BleepingComputer.com: Avoid Windows Update Since Because No Need

Since I use CA personal firewall (I always wanted to use ZoneAlarm but never could uninstall the CA at first...), and since I am using Firefox Thunderbird for my mails, and Spyware Doctor as anti-virus, you understand that I have no reason to use Windows Defender etc. anymore...
The trouble is that I still get asked (about once a day at least !) to update Windows; as I don't want to click on install button in my Windows update window, I always click on "cancel", which closes it, but it will never stop telling me that I have new updates available to download... What could I do please to stop this hassle ? Thanks

All of your protection won't necessarily prevent you from getting infected by an exploit - and that's one of the things that Windows Update will help with.

It'll also help with issues between your hardware and the OS - another good reason to use it.
They'll also help to improve the stability of the OS - yet another reason to use it.

Also, just because you have a firewall and an antivirus program doesn't mean that you don't need a good layered defense against malware - you'd be surprised to find what can sneak by your current protection.

I've found that most infections (that come into my shop) come from people unwittingly letting the infection on their system - despite having good protection. This is often caused by opening emails without scanning first, downloading stuff and opening it without scanning first, and clicking on things that aren't verified as being safe.

THANK YOU for trying to help, but it's still a little confusing to me, sorry; I guess it's my fault because I was not clear enough in my first posting (English is not my first language).

anyway, I DO use what you say "Windows update"; I just disabled windows defender; for the windows updates I am always checking first which ones needs to be downloaded and the ones I still never downloaded so far in the list are exactly the following:
1. security update for windows mail for windows vista
2. update for windows mail junk email filter --> but I use Firefox thunderbird for my mail...
3. definition update for windows defender --> but I use Spyware doctor against spyware/malware as it was recommended to me by a Toshiba repairshop when I got an older computer fixed, that was a while ago...

so, do you still advice me to use Windows Defender though ? and if yes, should I get rid off Spyware doctor, and if not, should I still let windows update updating these programs I am not using ?

and what about the fact that I could never uninstall my firewall showing as the name of "CA", please ?...

Most people that I know (online) use several anti-spyware applications - but most people I know from work only use one. Generally those who use only one get infected more often than those who use several (this is probably not due to the anti-spyware application - but rather to the heightened awareness of those using more than one anti-spyware application).

One of the Windows Updates that's downloaded is an updated definition file for Windows Defender.
Spyware Doctor is a good program also - but why not continue to use both? Windows Defender is free and if it catches one thing that Spyware Doctor doesn't, then it's worthwhile to use. Each program uses it's own updates - so it's possible that one may catch something that the other may miss.

As for your firewall, what is the issue with it? Is it just that you can't uninstall it? Is it protecting you (do you get alerts when something tries to get into your system)?

Thanks sir, for what I can understand, I can use many anti-spyware/malware without that they conflict with each other, which I was afraid of.... so I will try.

I don't know if my firewall works properly or not actually; I get sometime a message from my Spyware Doc. telling me that a malicious infection has just been removed by it, but I don't see any message from the Personal CA Firewall I think... I don't care to use one firewall or the other, meaning CA or ZoneAlarm. I was using the CA "suite" with anti-spyware + virus + Fwall altogether because it was provided by my ISP road runner (= Time Warner cable), but when I got a new pc with Vista, that CA suite was not compatible with Vista yet; consequently, I acquired Spyware Dr that is giving me anti-everything but not a firewall; I wanted then to install ZoneAlarm, the Firewall only, to replace the CA Personal Firewall... the problem is that I thought I had well un-installed the entire CA Suite (as if I make a search or open my control panel to uninstall a program, there is never any CA appearing in the results of my search!). Again, I don't mind to use CA firewall that is appearing to be the only firewall running (in my security panel) but I find strange that I could never uninstall it...

Because of the differences between Vista and XP - it's possible that the uninstallation of the CA firewall was only partly done, leaving remnants of it on your system. Not getting any messages from CA would seem to indicate that there's a problem with it also.

I would suggest reinstalling it using the update instructions on this site: http://home3.ca.com/Support/AppDocs/PF/Upg...x?sc_lang=en-US

Then you can either choose to keep it, or to uninstall it and use Zone Alarm