Why do I want to install these updates?

[A-non-i-moose]

I have a new computer, installed it about ten days ago.

A few minutes ago, a message popped up in the bottom right corner telling me
to install Windows updates. I checked and found that Windows wants me to
install between 386 and 423 MB of updates -- damn, that's about as much
stuff as I have on my HD to start with.

These are the updates listed:

-- Office 2003 SP1 -- but I don't run Office 2003 or any components thereof.

-- Microsoft .NET Framework SP1 and Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Family
Update -- What is this???

-- 2007 Office SP1 -- Maybe I could use this one as I am running Office
2007.

So -- what do I do??

 

[Michael Walraven]

update

 

[A-non-i-moose]

If true, then it won't install. Choose to install.


Read the description. Then choose to install or not.


No "maybe" about it. Install.

Well, I see Vista is typical Microsoft. Spent an hour downloaded 300-plus
MB of updates, installed, then the installation stopped and I got an error
message: "One update installed, two updates did not install due to unknown
error."

Think I'll forget it, turn off the automatic update -- I don't need the
frustration.

 

[Joe Morris]

I have a new computer, installed it about ten days ago.

A few minutes ago, a message popped up in the bottom right corner telling
me to install Windows updates. I checked and found that Windows wants me
to install between 386 and 423 MB of updates -- damn, that's about as much
stuff as I have on my HD to start with.

These are the updates listed:

-- Office 2003 SP1 -- but I don't run Office 2003 or any components
thereof.

Did you install *any* members of the Office 2003 *family* even if you later
removed them? Examples are Project 2003 and Office Communicator 2003
(probably not for a consumer machine) and Visio 2003 (slightly more likely).
IIRC there's a bug in the Windows Update logic that asks for the Office 2003
service pack when members of the Office 2003 family (but not Office 2003
itself) are present...and when you attempt to install the service pack,
you're told that it doesn't apply to you.

Look in the folder "%programfiles%\common files\microsoft shared" and see if
there is a folder named "OFFICE11" containing the file MSO.DLL - if so
you've probably got something from the Office 2003 family. (The Office 2007
installer will create the OFFICE11 folder for some reason so that alone
isn't a good test)

-- Microsoft .NET Framework SP1 and Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Family
Update -- What is this???

You need this. The .NET Framework is the underlying foundation used by many
applications, and allows developers to avoid having to worry about the
nitty-gritty details of how the guts of Windows works. Like it or not (and
I've complained to my Microsoft sales reps about the incredibly poor design
of the installers and updaters for .NET) it's a part of Windows' future, and
it's got security holes that you really do need to plug. Just don't be
surprised if the updater takes a long time to complete, during which nothing
seems to be happening.

..NET version 3.x is actually an extension of .NET 2, so you get both in the
same package. AFAIK nothing uses .NET version 1 but version 1.1 is required
for some products. All three versions (1.1, 2.x, and 3.x) can coexist in
the same way that multiple versions of Java Runtime Environment can all be
installed.

-- 2007 Office SP1 -- Maybe I could use this one as I am running Office
2007.

No update is guaranteed to be free of gotchas, but unless you've got a
strong reason to believe that it will cause problems you should install it.
And as an application update (rather than one for an operating system) if
something breaks you can just uninstall Office, reboot, and reinstall it
without losing your document files.

Joe Morris