How to prevent UC from automatic update check?

amby · Nov 11, 2018#12018-11-11T04:37+00:00

I work overwhelmingly offline (with no internet access) primarily for security and privacy reasons. So I very much HATE applications which do not provide a setting to disable automatic update checking, because it wastes time checking and treats an update check failure to be a horrible thing that MUST be reported to the user every time! Thus, I *loathe* applications which provide no way to prevent update checking. Sadly, it very much appears that UltraCompare is one of them!

It's easy to disable this in UltraEdit, yet it looks impossible for UltraCompare. Or am I missing a setting to do that in some mysterious area?

Please help?

Thanks!

Mofi · Nov 11, 2018#22018-11-11T13:51+00:00

I work also mainly offline and I find it annoying to see the UltraCompare update message box from time to time like you. So I sent a feature request to IDM support by email in December 2017 to add to UltraCompare configuration dialog also the setting Automatically check for updates like UEStudio and UltraEdit have. I suggest to do the same to increase the priority for this feature request.

In the meantime I found out that UltraCompare for Windows v18.10.0.38 has some up to now not public published settings like UltraEdit to control automatic checking for updates.

First, there is a feature lock down setting to disable Check for Updates completely. Execute following command in a command prompt window:

%SystemRoot%\System32\reg.exe add "HKCU\Software\IDM Computer Solutions\UltraCompare Pro\UltraCompare Professional\Locks" /f /v "Updates" /t REG_DWORD /d 1

This setting with value 1 disables automatic check for updates as well as menu item Check for Updates in menu Help (toolbar/menu mode) and Check for updates item on ribbon tab Home (ribbon mode) and the button Check for Updates in About UltraCompare dialog.

Further there are also the binary value Last Update Check and double word value Query User for Updates in registry under key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\IDM Computer Solutions\UltraCompare Pro since UltraCompare for Windows v16.00. The default value for Query User for Updates is 0 and I suppose that value 1 disables automatic update check without disabling a manual update check. Query User for Updates with value 1 disables at least showing the message box that an update is available. This is the setting which stores (inverse) the state of check box option Do not display this message again in dialog displayed on update being available.

Following command sets this registry value to 1:

%SystemRoot%\System32\reg.exe add "HKCU\Software\IDM Computer Solutions\UltraCompare Pro" /f /v "Query User for Updates" /t REG_DWORD /d 1

The Query User for Updates setting is stored in %APPDATA%\IDMComp\UltraCompare\uc.ini in section [TimeForUpdates] on having unchecked in UltraCompare configuration Use registry for settings (not INI file) at Home - Settings - Application Layout (ribbon mode) or Options - Configuration - Application Layout (toolbar/menu mode).

For completeness there is also the double word value Show Update on using Windows registry for UltraCompare settings as by default. The default value is 0. A modification of this value to 1 results in an automatic check for an update on next start of UltraCompare with showing the message box on update server not reachable or no update available, or the update dialog window if an update is really available. Show Update is stored in uc.ini in section [Settings] on using an INI file instead of Windows registry for UltraCompare settings.