C
Chris Bailey
I manage about 25 PCs here running Windows XP with SP2 and all the current
updates except this last batch that has come out. We have a T-1 to the
Internet so all machines have 24/7 Internet access.
When SP2 came out, I decided at last to turn on automatic updating for
everybody. As we all know, with any "critical" update that gets installed,
there's always a chance that the fix will cause unexpected problems, so I
was always reluctant to install updates on my mission-critical systems
without testing them first. But the increasing rate of viruses and other
computer malfeasance has made me decide to err on the side of caution for
the future.
However, I'd prefer it if I could divide my computers up into groups so that
set "A" gets its updates on Monday nights, set "B" gets done on Tuesday, and
so on. That way if a new update comes out that causes some terrible problem,
I can go around and stop the other systems from being updated until the
updated-update is released.
I'm finding it's not working as planned. I think I know why, but I'd like
someone else to confirm this -- and maybe suggest a way to fix it. Let's say
that set "A" is programmed to get its updates every Monday at 3:00 AM. What
appears to happen is that they download the updates, then spend the next
week alerting the user that "updates are ready for your computer" before
installing them.
What I think is happening is that it finds new updates at 3:00 AM, downloads
them, and by the time it's complete it's 3:02 AM and Windows figures it has
to wait until next Monday at 3:00 AM to install the updates it has. The
behavior I've set for Automatic Updates is "Automatically download
recommended updates for my computer and install them at (time)". Technically
-- grammatically, I might say -- I think it should say "...and *then*
install them", but it doesn't.
My only option appears to be to set each computer to do *daily* checks, and
even that will result in a 24-hour lapse between the updates being
downloaded and them being installed. This seems contrary to the behavior
I've set. Can anyone confirm this is working the way it should, or if I have
something mis-set here?
Thanks,
Chris Bailey
Saint Joseph, Michigan
updates except this last batch that has come out. We have a T-1 to the
Internet so all machines have 24/7 Internet access.
When SP2 came out, I decided at last to turn on automatic updating for
everybody. As we all know, with any "critical" update that gets installed,
there's always a chance that the fix will cause unexpected problems, so I
was always reluctant to install updates on my mission-critical systems
without testing them first. But the increasing rate of viruses and other
computer malfeasance has made me decide to err on the side of caution for
the future.
However, I'd prefer it if I could divide my computers up into groups so that
set "A" gets its updates on Monday nights, set "B" gets done on Tuesday, and
so on. That way if a new update comes out that causes some terrible problem,
I can go around and stop the other systems from being updated until the
updated-update is released.
I'm finding it's not working as planned. I think I know why, but I'd like
someone else to confirm this -- and maybe suggest a way to fix it. Let's say
that set "A" is programmed to get its updates every Monday at 3:00 AM. What
appears to happen is that they download the updates, then spend the next
week alerting the user that "updates are ready for your computer" before
installing them.
What I think is happening is that it finds new updates at 3:00 AM, downloads
them, and by the time it's complete it's 3:02 AM and Windows figures it has
to wait until next Monday at 3:00 AM to install the updates it has. The
behavior I've set for Automatic Updates is "Automatically download
recommended updates for my computer and install them at (time)". Technically
-- grammatically, I might say -- I think it should say "...and *then*
install them", but it doesn't.
My only option appears to be to set each computer to do *daily* checks, and
even that will result in a 24-hour lapse between the updates being
downloaded and them being installed. This seems contrary to the behavior
I've set. Can anyone confirm this is working the way it should, or if I have
something mis-set here?
Thanks,
Chris Bailey
Saint Joseph, Michigan