81 Critical Updates!

[Philip Papeman]

Hi Folks,

I've "inherited" a 2-year-old Dell Dimension 9100 with Windows XP Pro SP2
and Office 2003. Although Norton Internet Security is current, it appears
that neither Windows XP nor MS Office have ever been updated.

A visit to the Microsoft Update site reveals that I require 81 critical
updates (175.4 MB , 1 hour 9 minutes) to get this system up to snuff. Should
I download ALL of these at once or should I install them in batches, say 10
updates at a time?

Any advice or suggestions greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
Phil

PS
If there is a more appropriate group for this question, please advise.

 

[PowerUser]

All at once will be fine.

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

A visit to the Microsoft Update site reveals that I require 81 critical
updates (175.4 MB , 1 hour 9 minutes) to get this system up to snuff. Should
I download ALL of these at once or should I install them in batches, say 10
updates at a time?

Any advice or suggestions greatly appreciated.

Got Broadband?

If yes, GO FOR IT!

 

[Pat]

Synchronicity... I just posted almost the exact same question (but for different
reasons)

But even I know not to install all at once. A hiccup in your internet connection, best
case, you gotta do it all over again. Worst case, you've got lots of leftover files left
over.

I plan on doing them 10 critical updates at a time. I just don't know if there is a
recommended Best Practices as to what to do first. If no one has any better ideas, I'm
going to start with the oldest and work towards the newest.

Pat

 

[Patrick Keenan]

Hi Folks,

I've "inherited" a 2-year-old Dell Dimension 9100 with Windows XP Pro SP2
and Office 2003. Although Norton Internet Security is current, it appears
that neither Windows XP nor MS Office have ever been updated.

A visit to the Microsoft Update site reveals that I require 81 critical
updates (175.4 MB , 1 hour 9 minutes) to get this system up to snuff.
Should I download ALL of these at once or should I install them in
batches, say 10 updates at a time?

Any advice or suggestions greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
Phil

PS
If there is a more appropriate group for this question, please advise.

Sounds about the right amount. I do them all at once - set it up, wait for
the few agreements, and proceed. Go for dinner, watch a movie, do something
fun or productive, or both.

Note that a few items, like IE7 and I think newer Windows Medial Players,
will require windows validation. This isn't a bad thing, but the install
will stop till you agree. You may wish to separate those two items to
a second pass.

HTH
-pk

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Hi Folks,

I've "inherited" a 2-year-old Dell Dimension 9100 with Windows XP Pro SP2
and Office 2003. Although Norton Internet Security is current, it appears
that neither Windows XP nor MS Office have ever been updated.

A visit to the Microsoft Update site reveals that I require 81 critical
updates (175.4 MB , 1 hour 9 minutes) to get this system up to snuff. Should
I download ALL of these at once or should I install them in batches, say 10
updates at a time?

Any advice or suggestions greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
Phil

PS
If there is a more appropriate group for this question, please advise.

I would do a few at a time, myself, just in case one or more of the
patches conflicts with something else on the computer. Then it would be
easier to determine which one caused the problem and remove it. 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:



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

 

[JS]

I'd make a backup of your Windows partition first, just to be safe.
This way if something goes wrong you can always go back to what you have
now.

Backup Solutions

True Image: (has a 15 day free trial)
http://www.acronis.com/

Ghost:
http://www.symantec.com/home_homeoffice/products/overview.jsp?pcid=br&pvid=ghost12

It's a matter of preference, both are image backup utilities and work well.
The backup (image file) needs to be created on a second drive (internal or
external).
Check each product to see if it's supports your storage media and interface
(USB, Etc.)

JS

 

[V Green]

Hi Folks,

I've "inherited" a 2-year-old Dell Dimension 9100 with Windows XP Pro SP2
and Office 2003. Although Norton Internet Security is current, it appears
that neither Windows XP nor MS Office have ever been updated.

A visit to the Microsoft Update site reveals that I require 81 critical
updates (175.4 MB , 1 hour 9 minutes) to get this system up to snuff. Should
I download ALL of these at once or should I install them in batches, say 10
updates at a time?

Hell, no.

Several of them were VERY BADLY coded, released without proper
testing, and resulted in BSOD's and/or other system misbehavior
on machines with certain software/hardware configs. The original
misbehaving release MAY or MAY NOT have been fixed subsequently.

Take down the KB numbers that reference the updates and Google
them. Check to make sure you don't have any of the stuff that
will cause them to screw up.

And beware - some of these do NOT fit the definition
of a "critical" update. Media Player 11 is one of these - WMP 11 is billed
as a "critical" update (I think) but it is a major POS - a clear
"downgrade" from WMP 10.

 

[Harry Ohrn]

I go here download what I want and install later
http://www.softwarepatch.com/windows/index.html
Scroll down to the Windows XP Essentials section. You can also download from
here http://www.softwarepatch.com/security/winxpsp2-security.html

While many of the purists won't like these links the fact is that the files
are all genuine MS hotfixes. I have six systems all running that I patched
from these sites. I really dislike the Windows Autoupdate Site and it's
tendency to deliver "fixes" I neither want or need - like IE 7 for example.

 

[Leythos]

Hi Folks,

I've "inherited" a 2-year-old Dell Dimension 9100 with Windows XP Pro SP2
and Office 2003. Although Norton Internet Security is current, it appears
that neither Windows XP nor MS Office have ever been updated.

A visit to the Microsoft Update site reveals that I require 81 critical
updates (175.4 MB , 1 hour 9 minutes) to get this system up to snuff. Should
I download ALL of these at once or should I install them in batches, say 10
updates at a time?

Any advice or suggestions greatly appreciated.

If you properly get Microsoft Update working, the updates will download
to the machine overnight and then you can install them the next day.

If you're in a hurry, just do all of them. I've never had a problem
doing all of them at the same time - just don't do the hardware updates
until you have a system backup to recover from.

--

Leythos
- Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum.
- Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented worker" is like calling a
drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist"
(e-mail address removed) (remove 999 for proper email address)

 

[PowerUser]

All is not lost with a hiccup in the connection. Whatever is downloaded is
saved. It will not be downloaded again, simply installed when you visit WU
the next time.

I generally patch all my clean OS installs completely and all at once.
However I will add that waiting a longer time - like in your case, 2 years
before the updates are installed - could cause problems with an update.

 

[dobey]

Sounds about the right amount. I do them all at once - set it up, wait
for the few agreements, and proceed. Go for dinner, watch a movie, do
something fun or productive, or both.

Note that a few items, like IE7 and I think newer Windows Medial Players,
will require windows validation. This isn't a bad thing, but the install
will stop till you agree. You may wish to separate those two items
to a second pass.

HTH
-pk

You make it sound like he can't use the PC while the updates are installing.

To the OP.
Usually Windows Update will tell you is an update needs to be installed by
itself, so all at once should be fine.

 

[Pat]

Would it be too much to ask if there is a cumulative update of the moment that could
just be downloaded?

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

Would it be too much to ask if there is a cumulative update of the moment that could
just be downloaded?

Ask away... but it won't change anything.

You're wasting your and our time. Download it and be done with this.

 

[dobey]

Would it be too much to ask if there is a cumulative update of the moment
that could
just be downloaded?

Service pack 3 I expect.

Would it make any difference though?
I expect it would be not much smaller, and not much easier to install.
Windows update doesn't require much interaction, and you still need to
download the data anyway. One large file, or twenty small ones.

 

[GHalleck]

Service pack 3 I expect.

Would it make any difference though?
I expect it would be not much smaller, and not much easier to install.
Windows update doesn't require much interaction, and you still need to
download the data anyway. One large file, or twenty small ones.

The one good thing about SP3 would probably be that it can be obtained
on a cdrom...unless Microsoft has bought a communications company and
insists on pushing everything through high-speed internet connections.

 

[Curt Christianson]

Hi dobey,

Of course one *can* use the computer while at Windows Update, but "best
practices" suggest otherwise. I personally *never* do anything to possibly
disrupt the update process. Not only do I *not* use the computer, I make
sure that no screensavers are activated, power schemes set so that nothing
goes "to sleep" while I'm updating. These are just little items that help
to make the update process a little less risky. It goes along the same
lines as when you are working with CD/DVD's. It is always suggested to do
nothing else on the machine while burning and ripping CD's to lessen the
chance of creating a coaster.

--
HTH,
Curt

Windows Support Center
www.aumha.org
Practically Nerded,...
http://dundats.mvps.org/Index.htm

|
| | > | >> Hi Folks,
| >>
| >> I've "inherited" a 2-year-old Dell Dimension 9100 with Windows XP Pro
SP2
| >> and Office 2003. Although Norton Internet Security is current, it
appears
| >> that neither Windows XP nor MS Office have ever been updated.
| >>
| >> A visit to the Microsoft Update site reveals that I require 81 critical
| >> updates (175.4 MB , 1 hour 9 minutes) to get this system up to snuff.
| >> Should I download ALL of these at once or should I install them in
| >> batches, say 10 updates at a time?
| >>
| >> Any advice or suggestions greatly appreciated.
| >>
| >> Thanks.
| >> Phil
| >>
| >> PS
| >> If there is a more appropriate group for this question, please advise.
| >
| > Sounds about the right amount. I do them all at once - set it up, wait
| > for the few agreements, and proceed. Go for dinner, watch a movie, do
| > something fun or productive, or both.
| >
| > Note that a few items, like IE7 and I think newer Windows Medial
Players,
| > will require windows validation. This isn't a bad thing, but the
install
| > will stop till you agree. You may wish to separate those two items
| > to a second pass.
| >
| > HTH
| > -pk
| >
|
| You make it sound like he can't use the PC while the updates are
installing.
|
| To the OP.
| Usually Windows Update will tell you is an update needs to be installed by
| itself, so all at once should be fine.
|
|

 

[Pat]

Best Practice for using Windows Update:

1. Boot the computer from powerdown.
2. Log into an Administrator account.
3. Shut down all unnecessary background processes (Acrobat Distiller, Picasso, etc).
When I run WU, the only programs I have running (other than normal Windows background
processes) is my firewall, Spybot, and Sysinternal's Process Explorer.
4. Run Windows Update. (do not run anything else, do not check your email or surf the
web)
5. Leave the computer alone until all updates have been processed.
6. When completed, reboot into your normal user account.

Pat

 

[Pat]

...

Service pack 3 I expect.

Would it make any difference though?
I expect it would be not much smaller, and not much easier to install.
Windows update doesn't require much interaction, and you still need to
download the data anyway. One large file, or twenty small ones.

Hmmm... I ran WU on my XP computer & got over 70 requested updates.

I manually downloaded about 10 of the most recent XP updates from here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...BAE0-4317-A1A9-0C56CD979D05&sortCriteria=date

Now, WU shows I only need about 20 XP updates.

 

[Curt Christianson]

Good one there Pat. And thank you.

--
HTH,
Curt

Windows Support Center
www.aumha.org
Practically Nerded,...
http://dundats.mvps.org/Index.htm

| Best Practice for using Windows Update:
|
| 1. Boot the computer from powerdown.
| 2. Log into an Administrator account.
| 3. Shut down all unnecessary background processes (Acrobat Distiller,
Picasso, etc).
| When I run WU, the only programs I have running (other than normal Windows
background
| processes) is my firewall, Spybot, and Sysinternal's Process Explorer.
| 4. Run Windows Update. (do not run anything else, do not check your email
or surf the
| web)
| 5. Leave the computer alone until all updates have been processed.
| 6. When completed, reboot into your normal user account.
|
| Pat
|
|
|
| "Curt Christianson" wrote...
| > Hi dobey,
| >
| > Of course one *can* use the computer while at Windows Update, but "best
| > practices" suggest otherwise. I personally *never* do anything to
possibly
| > disrupt the update process. Not only do I *not* use the computer, I
make
| > sure that no screensavers are activated, power schemes set so that
nothing
| > goes "to sleep" while I'm updating. These are just little items that
help
| > to make the update process a little less risky. It goes along the same
| > lines as when you are working with CD/DVD's. It is always suggested to
do
| > nothing else on the machine while burning and ripping CD's to lessen the
| > chance of creating a coaster.
| >
| > --
| > HTH,
| > Curt
| >
| > Windows Support Center
| > www.aumha.org
| > Practically Nerded,...
| > http://dundats.mvps.org/Index.htm
| >
| > | > |
| > | | > | > | > | >> Hi Folks,
| > | >>
| > | >> I've "inherited" a 2-year-old Dell Dimension 9100 with Windows XP
Pro
| > SP2
| > | >> and Office 2003. Although Norton Internet Security is current, it
| > appears
| > | >> that neither Windows XP nor MS Office have ever been updated.
| > | >>
| > | >> A visit to the Microsoft Update site reveals that I require 81
critical
| > | >> updates (175.4 MB , 1 hour 9 minutes) to get this system up to
snuff.
| > | >> Should I download ALL of these at once or should I install them in
| > | >> batches, say 10 updates at a time?
| > | >>
| > | >> Any advice or suggestions greatly appreciated.
| > | >>
| > | >> Thanks.
| > | >> Phil
| > | >>
| > | >> PS
| > | >> If there is a more appropriate group for this question, please
advise.
| > | >
| > | > Sounds about the right amount. I do them all at once - set it up,
wait
| > | > for the few agreements, and proceed. Go for dinner, watch a movie,
do
| > | > something fun or productive, or both.
| > | >
| > | > Note that a few items, like IE7 and I think newer Windows Medial
| > Players,
| > | > will require windows validation. This isn't a bad thing, but the
| > install
| > | > will stop till you agree. You may wish to separate those two
items
| > | > to a second pass.
| > | >
| > | > HTH
| > | > -pk
| > | >
| > |
| > | You make it sound like he can't use the PC while the updates are
| > installing.
| > |
| > | To the OP.
| > | Usually Windows Update will tell you is an update needs to be
installed by
| > | itself, so all at once should be fine.
| > |
| > |
| >
| >
|
|