Just consider if
the user doesn't want to?  Is your application going break down? Will
your applet cease to exist?  If you just want to provide the option
off a menu, thats cool, start the control panel applet. But if I saw
an application forcing or asking for it all the time on my system,
badly paraphrasing Dorothy Parker:

       "I would slam it into the waste basket with full force!"


-


Scott wrote:
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Thanks Mike for your suggestions.

I think the main reason they want this because of Visual Studio 2008
Framework 3.5.
Some of the codes are written in Visual Studio 2008. Our clients cannot run
those program until they have framework 3.5.
So they want Windows Update to update their Framework.
Also they want clients to have updated framework.

Now I am little curious why 'Windows Update' should not be enabled.

Thanks, Scott


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Scott wrote:
In the beginning, it was a engineering taboo to invade or do things on
   user's private property. In fact, in  the USA it use to be illegal,
and when push comes to shove, it is still illegal. If they is money in
volved, someone is harm, rest assured someone can get sued. The US
EPCA has many provisions addressing this.

The history is long, but there is a reason why took many years for MS
to slowly change the mindset of consumers to the point  where people
eventually evolved to asking:

         Why 'Windows Update' should not be enabled?

At this point,  MS has won and what happens is that every vendor gets
into to market of auto updates and say:

         Why can I have my update service always ENABLED!

Once that pandora box is open (and unfortunately, it it almost too
late), then ONE day, you won't have that option and it already
happening now starting with:

       APPLE
       GOOGLE

They have already started on that path.  In the end, the pot of gold
at the end of the rainbow is complete unrestricted access to your
private property.

It is a HUGE MARKET!

In fact, MS has spent billions to lobbying the US congress to change
the laws to give them the same rights Banks have with Car Repossession
- the right for the bank repo-man to enter to your private property to
take the car.   MS wants the same right to enter into your computer to
ZAP a MS application.

They say its for address Software Piracy. But the real purpose is
unpaid or expired MS application  - the pot of gold - subscription web
based or off-loaded Office Components.  This is what all the big boys
are shooting for.  Even the router people are looking towards this
market and the TV/VIDEO/INTERNET convergence with the Telco or Cable
companies are evidence of  this.

Its been a slow evolution since the 80s to change the mindset of the
market to OPEN  the box up to outside access.  MS is loving it that
APPLE and GOOGLE has open wider Pandora's box because by themselves
they will face federal anti-trust and UCITA (provisions for Federal
Inter-State Commerce Laws dealing with software and computers) issues.
But as others do it, MS will too.  They are licking their chops that
APPLE and GOOGLE (more so Apple) are getting away with this.

Sounds like a touchy thing for me?   Yup, yes, spent many years on the
subject and in the area of development and we don't do it for ethical
reasons. We  always had a server application since the 80s so software
licensing and auto-monitoring concepts was always a consideration. But
I thought it was not a good idea to do it.  I hate to see that others
are doing  and worst, users allowing it because unfortunately today
they think, well,  thats just the way it is. Nope it is not.  But they
don't know any better.

Whats different of course, is that we are world wide now. Different
mindsets, different country laws, etc.  The younger generation are
completely open to this constant peer to peer communications  and its
fast moving back to a centralization framework again.

But overall, it is protecting user privacy and property.

Of course, its my opinion. :-)

Mike wrote:
    WELL SAID!  (Even though I'm developing a slight paranoia.)

Scott wrote:
*LOL*   I thought you're looking for something to enable/disalbe updating
windows. Those windows you see on the screen. Maybe something like
System.Windows.Forms.ListView.BeginUpdate/EndUpdate.


Well, there's no VB keyword for this. I guess there's also nothing in the
Framework (but I can be mistaken). So what's left is the Windows SDK:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa387099(VS.85).aspx (somehow the
TOC does't work -> see local SDK installation). It's COM based, so you might
get a problem. Though, I just found the "WUAPI 2.0 Type Library" (COM
reference). Never used it. Maybe that helps.


Armin

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