Turn off Adobe auto update

Many times I see users asking that, under Windows how can the Adobe update checker be turned off ??

It is though recomended that you should always keep the product uptodate however many users would like to turn off the auto update because of certain issues…

SO,

How can you turn off the Adobe auto updater ??

Launch the adobe software, (In my case the Adobe Reader)… now in the menu bar Click Help, and then Check for update

Now make sure you have connection to the Internet and no firewall is blocking the software… so youcan see the software is checking for updates…

As it completes the check, it should present this window in front of you

Click the option Preference in that window !!! Now please check off the option which says Autometically Check for Adobe updates

From now on, the adobe softwares wont check for updates by them self any more….. You will have to check manually to obtain the updates !!!

This process works with all Adobe products, CS / CS2 / CS3

46 Comments

Quiz_Master  on November 1st, 2007

HMmm Nice….

But how do I do this in Adobe photoshop CS2?

unknow  on December 3rd, 2007

In Photoshop CS2 check Preferences, there´s option for updates.

Michael Adams  on December 11th, 2007

Unfortunately, I cannot turn off the firewall on my work PC. Therefore Adobe Updater never gets me to the screen where I can select the preferences.

Recently, in a fit of frustration, I found the updater exe file and just deleted it. Strange result: Adobe then would crash when trying to print. Go figure.

Any workaround?

iHATEsushi  on January 15th, 2008

Thanks… This worked for CS3 as well.

Jeremy  on February 20th, 2008

Thanks! Just what I was looking for…

kOALAVELI  on March 20th, 2008

Thanks, found this link from TPB.

Arman  on March 27th, 2008

Why should Adobe hiding their update-preference, so we can’t to turn it off normally? Thanks anyway!

Annonymous  on March 28th, 2008

Thanks,thats was annoyng me for a long time.

anon  on April 5th, 2008

well my cs3 is cracked so i cant let it check for updates since it would also check my info and black list my keygen not allowing me to use cs3 anymore so i need another solution around this plz..

lol anon  on April 6th, 2008

hey anon: buy it!

Mak4311  on May 8th, 2008

Thanks for advice, but I need some fix for the regisry: we have roaming profile for the users, and when new user logs in all preferences once again in default mode.

Qubezo  on May 17th, 2008

Thanks for the useful tips. ;)

andy  on May 23rd, 2008

Ive been looking for a way to stop the auto update with cs3, and it looks like adobe has joined the plank with microsoft and realized more options for users are bad bad bad.

Alex  on May 27th, 2008

Awesome, I’ve used this to stop the updates on our network from Adobe which has been creating a lot of internet traffic. We only update when we update workstation images. I’ve also added it to our Documentation for further reference.

Great work.

Buck  on May 28th, 2008

THANK YOU!

Rodney Smith  on May 30th, 2008

Turn off Adobe Updater by setting the registry entry
“HKLM\\Software\\Policies\\Adobe\\Updater\\Enterprise” to 1. Adobe Updater will then no longer run, regardless of the setting in the Preferences.

Anonymous Cracker  on June 1st, 2008

Hi, I along with my fellow Anon have a cracked version of CS3.

Setting aside reasons of why or how I have got a cracked version, as its really not the point in this topic/article, how would I go out changing my updater to null, to stop it, as my fellow anon said, blacklisting me?

I do not understand Rodney Smith’s comment, as I don’t know how to go about editing registry.

Thanks.

Anonymous Cracker  on June 1st, 2008

Hi,

Now i’ve worked out how to use registry, theres a slight problem.

As mine is cracked, once I’m in HKLM\\Software\\Policies\\ I cannot advance due to there being no ‘Adobe’ after that.

Solution please?

Thanks

Rodney Smith  on June 6th, 2008

You can:

1) create a new key called “Adobe” in the registry where you are at (via Edit->New->Key), or
2) just run Adobe Updater to access its preferences, or
3) edit the Adobe Updater preferences file at C:\Documents and Settings\(your_username)\Local Settings\Application Data\Adobe\Updater5\AdobeUpdaterPrefs.dat and change the line 1 to have a 0 in it, as in “0″

Rodney Smith  on June 6th, 2008

Change the line for “AutoCheck 1 /AutoCheck” line to contain a “0″ instead of “1″.

Frosty  on August 1st, 2008

you migh have to copy your profile to default profile so all the users will be set up

Collin  on August 16th, 2008

hmm… I have reader 9 and cs3. However, under Updates Preference in Reader, it failed to show my CS3?

Any idea how then can I turn off the auto updates for CS3?

Thanks.

hawke  on November 3rd, 2008

ty

arda  on November 3rd, 2008

No need for registry edits.. Here is the simple solution from Adobe’s web site.

1 – Navigate to C:\\Documents and Settings\[username]\Local Settings\Application Data\Adobe\Updater5 on Windows XP or …\[username]\AppData\Local\Adobe\Updater5 on Vista and open AdobeUpdaterPrefs.dat in Notepad.

2 – Change 1 to 0.

3 – If this line doesn not exist, then add the line 0 anywhere between the tags.

4 – Voilà!!

arda  on November 3rd, 2008

Sorry, some part is not visible on my previous comment. I write it again.

1 - Navigate to C:\\Documents and Settings\[username]\Local Settings\Application Data\Adobe\Updater5 on Windows XP or …\[username]\AppData\Local\Adobe\Updater5 on Vista and open AdobeUpdaterPrefs.dat in Notepad.

2 - If the 1 line already exists, then change the value from 1 to 0. Otherwise, add the line 0 anywhere between the tags.

3 - Close and Save

That’s all…

wk  on November 13th, 2008

thank you
It’s very helpful for me

AP Dubey  on November 19th, 2008

its very simple

just open the :\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe and delete the updater folder it will do

Naveed B.  on November 29th, 2008

Normally you can disable automatic updates for Acrobat via the update tool preferences interface. This tool however will not function without an internet connection. To work around this issue download this registry export: disableupdates.reg(http://www.adobe.com/support/acrobat/ts/documents/kb402050/disableupdates.zip). Alternatively you can copy and paste this text into a .reg file:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\7.0\FeatureLockdown]
“bUpdater”=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\7.0\FeatureLockdown]
“bUpdater”=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\8.0\FeatureLockdown]
“bUpdater”=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\8.0\FeatureLockdown]
“bUpdater”=dword:00000000

Once you download or create created the file, then double click the .reg file and then click yes on the prompt from the registry editor asking you if you want to continue.

Note: On Vista you may need to click through the elevation prompt.

source: adobe.com

Joe  on December 17th, 2008

Just block it with your firewall.
What could be easier?

dangerhead  on January 19th, 2009

Great trick buddy , thanks for the help

Mike  on March 28th, 2009

Thank you for this information! There are many posts that purport to show how to turn off the updates. However, until I found yours, all of them casually referred to the “update tool preferences” selection but then assumed you would know how to access it. It’s nice to see an intelligent answer to a problem instead of one that hides the writers lack of competence within technical weeds.

matt  on March 30th, 2009

Thanks!

mark  on July 31st, 2009

great work . i have turned off the adobe autoupdate which was a nuisance.

surya  on August 27th, 2009

Thank you very much. I have turned off the auto updates. great service. keep it up.

toko komputer  on September 5th, 2009

Thank you very much. I thought i have firewall installed on my computer, but it did not stop adobe from downloading updates.
This works!

craig  on September 21st, 2009

thanks, very handy

kwyjibear  on October 29th, 2009

It works for CS2 and CD3 but for Reader 9, the preferences button doesn’t show up if there are no updates found.

Mudpo  on October 29th, 2009

Basically, it seems that the solution to not automatically update the program is that the have to manually update it. In my opinion, Adobe Reader and Acrobat are bloteware and only one step away from malware with all the resources they take up. I wish there were an alternative to they piece of garbage programs. Adobe, you should be ashamed

lawrence77  on October 29th, 2009

@AP Dubey
Thanks…. :D

GRINCH  on December 9th, 2009

Thanks heaps,
Adobe (CS4) great program, however constantly burning up all my data allowance really p ed me off.
Pity adobe was unable (or unwilling) to supply this (simple) information.

shanogator  on February 26th, 2010

thank you for the tip. that updater was very annoying.

guitar  on March 7th, 2010

nice tips..thanx

regedit  on March 18th, 2010

HAHA u all a bunch of n00bs..

The way to do this is by going into adobe.com > right click on the flash video > select SETTINGS>>>

From there U will see dlobal notifications settings under the advance tab.

Uncheck the box where is says updates every 7days

Joe  on June 10th, 2010

Thank you very much
It was annoying me SOOOO MUCH
TKS !!!!

Nyctereutes  on September 3rd, 2010

Unfortunately, there is no “preferences” in Adobe updater – probably it was removed in the newest versions.

Nick  on October 13th, 2010

In newer Adobe Products, “Preferences” is under “Edit” in the menu. I agree, this particular updater is very annoying. It’s as if someone installed a mother-in-law in my computer.

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