[SOLVED] How To Kill The Adobe Auto Update Manager

The Adobe AAM Updater schedules itself to run every day at 02:00. To do this the Updater plants itself in your Task Scheduler and your Startup to maintain its routine.

Yet Adobe probably releases an update only every couple of months, if that. If you try to delete those update entries, the next time you start an Adobe Application, AAM Updater will reinstate itself.

This'll stop it!!

Save this code as AdobeUpdaterAdminPrefs.dat

Code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
        

    <Preferences>
        

    <Suppressed>1</Suppressed>
        

    </Preferences>

Then put this .dat file in the folder that corresponds with your system set up.

64 bit.
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\AAMUpdaterInventory\1.0

32 bit. (x86)
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\AAMUpdaterInventory\1.0

Finally, you can now safely (happily?) remove the AAM Updater from your Task Scheduler (Search > taskschd.msc) and your Startup (Search > msconfig - Startup tab).

I looked through my startup entries and I do not have the updater file that you mentioned. I long since deleted Adobe Reader and use Foxit Reader when viewing PDF format.

Insofar as Adobe Flash update nags, I deleted that key using Autoruns program a while ago. Haven't noticed an Adobe update startup key yet.

CS5 installed this annoying thing. Thanks for the guide, Elmo!

NiceNiceNiceNiceNice

Thanks M8! Really useful

I'm a little confused. In Adobe Reader, you can change your preferences to "Do not download or install updates automatically". And with Flash, you can go out to Flash Settings Manager to change and uncheck the option to automatically notify me of updates, or can change the setting up to every 60 days.

I don't any Adobe processes listed in my TM.

I used to get it all the time with CS3, it probably wasn't doing any harm, it was just there! That annoyed me.

When I moved to CS5 back it came, even worse when I just loaded the Acrobat pro extended trial. So out came this old trick.

Let's just say I don't like things using the back door to settle themselves in!

I hear you on that. I note with both Adobe Reader and Flash, those updaters are enabled by default. Not cool.

While it is fairly simple to adjust Adobe Flash settings with the online Settings Manager, I still used to get a "run once" registry key every time I upgraded, regardless of what my settings were prior to that, so the efficacy of the online settings manager is highly questionable and obviously quite easy for Adobe to override, which is not surprising.

I didn't mind it running in the background (although that didn't tickle me either) so much as I hated seeing it in the system tray. I'm just weird about the tray...I prefer as few icons there as possible. Btw, do you happen to know if there's any reason to keep the ATI systray icon loaded, assuming one rarely changes Catalyst settings?

Now wait, those are two different things. Manually updating is not the same as having the system auto-update, or checking for updates every few hours. And I note most programs will attempt to change your settings, if they are not the default, when you manually update them. CCleaner for example, will attempt to install a toolbar, check for updates, and install several shortcut icons even if you previously had those settings disabled (this being a prime reason to ALWAYS run the custom install option and NEVER just go along with the default or "easy" install).

The annoying problem with Adobe (besides it frequently having security issues ) is along the lines of what Elmer eludes to, and that is its pervasiveness and lack of user ability to easily customize the upgrade options. That said, because Adobe is frequently a target of badguys, and because it is so widely used by Internet users, then there does need to be an avenue to get updates - at least security updates - on a timely basis. Secunia PSI helps, but sadly, and also annoying is the Adobe updaters frequently leave remnants behind that PSI keeps tagging.