How to disable auto-update for the Google Toolbar?

[Frederic1]

Hi all,

Does anyone know how to disable the Google Toolbar auto-update feature?

I'd like to keep using the 2.0.114.0 version because it's fast, reliable, and uses very little memory. Exactly the contrary of the latest version :(

The problem is that whenever I install the 2.0 version and restart internet explorer, the toolbar auto-updates to the 4.0 version, which is VERY annoying (for me) :(

Isn't it a way to avoid this? Even through the registry I don't mind but I want to remove the auto-update :'(

[SEOPTI]

Better remove their toolbar, you don't really want to give your whole search history into their hands?

[Frederic1]

I have no problem with privacy :) in fact I just use the Googletoobar for 2 things :
- See the PR
- Make a quick search with the google search box

So I really don't need all those new features that were introduced in newer versions :(

The Googletoolbar 4.0 is very buggy on my computer. When I open 10 (or more) IE windows, after a few hours I have to restart IE! However with the Googletoolbar 2.0 my browser will be up for several weeks non-stop without having to restart it (!)

There seems to be some kind of memory leak in Googletoolbar 4.0 which makes it so unstable (and yet I have 2gb of memory).

I really, really, want to keep using version 2.0 ... any help will be greatly appreciated!

[edited by: Frederic1 at 11:14 pm (utc) on Nov. 3, 2006]

[Frederic1]

no one has the solution? :-(

[kaled]

If you can determine where the toolbar goes looking for the update, you might be able to block that location either using a firewall or the hosts file, however I have no detailed knowledge that would help further.

Kaled.

[balam]

You can disable toolbar updates via the Windows "hosts" file. If you use W2K, this file is located in C:\WINNT\system32\drivers\etc; under other flavours of Windows, the directory is similar - just search for "hosts".

When you find the file, open it with any text editor. Add this line to the file and save...

127.0.0.1 toolbar.google.com

Updates are now a thing of the past!

[Frederic1]

I have blocked the access through my firewall.

Thanks Kaled and Balam for your precious help!