Windows updates

[Dennis Allen]

Hi. I'm looking for some advice. I belong to a local astronomy club.
Our clubhouse has a xp computer, but only a dialup Internet account.
Now we only visit the clubhouse a couple times a month. So every time
we connect to the Internet, it takes hours to download the latest
Windows updates.

Question. Is there a way I could download Window fixes on my computer,
burn them to a CD, then install the fixes to the clubhouse computer from
the CD?

 

[Leonard Grey]

You could query Windows Update on the club's computer, make note of the
updates you want to install, go back to your house, download the updates
separately (if you know where to find them,) burn them to a CD, bring
them back to the club's computer and install them one by one. Does that
sound faster than letting the club's computer update itself? Unlikely.
And considering that you can let Windows Update run overnight,
unattended, that's your surest and safest option.

Errare humanum est

 

[Dennis Allen]

That's my question. If I know which updates the club computer needs,
how can I download them to my computer as EXE files and burn them on CD?
My computer is on Windows auto update mode and already has the most
recent fixes...Dennis

 

[Leonard Grey]

The description of each update tells you the knowledgebase (KB) article
where you can find more information about the update. That will point
you to a link where you can download the update.

Give it a try. You'll see...it's faster (and more reliable and safer) to
let the computer update itself.

 

[Richard]

That's my question. If I know which updates the club computer needs, how
can I download them to my computer as EXE files and burn them on CD? My
computer is on Windows auto update mode and already has the most recent
fixes...Dennis

Hi Dennis,

Windows Update reads the configuration of the computer so the download only
includes what is needed for that particular computer. Is your computer
exactly identical to the club computer? Same Internet Explorer version? same
Service Pack level? Same build? Same edition? Same hardware? The club may
need some updates for its configuration that you do not need and vice versa.

(Is the computer too big to carry somewhere with a broadband connection?

If you can identify the KB numbers for the updates the computer needs, you
may be able to go to the KB web page and get the larger generic download
file for installation. Just substitute 6 digit KB numbers into this URL:

Security Update for Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/956844

On the above page link, this link is uppermost:
Home users:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/updates/bulletins/200909.aspx

That's the September 2009 updates, but see various download options there.
When I clicked on the download center link, it automatically searched for
"security update" and displayed results. I then clicked Refine Results, and
clicked Release Date: Last 30 days. And clicked Go. It acted like nothing
happened, but about half a minute later it updated the results. It had the 5
September updates, and check out this bonus one below:

September 2009 Security Release ISO Image
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...FamilyID=fab6b8f8-b766-4146-b86d-0953d19d95ab
This DVD5 ISO image file contains the security updates for Windows released
on Windows Update on September 8th, 2009.

Is that what you need? Does your club and your computer have DVD?

Ouch. I followed that link. 700.8 MB and these times:
dialup(56K) = 28 hr 29 min on dialup(56K).
DSL/Cable (256K) = 6 hr 14 min
DSL/Cable (768K) = 2 hr 5 min
T1 (1.5M) = 1 hr 4 min

Of course that download includes everything needed for every kind of
configuration, and 24 languages. It only installs what is needed.

What do you use the club computer for? Randomly surfing the web? If so, you
need the most recent critical security updates. If it is only connecting to
known trusted sites, there is not that big of a hurry to update it. How far
out in the country is your dark sky site?

Keep in mind that you can interrupt downloads from Windows Update, and when
you connect again, the download will pick up where it left off, after you go
back to the website and restart it. If you use Automatic Updates, you can
also disconnect while it is downloading, and when you connect again, it will
automatically pick up where it left off, without you doing anything. If you
use Automatic Updates, it uses BITS (Background Intelligent Transfer
Service), which allows you to continue using the computer.

"BITS transfers files by using leftover bandwidth. For example, if you are
currently using 60 percent of your bandwidth, BITS will only use the
remaining 40 percent. BITS also maintains file transfers when a network
disconnection occurs or a computer must be restarted. When the network
connection is reestablished, BITS will continue from the point it was
disrupted."

(Astronomers sitting in the dark are not all that brilliant!

Clear Skies!
--Richard
Director, Tel-Pardec Observatory