Windows Update - How will it change your system?

Anonymous
2016-10-14T16:11:13+00:00

You need to make a decision about where you want to be with your system.

My advice is to change the Windows Update (WU) setting to never.

It really depends on where you want to be with your Windows 7 system.

Woody Leonhard has described the situation something like this.  Note, I am using my own words here and describing it from my own perspective:

http://www.infoworld.com/article/3128983/microsoft-windows/how-to-prepare-for-the-windows-781-patchocalypse.html

Group A:  Roll over and just let MS install what ever they wish on your computer and just don't worry about privacy and the spyware they will install.  With this option you leave WU as Delayed start, and set the WU setting at Recommended.  This is the easy way and requires no effort or concentration.  You just let happen what will.  This is essentially what you have with a Windows 10 system.

Group B:  Refuse to accept any updates except Security ones.  In that case you follow my initial recommendation and leave WU set at Never.  You get the Security only updates from the "catalog".   There is risk here in B.  You are trusting that MS will not put anything in that group that does things you do not want done. A sort of level of trust in MS that I am not sure they deserve.   Keep in mind that they have done the same thing with this set of updates they did in the main one.  It is all one agglomeration of whatever number of security updates they decide to put in it. 

Group C (AKA W): Shut down WU permanently and never again accept a Windows Update.  This group feels that the risk of MS changing their machine in unacceptable ways or even bricking it is greater than the risk of a hacker breaking in because some security patch was not installed.   I suspect that most people who even think about this topic will opt for this.  However since most people think of their computer like a potato peeler, they will not even think about this and things will just happen without them even knowing.  They will be Group A and won't even know it.

I am in Group W and would like to be in Group B.   It depends on whether I can find a satisfactory way for my 150 or so client machines to be updated.  They are average Joes and Janes.

Note that this may not apply to NON-Windows updates such as Office.  I am not sure how you can be in group B or W and do this, but I am working on it.

UPDATE November 19, 2016:

It now appears that B is an impractical strategy for 99% of users.  And, here is the reason why:  When an error is made in a security-only update, if the error turns out not to have a security affect, it may be corrected in a non-security update.  In that case if you were following B strategy, you would be left with an un-corrected defective update installed on your computer.  If you were extremely diligent and knew about it, you may be able to get the correction in specific cases.  This would entail an extreme amount of diligence that few would be willing or able to provide.

The new rollup style of updates that Microsoft is now providing to what we would call Group A, which include all kinds of updates (security and non-security), are cumulative.  That means if you miss a month or even more, it will not matter because by installing the latest month's rollup, you would be up to date.

NOTE well, that Security-only updates are NOT cumulative.  Which means if you miss a month, you may never get the missed updates.

So one strategy that you may wish to consider is following Group C, but still updating .net and Microsoft Office through Windows Update, but installing no Windows updates at all.  It would be advisable in this case that you stop using Internet Explorer because you would not be getting those updates, but instead use an alternative browser.

Then, after following this strategy for some time, if things take a turn for the worse, and you decide you made the wrong choice (Group C with .net an Office updates), you can easily shift to A by simply using the latest offered Rollup offered in Windows Update.

So, as things have evolved, it looks like the vast majority have really only two choices:  A as described above or C (modified as described above).  The good news is that if you follow the modified C strategy, you have a way back to the Microsoft way, that is easy to implement.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Windows update

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-12-30T12:36:12+00:00

    I have been following "how to update Windows 7 " threads for some while - with success on one laptop and failure on the other.

    Now that one laptop is working properly and I had read the A B & C options  I ventured to Windows Updates but did not install anything as I was not confident enough to select.  This thread makes a little more sense to me and I will look at the "offers" again.  one roll up .NET Framework, (which I guess is OK?) one security for XML  SP3 KB2758694 and one update windows 7 KB3150513.

    I had used Microsoft Windows PCs for years and need it to run Quickbooks accounting. I confess that most of my work is now done on a Mac mini but I can't run QB.  We tried Parallels to run both Windows and Mac OS but they squabbled 

    so opted for Windows 7 laptop. I am not paying an extortionate monthly fee for QB online which I guess is where Microsoft is going along with Adobe and others.

    Purchased a refurbished Dell which had been upgraded from Vista to 7 Home premium 64 bit  I have checked this as instructed many times and it states 64bit.   However, as this is the machine I cannot update I think there are issues with the upgrade- maybe a Heinz 57?  Many of us have reported that the downloads have "not appropriate or applicable" notices and the solution stops there and then. 

    I thank CT and ElderN for all the assistance you have given in this matter- I have one working Windows 7 laptop.

    But- I do love my Mac!!

    SuziBell

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-12-30T19:12:05+00:00

    PLEASE, RIGHT-click on Computer, choose Properties.  A windows will pop up.  Read it.  Verify that yours has had SP1 installed.  If it does not explicitly say SP1, it has not.

    Also check that it is 32 or 64 bit.

    Also, when you are going through the Solution process, please use the correct links to download the correct patches.

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-12-31T14:05:03+00:00

    Hi CT.... Very interesting, thought-provoking article.  So, I have a question for you, now that you've considered all options (Group A vs. B vs. C).  If you needed to do a clean install of Win7 Pro, what approach would you take for the 200+ updates?  All, none, SP1 only, or .NET and Office updates only?  I need to do a clean install of Win7 (and Office 2007) and I'm debating my options.  Thanks.

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  4. Anonymous
    2016-12-31T16:43:32+00:00

    I can tell you exactly how I do new installs as it relates to updates.  Mind you, I have chosen Group C.

    Always use a Win7 SP1 install disk.  When it asks where to put the OS, select advanced and the delete every partition.  Do not create any.  During the install, when it asks about the WU setting, select ask me later.  After SP1 install is complete.  Check for missing drivers.  If you are missing a network one, you must find and install it next.  Otherwise wait till update runs because it may find the other drivers for you.  Click the other Microsoft software link.

    Do not install any program of any kind, not even AV.  Change the WU setting to NEVER.  Install KB3020369, then KB3172605, restart. Start the WU process.  It should produce a list of around 200 proposed updates in about 10 minutes.

    This is the one time, I would accept driver updates from WU, never again after this. That is because sometimes it finds updates that you may not otherwise find.  You can later check the PC OEM web site for other updates.

    Accept NO optional updates (other than the aforementioned drivers).  Accept all .net framework updates and all updates whose titles start with the word Security.  Do NOT accept any Security Roll Up updates -- none, nada, except for .net framework.  Do not accept Malicious software removal tool, Skype, Silverlight, etc.   Accept things like C++ updates.  Accept IE11.

    Go to the point where updates that are not labeled security start in the list.  Select the first, look to the right and you will see the date the update was released.  If that date precedes Jan 1 2015, accept it.  Otherwise hide it by right-clicking and choosing Hide.  Do that to each and every update until you get to the end of the list.  This is based on the fact that all development work on Win7 ceased at the end of 2014 and all updates that are not security are designed to move you to Win10 one way or another.

    After the first slug of updates are installed, and your system has restarted, wait till the % CPU in use in task manager falls below 10% and stays there.  This is because a lot of WU actually continues after the restart and you want that to be complete before you proceed with more updates.  Then start WU again, using the same process.  Do this repeatedly until no more updates are offered.

    Now, defragment.

    Install Microsoft Office.  Start WU again.  Accept all Office updates and do this repeatedly until no more updates are offered.

    Now, defragment.

    Make an Image of your hard drive

    If you ever had to replace a failing hard drive and went through the long and complicated process of re-loading the operating system and all the necessary drivers, you will appreciate this.  With this image, you will not need a Windows 7 install disk or a Microsoft Product key because this copy of Windows is already installed and activated.

    Windows 7 has the built-in capability to create a complete image of your hard drive. Click on the globe, choose Maintenance, then “Backup and Restore.” In the next window click on “Create a System Image.” From there it is fairly easy. You will need a number of DVD blanks.  Use only DVD **+**R blanks (not -R).   It could be quite a number. Also create a System Repair disk ( CD or DVD) from the same menu.  Do this while your computer is healthy.

    Ideally, you should be making this image just after a Clean (Custom) install of Windows, after all Windows updates have been applied, and after you have loaded and updated all static programs like Microsoft Office.  Do this BEFORE you load any other programs, or your data.  This should keep the image to a manageable size.

    You will use this image to recover your system if you have to replace the hard drive or your existing drive if it has become so hopelessly corrupted or infected, that you need a fresh start.  Boot with the System repair disk. Windows will be loaded to memory. You will have to find the option to recover from an image in the menus.  But then the process will copy the system image to the new drive. The new drive will now be a literal clone of the old hard drive at the point in time you made the copy.

    If you are using a new drive, it must be as large or larger than the old one.  The restoration process will create a partition of the original size.  If the new drive is larger, you can use Windows maintenance tools to extend the partition created.  You can not use this image on a drive that is smaller than the one you are replacing.

    The best news of all is that the new drive will have the “Recovery Partition” that your computer’s manufacturer put on. Most other techniques will NOT put the recovery partition on. That is not good because someday, you may find your system has been corrupted (but the drive is still good) and you want to as simply as possible recover. That recovery process will destroy your data, but it will restore your operating system and really importantly, all the drivers.

    It may seem tempting to use a USB connected external hard drive instead of a whole pile of DVDs. However, this route is fraught with problems because Micrsoft Windows’ “Create a System Image” does not play nice with the latest hard drive technology. This is a well-known problem with no really good solutions. But, if you have an older external drive that still uses 512k sector sizes, the external hard drive may work well for you.  Also the clone will monopolize the entire external HD and will erase everything else.

    I have had many cases in which I used this recovery system and it works like a charm and is very fast.  The best way to do this is just after completing setup and all the updates, BEFORE data or volatile applications are loaded.  That way it takes only 4 to 6 DVDs.

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  5. Anonymous
    2017-01-01T00:19:21+00:00

    OK.  I have a Windows 7 PC that has been working fine, and updating fine as far as I see.  I have a laptop that is having the issue of not updating.  The laptop is rarely used. My last updates were in May 2016.  Honestly, I am not a big laptop fan, and inherited this laptop.  I keep it plugged in only for if the electricity ever goes off for a while, I can watch a DVD with the charge instead of sitting in candlelight doing nothing.  I believe I should probably go with C(W) as suggested by Canadian Tech, and probably just get this laptop completely off my wi-fi system.  As I said, in my situation, it really is a very expensive DVD player for me.  I got very upset reading all of this as I had no idea what was happening.  Only that my friend gave me his two Windows 7 computers before he died, and I miss him, and would rather still be using my good old Vista, and have him alive.  Sorry to be so personal.  I guess it's the day for it as we bring in a new year of getting ripped off by companies that don't think we should keep our computers for longer than a year.  Anyway, I tried to start doing the Akkam patch, and it didn't work.  I do not feel comfortable pulling all of these patches and trying to do them since I have a working Windows 7 computer that I actually use.  I would like to thank ALL of you for this discussion.  I am someone who gets into a panic when my computer doesn't just work right, and to find out they are doing that on purpose is very upsetting to me.  So, I am going off wi-fi for this very expensive DVD player, and apparently am in the A category with my tower.  I did learn from a friend how to make it stop trying to force Windows 10 on me, but apparently it may be doing things behind the scenes. It that continues, I may become a person again, and quit living for machines.  Thank you all again.  I appreciated this conversation so that someone like me could understand it.  You all help others much more than MS does.

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