How do I know when to add a new Vista "update"

[rich]

I get a message every now and then from Windows telling me about new updates
.. Some are for Vista and some are for XP. One or two seem to be updates on
Vista, which I have installed on one newer machine.

How do I know if these have already been installed on my 5 month old
machine, or if I need to install them???

There are many things that seem to work better on my XP
machine...so.....perhaps Windows has "fixed" Vista to work the same way?
How does one know what to install and what not to install? thanks Rich

 

[Malke]

I get a message every now and then from Windows telling me about new
updates
. Some are for Vista and some are for XP. One or two seem to be updates
on Vista, which I have installed on one newer machine.

How do I know if these have already been installed on my 5 month old
machine, or if I need to install them???

There are many things that seem to work better on my XP
machine...so.....perhaps Windows has "fixed" Vista to work the same way?
How does one know what to install and what not to install? thanks Rich

From where are you getting this message? In email? Microsoft never sends
emails with attachments with "patches" to run. Those are viruses.

Windows Update will give the notice that updates are available for your
computer if you've set it to "download updates but let me choose when to
install them" (which I recommend doing). However, it will never tell you
updates are available for a different operating system than what you are
running. This has not changed in Vista. It is the same as it was in XP.

Please give a more exact description of these messages - how you are getting
them and quote the text of what they say.

Malke

 

[rich]

Here is the headline.... Since I have both XP and Vista on my machine(s) ..I
must have signed up to have this done on one of them. MY email address is
the same on both machines, so I can't just look on the Vista ( or the XP )
machine ...

My question is...how do I know what is already on my machine as far as
updates? What if I download an update that has already been put on my
machine? Which download is something that I might need?? Most of the
descriptions are pure garble to a non-computer guy.. regards, Rich

******************************************


February 29, 2008


"Microsoft Download Notifications is a weekly mailing that points you to the
latest free downloads and download-related services from Microsoft. The
following offerings are now available in your preferred categories. Register
now if you are not already receiving this free mailing. To find more
downloads, visit the Microsoft Download Center. For support with downloads,
visit the Help and Support site."

 

[Bob F.]

Here is the headline.... Since I have both XP and Vista on my machine(s)
..I must have signed up to have this done on one of them. MY email address
is the same on both machines, so I can't just look on the Vista ( or the
XP ) machine ...

My question is...how do I know what is already on my machine as far as
updates? What if I download an update that has already been put on my
machine? Which download is something that I might need?? Most of the
descriptions are pure garble to a non-computer guy.. regards, Rich

******************************************


February 29, 2008


"Microsoft Download Notifications is a weekly mailing that points you to
the latest free downloads and download-related services from Microsoft.
The following offerings are now available in your preferred categories.
Register now if you are not already receiving this free mailing. To find
more downloads, visit the Microsoft Download Center. For support with
downloads, visit the Help and Support site."

This all happens automatically for you, if you have auto-updates turned on.
It has nothing to do with your e-mail address or even e-mail. The update
come directly from a Microsoft site (or a site set up by Microsoft). You
can go to Control Panel > Windows Update (Vista machine) and see a list of
updates performed on your machine. A similar page is on your XP machine.
Some of this is in "Tech speak" but there is an option to tell you in a more
English like fashion what the update was for. Does that help?

 

[Malke]

Here is the headline.... Since I have both XP and Vista on my machine(s)
..I must have signed up to have this done on one of them. MY email address
is
the same on both machines, so I can't just look on the Vista ( or the XP
) machine ...

My question is...how do I know what is already on my machine as far as
updates? What if I download an update that has already been put on my
machine? Which download is something that I might need?? Most of the
descriptions are pure garble to a non-computer guy.. regards, Rich

******************************************

February 29, 2008


"Microsoft Download Notifications is a weekly mailing that points you to
the latest free downloads and download-related services from Microsoft.
The following offerings are now available in your preferred categories.
Register now if you are not already receiving this free mailing. To find
more downloads, visit the Microsoft Download Center. For support with
downloads, visit the Help and Support site."

OK, so this is a legitimate email from Microsoft which you signed up for.
The email is just an alert. You don't need to manually download/install
updates, nor should you. On both XP and Vista set your Automatic Updates
(XP) and Windows Update (Vista) to "download updates but let me choose when
to install them". When updates are available, you'll get the little yellow
shield in the Notification Area in XP and something similar in Vista. In
XP, click on the shield to see the updates - change the setting from
"Express" to "Custom" so you can see what you're installing. In Vista, you
click on the updates icon in the Notification Area and IIRC the Windows
Update applet will open and there's a link you can click to see what you're
installing. There is always a description of the update (or you can look it
up on Microsoft's website).

Basically, you always want to install security updates and never install
drivers. Besides, it's good to know what you're putting into your innocent
little machine. ;-)

Malke

 

[rich]

OK..It seems that I have my Vista machine set up to "automatically install
updates every morning at 3:00 a.m." Yet, when I went to that spot on my
control panel, it has an uninstalled update for MS Office (which came on the
machine and I will never pay for and use)?????.

It also had uninstalled updates for my printer and my ATA card?? Which I
told it to install.

It also has something --uninstalled--called Silverlight ??? from MS. How is
a normal person supposed to know what MS is putting on my machine? It seems
like a lot of it just slows everything else down..but..no doubt.....some of
it is very important.

Give me back my XP...at least I didn't have as many items to deal with and
everything worked like it was supposed to. Are they EVER going to come out
with an update to Vista to make it work as well as its predecessor?

Thanks for all over your help. This 68 year old guy just doesn't get all of
the "improvements" that I had--- no choice--- but to purchase when I
replaced my other computer... Thanks, again...Rich

 

[Malke]

OK..It seems that I have my Vista machine set up to "automatically install
updates every morning at 3:00 a.m." Yet, when I went to that spot on my
control panel, it has an uninstalled update for MS Office (which came on
the machine and I will never pay for and use)?????.

It also had uninstalled updates for my printer and my ATA card?? Which I
told it to install.

It also has something --uninstalled--called Silverlight ??? from MS. How
is a normal person supposed to know what MS is putting on my machine? It
seems like a lot of it just slows everything else down..but..no
doubt.....some of it is very important.

A person does what I suggested and doesn't have his Windows Updates set on
Automatic - not in XP, not in Vista. Then a person does a teensy bit of
research to find out what the updates are for. Google is the best place to
start. For instance, it isn't difficult to find out what Silverlight is by
plugging "Silverlight" into Google as the search term:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Silverlight&btnG=Search

You actually don't want to install drivers for hardware and peripherals like
your ATA (ATI?) card or printer. Not in XP, not in Vista. See below for
general drivers information:

Never get drivers from Windows Update. Get them from:

1. The device mftr.'s website; OR
2. The motherboard mftr.'s website if hardware is onboard; OR
3. The OEM's website for your specific machine if you have an OEM computer
(HP, Dell, Sony, etc.).

Read the installation instructions on the website where you get the drivers.

To find out what hardware is in your computer:

1. Read any documentation you got when you bought the computer.
2. If the computer is OEM, go to the OEM's website for your specific model
machine and look at the specs (you'll be there to get the drivers anyway)
3. Download, install and run a free system inventory program like Belarc
Advisor or System Information for Windows.

http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html - Belarc Advisor
http://www.gtopala.com/ - System Information for Windows

Give me back my XP...at least I didn't have as many items to deal with and
everything worked like it was supposed to. Are they EVER going to come
out with an update to Vista to make it work as well as its predecessor?

See below for general information about replacing Vista with XP:

A. On an OEM (HP, Sony, etc.) computer:

1. Go to the OEM's website and look for XP drivers for your specific model
computer. If there are no XP drivers, then you can't install XP. End of
story. If there are drivers, download them and store on a CD-R or USB
thumbdrive; you'll need them after you install XP.

2. Check with the OEM - either from their tech support website or by calling
them - to see if you will void your warranty if you do this. If you will
void the warranty, you make the decision.

3. If the OEM does support XP on the machine, call them and see if you can
have downgrade rights and have them send you an XP restore disk. This will
be far the easiest and best way of getting XP on the machine.

4. If XP is supported on the machine but the OEM doesn't have an XP restore
disk for you, understand that you'll need to purchase a retail copy of XP
from your favorite online or brick/mortar store.

5. Also understand that you will need to do a clean install of XP so if you
have any data you want, back it up first.

6. If none of the above is applicable to you because you can't run XP on
that machine (see Item #1 above), return the computer and purchase one
running XP instead.

B. On a generic/home-built computer (from non-OEM company) - You will need
drivers for all your hardware. See the second link below for more details:

http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html - Clean Install How-To
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Reinstalling_Windows - What
you will need on-hand

I don't really have anything further to add to this and the thread is
threatening to fall into whinging which I don't deal with, so EOT for me.

Malke

 

[rich]

Malke. Thanks for your help. Installing the "system inventory programs' that
you suggested seems to be the answer that I was looking for.

Sorry if I came off a "whining" but most of us touch our computers only to
get information, not to re-make them.

I will re-set my computer's controls to only install what I tell it to...
and I will research before I do install the suggested updates.... Luckily,
the printer update somehow wasn't able to be installed at all. I got a code
number error message which I will ignore.....
Thanks again, Rich

 

[mikeyhsd]

best thing you can do is to change the UPDATE option to
Check but let me decide what to install.
then research what the updates are for before you allow them to be installed.

if you have a hard time deciding what is needed, you can always ask .

people here are sometimes friendly enough to give a decent answer.






(e-mail address removed)



OK..It seems that I have my Vista machine set up to "automatically install
updates every morning at 3:00 a.m." Yet, when I went to that spot on my
control panel, it has an uninstalled update for MS Office (which came on the
machine and I will never pay for and use)?????.

It also had uninstalled updates for my printer and my ATA card?? Which I
told it to install.

It also has something --uninstalled--called Silverlight ??? from MS. How is
a normal person supposed to know what MS is putting on my machine? It seems
like a lot of it just slows everything else down..but..no doubt.....some of
it is very important.

Give me back my XP...at least I didn't have as many items to deal with and
everything worked like it was supposed to. Are they EVER going to come out
with an update to Vista to make it work as well as its predecessor?

Thanks for all over your help. This 68 year old guy just doesn't get all of
the "improvements" that I had--- no choice--- but to purchase when I
replaced my other computer... Thanks, again...Rich

 

[rich]

Thanks Mikey, I have made that change and..... I can use all of the help I
can get, from any source! regards, Rich