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How important are optional updates?

Discussion in 'Legacy Windows' started by Marv6, 2014/12/10.

  1. 2014/12/10
    Marv6 Lifetime Subscription

    Marv6 Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Windows update offered KB3000850 in November and KB3013769 and KB3013816 today. I noticed that some people had real problems with KB3000850. Would you recommend I install them or not? Or, only if they address specific problems that one might have? Also, do optional updates download if windows update is set to automatic? I do not use auto update.

    Thank you.
     
    Marv6,
    #1
  2. 2014/12/10
    Evan Omo

    Evan Omo Computer Support Technician Staff

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    Hi Marv6. I never install device drivers offered by Windows Update but if they are regular updates from Microsoft that are optional I do install them. Windows does not install optional updates automatically. You need to open Windows Update and manually select and install them.

    Just create a System Restore Point before installing the optional updates and you should be fine.
     
    Evan Omo,
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  4. 2014/12/10
    Marv6 Lifetime Subscription

    Marv6 Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Evan, thanks!!!
     
    Marv6,
    #3
  5. 2014/12/10
    Evan Omo

    Evan Omo Computer Support Technician Staff

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    My pleasure. :)
     
    Evan Omo,
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  6. 2014/12/11
    Bill

    Bill SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    I think it is important to understand that 10s (100s!) of million users leave Windows Update with its default settings and have no problems whatsoever. That is, WU automatically downloads and installs updates and all is good. With well over 1 Billion Windows systems out there, it is inevitable there will be some exceptions. But exceptions don't make the rule.

    That said, I have WU set to download, but yell at me to install. I typically wait a day or two (while listening for any fallout) before installing. And I typically do install the optional ones too. But that's just me. I have no problems recommending folks leave the default settings alone because keeping our computers fully updated is, BY FAR, essential to help keep our systems secure.

    And FTR, I do install drivers offered, if they are more current than what is already installed. Note these are not driver updates Microsoft decided we need (unless you have a Microsoft mouse or keyboard). These are drivers the hardware maker provided to MS for distribution. A lot of hardware (like graphics) have applets that check for updates. But a lot of hardware does not.
     
    Bill,
    #5
    Steve R Jones and Marv6 like this.
  7. 2014/12/12
    Steve R Jones

    Steve R Jones SuperGeek Staff

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    And I'm one of those exceptions... I replaced a hard drive in a Dell lappy... Installed somewhere near 300 updates including SP1 and an update to update the updater...

    Installed a ton of other stuff for the user.... But then 15 updates failed... Some got hung up doing the install at shutdown etc.... I disabled Win update and was able to somehow clear out the installs during shutdown... I'll revisit it later...

    But BILL - thanks for posting about updating hardware via Win Updates. I was at an MVP conference and got to hear straight from MS how companies like Dell create and test the drivers and how MS puts their blessing and makes them available. It's hard to convince tech type people that the drivers work well.

    I was directed to this site and spend more time reading about updates before installing them in the future:
    http://www.infoworld.com/article/28...3011970-silverlight-kb-3004394-root-cert.html
     
    Steve R Jones,
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  8. 2014/12/12
    Bill

    Bill SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    That is truly an exception because most users don't get 300 updates coming at them at once. And also, WU expects previously released updates to already be installed - many of which are prerequisites for future updates.

    I seen similar cases where fresh OS installs require 100s of updates and chunks fail. But typically a reboot and run WU again (and maybe again and again) and eventually, they typically get sorted out (at least with W7 and W8).

    Yeah, I've been a Woody Leonhard follower forever!
     
    Bill,
    #7
  9. 2014/12/12
    Steve R Jones

    Steve R Jones SuperGeek Staff

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    My updates came in chunks....starting off with a non SP1 dvd... The biggest group was 200 which was probably after SP1 came down.
     
    Steve R Jones,
    #8
  10. 2014/12/12
    Marv6 Lifetime Subscription

    Marv6 Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    KB3000850 seems to have hung up at about 4% download(maybe I did not give it enough time over 20 minutes, so, downloaded the standalone and installed it. So far no problems, except that Norton 360 stopped working and the internet connection was lost, but, after a few minutes I got both back.
     
    Marv6,
    #9
  11. 2014/12/12
    Bill

    Bill SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    Not sure what to say here. I just ran WU on 3 W8.1 and 3 W7 systems and each update installed with no problems.

    I have never been a fan of Norton products. They are great at keeping systems secure, but they are also great at imposing significant hits on resources. And they are nearly impossible for the normal user to fully uninstall and can be a real challenge for the pros to uninstall too. :(

    I use MSE and MBAM with Windows Firewall on all my W7 systems and the new Windows Defender and MBAM with Windows Firewall on my w8.1 systems.
     
    Bill,
    #10

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