Manually creating an AutoUpdate account

What to do

1. Create a new Windows user account. SophosUpdate is the account name used in the example below.
2. Create the following registry keys. Ensure that you have read the warning about editing the registry, and that you feel confident to do so.
   
   32-bit computers:
   
   
   • [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Sophos\AutoUpdate\Service]
     "Download User"="SophosUpdate”
   • [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Sophos\AutoUpdate\Service]
     "Download Password"="[enter the password]"
   • [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Sophos\AutoUpdate\Service] ObfuscatedPassword" ="0"
   • [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Sophos\AutoUpdate\Service]
     "UserPreset"=dword:00000001

   64-Bit computers 
   

    

   • [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Sophos\AutoUpdate\Service]
     "Download User"="SophosUpdate”
   • [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ WOW6432Node\Sophos\AutoUpdate\Service]
     "Download Password"="[enter the password]"
   • [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Sophos\AutoUpdate\Service] ObfuscatedPassword" ="0"  
   • [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ WOW6432Node\Sophos\AutoUpdate\Service]
     "UserPreset"=dword:00000001
3. If you need to secure the password:
   
   
   • assign the "Deny logon locally" policy in "User Rights Assignment".
   • on a computer that doesn't have an alternative account set up, check the permissions on the following key and copy them to the endpoint computer:
     

     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Sophos\AutoUpdate\Service\

4. Install Sophos software on the endpoint computer.

Technical Information

By default the Sophos AutoUpdate installer creates an account which takes the format SophosSAU<computername><number>.