JAWS - Disable JAWS automatic updates

JAWS - Disable JAWS automatic updates

Problem

A customer who does not have a current SMA would  like to avoid their JAWS updating to prevent them updating to a version for which they do not have a license and therefore risk going into 40 minute demo mode.

Resolution


Note
Method 1 may be best employed by domestic users.
Method 2 may be most apropriate for IT Technicians and other professionals create installation packages for large organisations.

Resolution

Method 1 - Disable auto-update via the user interface

  1. Click the JAWS button in the taskbar or right click the JAWS task tray icon in the notification area.
  2. Then choose Options > Basics.
  3. Then uncheck the option “Automatic notification of updates” in the Basics dialogue.
  4. Then click OK button to confirm the change.
  5. Confirm any security or UAC prompts by clicking Yes as they appear.


Method 2 - Disable auto-update by editing the Windows registry

  1. Open Regedit.exe and navigate to the following location:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Freedom Scientific\JAWS\[version]

Where version should be replaced by the installed year/version of the currently installed JAWS eg. 2022.
2. Then create a new REG_DWORD entry called “AllowUpdates”.
3. Double click the “AllowUpdates” entry and set a value of 0.

Note

To allow automatic update set “AllowUpdates” value to 1


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