Windows 7 (KB976902) to enable future updates.

Anonymous
2010-10-27T01:37:32+00:00

Today I saw an update on my windows 7 laptop with kb 976902.  It said that it is to allow future updates to install correctly and that after it was installed, I could not remove it.  I looked on Knowledge Base for the article about it and it comes back with no results.  I have read at some places that it is used by SP1 beta.  I do not have SP1 Beta installed on my system.

Does anybody know what this update is for?

Thank you in advance,

vader95

Windows for home | Other | Windows update

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Anonymous
2010-10-27T09:45:34+00:00

This isn't SP1 or beta software or even malware (perplexed9, use some common sense). It's an update that readies the system for when the service pack is released. This occured with the service packs for Vista too.

However this update should not have been released without proper documentation so it wouldn't surprise me if people hold off until there are notes available.

*UPDATE* - Documentation has been released - http://support.microsoft.com/KB/976902

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Anonymous
2010-10-29T13:17:02+00:00

We have publiced the corresponding KB article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976902

KB976902 is the update to the servicing stackcomponent, same purpose with this update: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/937287

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Joshua Tu, MCSE/MCSA +Sec, MCITPPartner Online Technical Community

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  1. Anonymous
    2010-10-27T18:01:14+00:00

    This is a simple update to the Windows servicing stack, most likely in preperation of SP1. It updates the servicing stack from 6.1.7600 to 6.1.7601, you can get this information yourself by just looking at the contents of the update package.

    With directories named amd64_microsoft-windows-servicingstack_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7601.17105_none_67912f55dde10d6f and x86_microsoft-windows-servicingstack_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7601.17105_none_0b7293d225839c39 and looking inside finding things like pkgmgr etc it is easy to work out what this update is for. As others have said, this update is exactly like what came with the Vista SP1 and SP2, and it is also most likely installed along with the current RC of the service pack too. All it does is updates the Windows servicing stack ready for the service pack.

    Any samples given are not meant to have error checking or show best practices. They are meant to just illustrate a point. I may also give inefficient code or introduce some problems to discourage copy/paste coding. This is because the major point of my posts is to aid in the learning process.

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-10-27T18:22:55+00:00

    Agreed, this is a different update, albeit very similar in description and goal, (prepares the system for future updates) but affecting different code, no doubt.   But the real issue is the missing documentation, so until it arrives, it is a legitimate to be cautious and concerned about an update that has a broken link to documentation. Hopefully MS will remedy this in short order.  This sort of thing drives IT departments nuts.  They certainly cannot apply updates that lack documentation.  Supervisor:  "You did what?"   Answering with, "Gee, it was an automatic update" won't cut it.

    There are no shades of gray in a binary world.

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-10-27T19:35:13+00:00

    You have a lot of reason

    KB976902 came out October 26th and as of today, October 27th, there still has been nothing about this update from Microsoft. Pushing out updates without timely, informative documentation does not engender Trust with the User.

    But that's not all a user has full rights, according to the usual, the be properly informed.

    It seems that the trend, as it is being in discussion groups, it gets worse.

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