Guest Pat Posted July 30, 2007 Posted July 30, 2007 If I enable Automatic Updates for WinXP, it will only install CRITICAL updates, right? IOW, it won't update IE6 to IE7, or WMP10 to WMP11, for example?
Guest Uncle Grumpy Posted July 30, 2007 Posted July 30, 2007 Re: Automatic Updates behavior on Windows XP? "Pat" <pat929@yahoo.com> wrote: >If I enable Automatic Updates for WinXP, it will only install CRITICAL updates, right? Wrong. It will install everything. If you don't want that, then do your updates manually around the middle of every month.
Guest Vanguard Posted July 30, 2007 Posted July 30, 2007 Re: Automatic Updates behavior on Windows XP? "Pat" <pat929@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:uE6%23J%23k0HHA.1188@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl... > If I enable Automatic Updates for WinXP, it will only install CRITICAL > updates, right? > > IOW, it won't update IE6 to IE7, or WMP10 to WMP11, for example? Enabling it says nothing of how you configured it. By "enabling it", does that mean you have it only notify you of updates (the best method despite what Microsoft claims), notify and download but not install the updates, or download and install the updates without asking you (the absolutely worst choice)? - Automatic = download and install without prompt. That means you delegate complete authority to Microsoft to alter your host whenever they feel like it. - Download and then prompt. That means your host gets taxed with updates which maybe you don't want yet plus they may occur when YOU want to use your own host, like playing a game or video editing. - Notify only (don't download and don't install). That is the safest choice. You decide when to tax your host with the download(s). You decide by selecting Custom (whereas Express leaves you blind) as to which, if any, updates you will apply plus provides you will a blurb and further info link to understand what the update is for. Even if only critical updates were automatically downloaded (and optionally installed without prompt), how will you know what Microsoft claims is critical is really critical to you? You're going to let Microsoft deem what is critical for your particular setup? If you are going to blindly allow Microsoft to make changes then why do you care if they are deemed critical or not regardless of whether or not they apply to you? Do you also use Express Install when you visit the Windows Update site, or do you use the Custom selection so you can actually see and make your own choice as what to download and install? http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306525 "notifies you when critical updates are available"
Guest Doug Knox - [MS-MVP] Posted July 30, 2007 Posted July 30, 2007 Re: Automatic Updates behavior on Windows XP? It depends. IE 7 is considered a major Security update, vs. IE 6, so it is considered critical. Drivers and other software updates may considered recommended, unless there is a known security exploit that is addressed in the update. -- Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows Media Center\Windows Powered Smart Display\Security Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes http://www.dougknox.com -------------------------------- Per user Group Policy Restrictions for XP Home and XP Pro http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_securityconsole.htm -------------------------------- Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may benefit. Unsolicited e-mail is not answered. "Pat" <pat929@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:uE6%23J%23k0HHA.1188@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl... > If I enable Automatic Updates for WinXP, it will only install CRITICAL > updates, right? > > IOW, it won't update IE6 to IE7, or WMP10 to WMP11, for example? > >
Guest Pat Posted July 30, 2007 Posted July 30, 2007 Re: Automatic Updates behavior on Windows XP? "Vanguard" wrote... > - Automatic = download and install without prompt. That means you > delegate complete authority to Microsoft to alter your host whenever > they feel like it. No, no, no! I certainly don't want that. But I do understand how it works. > - Download and then prompt. That means your host gets taxed with > updates which maybe you don't want yet plus they may occur when YOU want > to use your own host, like playing a game or video editing. The selection is, "Download updates for me, but let me choose when to install them" How do I CHOOSE to install the updates? Is there a list somewhere that I have to access? Or do I browse to a directory on my hard drive? Where are the updates placed? > - Notify only (don't download and don't install). That is the safest > choice. You decide when to tax your host with the download(s). You > decide by selecting Custom (whereas Express leaves you blind) as to > which, if any, updates you will apply plus provides you will a blurb and > further info link to understand what the update is for. The selection is "Notify me but don't automatically download or install them" Do I get a popup when browsing? How does this work? From Windows Update, I understand how Custom install works, and from WU I understand how Automatic works. I'm trying to understand how all the different modes work. I do understand how important it is to be selective - for example, I've read about problems with the most recent .NET updates. Thanks, Pat
Guest Pat Posted July 30, 2007 Posted July 30, 2007 Re: Automatic Updates behavior on Windows XP? Ah, never mind, I see it. There's an icon in the task bar that tells me if an update is available. BTW, it is only updating existing components. It is not "upreving" components - that it, it is not updating IE6 to IE7, or WMP10 to WMP11. Pat
Guest Pat Posted July 30, 2007 Posted July 30, 2007 Re: Automatic Updates behavior on Windows XP? "Pat" wrote... > "Vanguard" wrote... : > > - Notify only (don't download and don't install). That is the safest > > choice. You decide when to tax your host with the download(s). You > > decide by selecting Custom (whereas Express leaves you blind) as to > > which, if any, updates you will apply plus provides you will a blurb and > > further info link to understand what the update is for. > > The selection is > "Notify me but don't automatically download or install them" O.K, what this selection does is this: You get a popup when updates are available. You click the popup, and you get a list of updates. Any update you select is only DOWNLOADED when you click the Download button. The updates are installed when you shut down the computer. You know, this is probably the best way to install updates, because when you shut down, Windows kills all unnecessary processes, then installs the updates.
Guest Bruce Chambers Posted July 31, 2007 Posted July 31, 2007 Re: Automatic Updates behavior on Windows XP? Pat wrote: > If I enable Automatic Updates for WinXP, it will only install CRITICAL updates, right? > No, if you leave it set to "Automatic," you'll get everything offered, whether you want it or not. > IOW, it won't update IE6 to IE7, or WMP10 to WMP11, for example? > > Yes, it will. I really don't like to see people use the Automatic Updates, unless they take precautions to ensure that no patches get installed without the user's express permission, given only after he/she has researched each individual patch to ensure that it applies and is necessary. Due to the nearly infinite number of possible combinations of hardware, device drivers, and applications on any given PC, it's impossible to guarantee that all patches will be 100% harmless. In a very small number of cases, patches and hotfixes can cause conflicts or other problems. So, as with all changes to an OS, caution is advised. In the overwhelming majority of cases, all "Critical" updates should be installed. These address serious issues that can affect a large number of computers. There will be only rare occasions when a Critical update will not apply. Of special importance are those that address security vulnerabilities. If people had installed the available critical updates in July of 2003, the Blaster and Welchia worms would not have spread throughout the Internet the following month. In the unlikely event that problems do develop, you can always use the Control Panel's Add/Remove Programs applet or a System Restore Point to uninstall the troublesome hotfix. For the "Recommended" updates, simply study the information provided to see if these updates apply in your specific situation. If they don't apply, or you're not experiencing the problem(s) addressed, you needn't install them. For instance, I have no use for WinXP's MovieMaker, so I ignore any updates to it. Again, in the unlikely event that problems do develop, you can always use the Control Panel's Add/Remove Programs applet or a System Restore Point to uninstall the troublesome hotfix. In general, though, I've found it best *not* to download the "Driver" updates from Windows Update, unless they're for a hardware device originally manufactured by Microsoft. Device drivers provided by each component's manufacturer's web site are likely to perform better and offer more features than will the watered-down, "generic" drivers that those manufacturers provide to Microsoft for distribution via Windows Update. -- Bruce Chambers Help us help you: http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell
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