davy wrote:
Click start, in a blank gray area of the start menu right click to open
properties with a left click on properties select the first tab...
'Taskbar' then click Customize, scroll down to a item and click on it
then using the little drop down arrow select the relevant window.....
Always hide.

To finish click ok and then apply and you are done.

To turn of Auto update properly. Click start in the run bar type
*gpedit.msc* click ok

Open Local Computer Policy, then Computer Configuration, then
Administrative Templates, then Window Components and finally to Windows
Update

By default all the settings here are ‘Not Configured’ and
you have only three options.

Click to open Update Detection Frequency click enable and insert the
maximum number of hour’s possible clicking Apply & OK to finish,
this will reduce the frequency of the reminders....

..or set to disable and same with Window Update, this will stop
Updates altogether, don't forget to click apply and OK to finish.

I alway's advise keeping a log in a notebook when you make alerations.

Wow. Why would you do the above when all you need to do is click on
"change how Security Center alerts me"? That's a rhetorical question,
actually. There is absolutely no reason to go through such a convoluted
mess as what you've written above when a simple, easy, and safe method
will do the job. Also please note that you assumed the OP had XP Pro. XP
Home does not have Group Policy.


Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User