How to stop games from auto-updating?

[Dida]

I started this game called Dawn of Discovery and it automatically downloaded a bunch of crap onto my computer in a process they call "auto-update". It makes me very uncomfortable that some program can just download stuff without me telling it to do so from the internet. You don't know what the cat will drag in (to use a phrase that civ4 leaders love to throw at you ).
So my question is how do you block these programs from doing so? I looked into Windows Firewall setting, but the offending program (Ubisoft Auto-update) is not listed in the "Exceptions".

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Did you check the in-game settings?

IF SO:
Sometimes games will have an INI file somewhere which you can edit, which sometiems has settings not in the official menus. I don't know about your game in specific.

Also, I think you can add the application to the firewall list.

 

[Steve2000]

This sort of thing is definitely a game-by-game issue. But for Dawn of Discovery here you go:

The game features an auto-updater that starts when you use the standard desktop shortcut to kick things off, but if you simply point it to Anno4.exe, you needn't worry about being online, having the disc in, or having to update ever again.

That is from this review I found when I googled your issue. Sounds like you are running the game's default shortcut to run the game. Just edit the shortcut, or make a new one that points to Anno4.exe and you won't have to worry about that updater thing happening again.

 

[Dida]

Great, many thanks.