What exactly does KB2952664 do?

Have you looked at the list of additional files?:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2952664

Just because you presently do not contemplate updating to Windows 8 is not in my book a reason for not installing the update. It is better to keep your version of windows fully up to date as situations change and the fewer updates not installed leaves less to go wrong later. The exception is where there are indications that a particular update is being reported as causing other users real problem.

I have installed the update and have no issues resulting from the installation of the update more than a week ago.

OK, so the upDATE to make upGRADE easier, does nothing else.

But what exactly is wrong with the upGRADE process now, and how will it be improved?

Since W8 has been greeted with more than usual criticism, does "easing the UPGRADE" mean, that the operation of Windows 7 will become so painful, that upgrading to 8 will be a relief?

I suspect there is a reason behind all this vagueness.

Gerry,

Yes, I did look at the list of additional files ... these seven files are listed for x-64 based versions of Windows 7:

• Amd64_0e06d2ed6f93d560f6a34c100512684b_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7601.18444_none_8c92b13960b1699a.manifest
• Amd64_423d04ba87e48f1e56d8e4abd90cb62b_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7601.18444_none_692ba3b4a3cfb708.manifest
• Amd64_decd919d90e8825e76adc9988e2245f0_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7601.18444_none_a1a3cdcea8866bdb.manifest
• Amd64_microsoft-windows-a..de-compat-telemetry_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7601.18444_none_e5b1b7ec100d8e3b.manifest
• Amd64_microsoft-windows-a..ence-telemetry-sdbs_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7601.18444_none_66295be460b59c2a.manifest
• Amd64_microsoft-windows-a..rience-program-data_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7601.18444_none_cf6dcf3199c084a3.manifest
• Update.mum

Unfortunately, the file names really do not help one in determining what update KB2952664 really does.

All we have from Microsoft is this description: 

This update helps Microsoft make improvements to the current operating system in order to ease the upgrade experience to the latest version of Windows.

... which really does not say very much.

If the sole purpose of KB2952664 is to ease the upgrade of Windows 7 to Windows 8.x, and one has no intention of ever making that upgrade, then I just do not see the need (or importance) of installing KB2952664.

On the other hand, if KB2952664 does more than just ease the upgrade of Windows 7, then I could see the possible need to install it (depending on what else the update does). But Microsoft is not giving us the information necessary to make that decision.

I agree with you that it is important to keep ones version of Windows up to date. However, I do not think that includes installing superfluous updates that are offered by Microsoft but not needed. Microsoft does have a history of offering superfluous updates.

For example, on April 8, 2014, Microsoft released KB2837632, an update for Visio. Unfortunately, when KB2837632 was first released, it was offered to customers who did not even have Visio installed. See this thread (http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/office/forum/office_2013_release-visio/kb2837632-huge-visio-2013-update-offered-when-no/f9e80dc0-5cdf-4362-b192-1fb0e00d6c60) for more information. Eventually Microsoft acknowledged and corrected their mistake by stating that KB2837632 has been updated to correct a targeting issue.  Prior to April 11 the update incorrectly targeted Visio 2013 and Office 2013.  The update has now been corrected and will only target Visio 2013 installs.  We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

For users without Visio, KB2837632 was superfluous ... they did not need to install that update in order to keep their version of Windows up to date. However, due to the way in which that update was initially offered by Windows Update, many users (who did not have Visio) did install KB2837632.

My point is that keeping ones Windows version up to date does not always mean installing every update offered by Microsoft. I feel that is the case with update KB2952664. The only information that Microsoft has provided about KB2952664 indicates its sole purpose is to ease upgrading Windows 7 to Windows 8.x. If one has no intention of ever making that upgrade, then (for those users) KB2952664 would be superfluous (and if KB2952664 is superfluous for those users, then why designate KB2952664 as important resulting users, who do not need the update, actually installing it).

Microsoft could mitigate this confusion by making KB2952664 optional (and letting the user manually install it when needed), or only offering it at the point in time when a user elects to upgrade their version of Windows 7 to Windows 8.x ... but it does not appear that Microsoft will do either of those .... which only raises the question of whether KB2952664 has some purpose in addition to easing the upgrade of Windows 7 to Windows 8.x.

Did you make your comment about incomplete information in the space provided in the space provided in the Knowledge Base Article for feedback? Microsoft do make documentation changes based on feedback.

Thanks Gerry .... yes, I did fill in the feedback form for the KB article (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2952664/en-us).