What exactly does KB2952664 do?

upgrades it's done but don't know my pc still haved KB2952554 because I'm ready cleaned my old os (windows7 ultimate 64bit)

why can't Microsoft just incorporate whatever KB2952664 does into the upgrade itself

If they did what you suggest that would not ease the upgrade process.

[...]

By incorporating whatever KB2952664 does into the upgrade process, Microsoft can easily be assured that all users who choose to upgrade get the full benefit of the "ease in upgrade process " that KB2952664 allegedly brings.

The users would actually see no benefit.

Gerry,

Perhaps I am not being clear in what I mean by suggesting that Microsoft incorporate whatever KB2952664 does (to ease the upgrade process) into the upgrade process itself. Let me try to provide a better explanation ...

Lets assume that KB2952664 performs tasks X, Y, and Z (and as a result future upgrades are easier).

Lets assume that an upgrade process (say Windows 7 or 8 to Windows 10) performs tasks A, B, C, D, and E.

Microsoft is telling us that by first performing tasks X, Y, and Z (i.e., installing KB2952664), then subsequent upgrades (tasks A to E) would be made easier.

If Microsoft revised the upgrade process such that it first performs tasks X, Y, Z and then A to E, then the standalone KB2952664 could be eliminated and ONLY those customers who chose to upgrade would first have tasks X, Y, and Z performed on their computer.

Customers who do not upgrade their OS, would not have X, Y, and Z performed on their computer .... but those customers would not need tasks X, Y, and Z because they are not upgrading their OS, and Microsoft assures us that the purpose of tasks X, Y, and Z (i.e., KB2952664) are ONLY to make the upgrade process easier.

With the revised upgrade process noted above, both customers and Microsoft would benefit. Customers (who are not upgrading) would not have an unwanted and un-needed update installed (and re-installed, and re-re-installed) on their computers, and Microsoft would be assured that those customers who do choose to upgrade will also get the update necessary to make the upgrade made easier.

==========================================

Here are some answers to other questions from your last post:

>If an affected user has hidden the update the question is, is it better to have the re-issued update installed ASAP or allow those who have hidden the update to miss out because they are unaware that the problem update has been re-issued. What do you think?

Good question.

In my case, I have NEVER installed KB2952664, so I do not need (or want) to install the subsequent revisions (because I never plan to upgrade the OS on my computer). I want KB2952664 to remain hidden (or removed from Windows Update) ... unless/until Microsoft tells customers that there is something more to KB2952664 other than easing the OS upgrade process. 

In general, I think that if a user has hidden any update, and a subsequent revised update is released, and if Microsoft chooses to unhide the update (without asking permission from the user) ... then the Windows update process (that unhides the update) should somehow set a flag denoting that the previously hidden update was unhidden. Then, when/if the user elects to install the previously hidden update (or when Automatic Updates chooses to install the previously hidden update), the Windows Update process should check for the presence of a flag (denoting that the update was unhidden). If the flag is found, then the Windows Update process can pop-up a warning message to the user ... telling them that an update they previously hid is about to be installed (and ask for yes/no permission).

>If the revised update is not installed then it can create further problems in the future, which result in subsequent updates not being offered or installed correctly.

I have never installed KB2952664, and never intend to. So, I do not need any of the approximately 12 revisions that have been made to KB2952664 since it was first released. I never plan on upgrading the OS on my computer, and thus I keep KB2952664 hidden.

Microsoft says the sole purpose of KB2952664 is to make future upgrades easier. If not having installed KB2952664 on my computer results in some future problem (other than making an OS upgrade harder), then Microsoft needs to be more transparent and tell customers what the impact is of not installing KB2952664 (apart from making future OS upgrades harder).

>Are you hiding it because you have encountered past problems with installing the update or because you do not think you need the update?

I am hiding KB2952664 because I do not need the update. Microsoft says the purpose of the update is to ease the process of upgrading to a new OS, and I have no plans of ever upgrading the OS on my computer.

>I suspect, as you say, that Microsoft do want customers to install KB2952664.  Why shouldn’t they, if they believe it will improve their customers experience when using Windows?

Microsoft never said that installing KB2952664 will improve their customers experience when using Windows. Regarding KB2952664, Microsoft said: "This update helps Microsoft make improvements to the current operating system in order to ease the upgrade experience to the latest version of Windows.". So, ONLY those who will upgrade their OS to a newer (latest) version of Windows will benefit from KB2952664. Why would Microsoft so aggressively push an update to all users when (by their own description) that update only benefits a subset of their customers).

>Is what they are doing detrimental to the interests of customers? ....

What evidence do you have to suspect that perhaps KB2952664 does something more?

I don't know if KB2952664 is (or is not) detrimental to customers. Microsoft has never explained what KB2952664 does, how it makes the upgrade process easier, and what the consequences would be if a customer initiated an upgrade without first installing KB2952664. I have no evidence that KB2952664 does anything more than make the upgrade process easier ... but I do question why Microsoft would so aggressively push an update to all users when only a specific subset of users really need the update (unless the update does something more than merely make the upgrade process easier). I just prefer to not install updates on my computer that are not needed (since making any change to a computer can result in problems).

Barry

What are you trying to prove? You are simply demonstrating what I said in my previous message. Your list might have been shorter if you had set Windows Update to Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them.

I keep a manual log of all changes made to my computer.  Here is an excerpt:

04/28/2014 15:38  KB2952664 Upd Win 7  (Windows Update assistance)  #1

05/13/2014 13:23  KB2952664 Upd Win 7  #2

06/10/2014 12:52  KB2952664 Upd Win 7  #3        failed 80070308

06/10/2014 13:29  KB2952664 Upd Win 7  #3a

07/08/2014 13:02  KB2952664 Upd Win 7  #4

08/12/2014 13:27  KB2952664 Upd Win 7  #5

09/09/2014 12:24  KB2952664 Upd Win 7  #6

10/14/2014 12:52  KB2952664 Upd Win 7  #7 FAILED?

11/11/2014 12:46  KB2952664 Upd Win 7  #8

12/09/2014 12:35  KB2952664 Upd Win 7  #9

02/10/2015 12:33  KB2952664 Upd Win 7  #10

03/24/2015 13:08  KB2952664 Upd Win 7  #11

04/09/2015 14:41  KB2952664 Upd Win 7  #12

06/02/2015 21:04  KB2952664 Upd Win 7  #13

07/08/2015 08:52  KB2952664 Upd Win 7  #14

07/08/2015 13:42  KB2952664 Upd Win 7  #15

07/11/2015 21:27  KB2952664 Upd Win 7  #16

07/27/2015 20:10  KB2952664 Upd WIn 7  #17

08/04/2015 15:06  KB2952664 Upd WIn 7  #18

--Barry Finkel

In my case, KB2952664 was first offered (i.e., found in my Windows Update list) on April 22, 2014 (over a year and three months ago).

Investigating on my Windows 7 Ultimate x64 computer reveals details of which I was not previously aware. KB2952664 was successfully installed on 9 June, 10 and 16 July, and 2 and 7 August 2015. My update history before 9 June 2015 no longer exists so I cannot check back to April 2014 when KB2952664 was originally released.

I investigated versions of Devinv.dll on my computer. There have been a number of updates to the file. This suggests to me that the update has been revised and re-issued a number of times. This supports what you have said. The Knowledge Base Article does not make this clear. I have submitted the comments in the paragraph below to Microsoft. I will not get anything other than the usual automated acknowledgement of my submission.

It seems that there have been a number of revisions to files contained in the original update. It would help users understanding if this was made clear in the Article .

At that time, I hid the update (as you know, hiding an update is a very simple process: right click entry in Windows Update list, select hide). Since that time, and on numerous (but not all) occasions, I have seen KB2952664 removed from the list of hidden updates and placed back into the regular list of updates queued for installation.

I do not know how the procedure for re-issued updates works. The problem is that where Microsoft needs to correct the content of an update because the original has caused many users problems, then quicker they do so is best for affected users and others who can still be affected. If an affected user has hidden the update the question is, is it better to have the re-issued update installed ASAP or allow those who have hidden the update to miss out because they are unaware that the problem update has been re-issued. What do you think?

If the revised update is not installed then it can create further problems in the future, which result in subsequent updates not being offered or installed correctly.

Since I have opted for manual installation of updates, I never installed KB2952664. Each time I would see KB2952664 appear in the list of updates to install, I would again hide it.

Are you hiding it because you have encountered past problems with installing the update or because you do not think you need the update?

This same thing (KB2952664 being hidden, and then re-appearing in the regular list of Windows Updates) happened on three computers in my home, and (based on responses in this and other threads) has also happened to many others.

True.

Hard to tell whether Microsoft or users cause "majority" of software distribution issues. In the case of KB2952664 being hidden (by user) and then removed from being hidden to being back in regular list (by Microsoft), I would not classify that as a software distribution problem (to me, a "problem" implies an unintended consequence/result ... and I believe the removal of KB2952664 from the hidden list and insertion back into the regular list wasintendedby Microsoft). I believe that Microsoft really really really wants customers to install KB2952664, and thus is deliberately moving it from the list of hidden updates to the regular list

I suspect, as you say, that Microsoft do want customers to install KB2952664.  Why shouldn’t they, if they believe it will improve their customers experience when using Windows?

Perhaps Microsoft is doing this for the good/benefit of their customers; perhaps for the good/benefit of Microsoft.

Is what they are doing detrimental to the interests of customers?

Perhaps KB2952664 only impacts the upgrade process; perhaps KB2952664 does something more?

What evidence do you have to suspect that perhaps KB2952664 does something more?

does not justify repeated unhiding,

This point is discussed above.

and is just not enough information for me to decide to install it.

I doubt you will get any more information. Some times you have to take some things on trust to get the best outcome.

Let me just go back to my original question .... if KB2952664 is solely for easing the upgrade experience, and given the concern among many customers about the true purpose of this update,

I suspect you over state your case. Most customers are only interested in a computer that works for them!

why can't Microsoft just incorporate whatever KB2952664 does into the upgrade itself

If they did what you suggest that would not ease the upgrade process.

(so that ONLY those customers who choose to upgrade get changes that KB2952664 brings)?

They are hoping that over time the vast majority of customers will upgrade. Time will tell us the answer.

By incorporating whatever KB2952664 does into the upgrade process, Microsoft can easily be assured that all users who choose to upgrade get the full benefit of the "ease in upgrade process " that KB2952664 allegedly brings.

The users would actually see no benefit.