What exactly does KB2952664 do?

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.

Importance is subjective. Microsoft see it as important to get users onto Windows 8.1, and if they can make the transition easier, they will, hence KB2952664.

While you and a good few others are never going to upgrade to Windows 8.1, the constant improvements and increased frequency will tempt many to g for it.

Re sharing update specifics, Microsoft doesn't do that for any of them.

Will you miss out on anything if you don't plan to ever upgrade Windows 7? Microsoft says no, you will not.

Do I think that Microsoft is hiding something? No more than any other company within IT.

:-)

One blog I read yesterday (before I sent the "breaking news" post) said that this patch might be upgraded to important in the near future.  I have no idea if that action would merge the update into a monthly patch Tuesday patch.  That blog gave the name of the executable that this patch installs to send tracking data back to MS.  I no longer have the URL of that blog (I can easily find it later today),  but I plan to find that executable and maybe remove it.  I have no idea what info MS is capturing from my machine.

I don't know why M$ unhiding an update is really a problem most people if they don't want 10 or other 10 telemetry updates can and should be reviewing updates before downloading and installing them.

Aside from it simply being duplicitous, the problem for users who take the time to research an update and subsequently choose to hide it is that it is an annoyance for the same update (albeit a newer version) to reappear. If I do not want a particular piece of nagware or spyware, I do not want the revised version of the same.

The problem for MiscroSpy is that their increasing underhandedness in this area is becoming more apparent to more users. The growing awareness of these practices and consequent mistrust of Windows Updates is already causing the strategy to backfire - like many, I accepted all "important" updates without question for years, but no more, ever. I do not accept a single update without looking into exactly what it does and whether I really need it, and when in doubt, I leave it out. Also like many, when these underhanded tactics became apparent, I reviewed all previously installed updates and removed any that were suspect.

As for Windows 10, a whole lot of folks (myself included) who had been interested in taking a serious look at it have lost interest because of the forced updates. Microsoft may believe it has a captive market, and among market segments that don't really care about such esoterica as privacy and having a say over what happens on devices one owns, maybe it does. But the rest of us will find alternatives when we have to.

The moment a company believes itself to be invincible is the moment it begins the process of proving itself wrong.

Caveat emptor indeed.

Hello,

Thank you for your response.

As I mentioned earlier that, this update is only meant for making upgrade process easier. There is no other purpose of this update.

You may hide an update, however, it is not recommended by Microsoft.

Refer this link:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/ff382716.aspx

I hope this helps.

Thank you