Freeware developer Sordum has unveiled Windows Update Blocker, a free tool for disabling Windows Updates. At first glance, the program doesn’t seem very interesting. Launch it, select "Enable" or "Disable" and click "Apply Now" to make the change. No surprises there. But wait -- there’s also a much less ordinary "Protect Service Settings" option which prevents Windows or other users reversing your settings. We’re not quite sure how the process works -- a little permissions tweakery, probably -- but it’s certainly effective. We tried disabling Windows Update, then opened the Windows Update service and found there was no way to… [Continue Reading]