Rant: XP + Windows Update

<Rant>:

Load XP.

Cool. great - best windows ever.
better go to "update" it.

Serv pack 1..  100 megs - ok - download and install

-reboot

citical patches - to many to count - approx another 50 megs..

-reboot

.net framework - 20 - to 50 megs - ( whatever it is - it is a labourus install - checking stuff forever)

-reboot

winmedia 9 - update - 10megs

ie 6.whatever - update - 6 megs?

directx - update..forget

windows messenger - update ..3 meg
msn messenger - ( as win messenger sucks) another 4 megs..

** if your a developer - Serv pack 2 trial.. 300 megs!

reboot

all i can say is...

egad fellows!



closing in on aprox 500 megs of downloading to CLEAR windows update ( how i like to keep it)

** I endured the above process on a friends machine reloading it for him - a pentium 400!!!! ( -sp2)

TOOK FOREVER

when can we get XP - with all the updates ( hopefully with SP2 still as an option during install)

?


* one idea might be to quickly make avaiable a download that includes:

-sp1
-wm9
-ie6.5
-all patches
-all critical updates
-newest .net framework stuff
-directx

all in one click - one go
</rant>

<SP2 rant>
* i want SP2 separate as i will only load it on newbie machines ( not mine - nag nag nag - allow allow allow shheesh

BTW: do NOT call it SP2... call it - "Additional security for inexperienced Windows Users who do not protect themselves with a loss of functionality, restrictive kiosk mode changes, many warnings for developers, more limited iframe/frame support"

SP2 =
</sp2 rant>

oh god, are you whining about SP2 again?

GET OVER IT ALREADY.

You know there are also significant changes to help prevent buffer overflows from working successfully, right?  And no, I don't just mean the NX stuff; they've recompiled pretty much the whole OS with an array of improved tools and checking mechanisms that will really impede such attacks.

there is a disk which you can order that has all the updates on untill december 2003.  it's a free order too

I suggest you investigate something called "AutoPatcher XP".

That's quite a useful tool - especially for patching unpatched / new systems. Could stop you getting infected by viruses while patching (because you can patch without using Windows Update). Why hasn't Microsoft done this (instead of a third party)?

http://www.autopatcher.com/

MS has done this.

But like they say on the Autopatcher site, they aren't released very often. Also it is not available for download. It really needs to be updated frequently.

Autopatcher also contains other non-Microsoft software that is also useful (which the Microsoft one will never contain). It can be obtained through bittorrent as well. No Microsoft download has ever been available through bittorrent (and I doubt Microsoft would ever do that as it is not a protocol they designed and is open source)

I think its funny that you go to the site, it says 6 crititcal updates and like 5 windows ?? updates. You install the newest service pack (In my last encounter, windows 2000 server SP4) then reboot to see that i now need 27 critical updates. Aren't SP's designed to update things that have been fixed in the past? Beforee a SP 6 updates but after a SP it jumps to 27. What the heck did the SP do then? I have noticed this is the case with XP too. How many updates will i need after they release SP2 for XP? (Will it even be released?) 

darklotus wrote:

I think its funny that you go to the site, it says 6 crititcal updates and like 5 windows ?? updates. You install the newest service pack (In my last encounter, windows 2000 server SP4) then reboot to see that i now need 27 critical updates. Aren't SP's designed to update things that have been fixed in the past? Beforee a SP 6 updates but after a SP it jumps to 27. What the heck did the SP do then? I have noticed this is the case with XP too. How many updates will i need after they release SP2 for XP? (Will it even be released?) 

Patches aren't backported to Windows 2000 RTM; you need at least SP2 to be able to apply all the patches MS has released for that OS.  What this means, is that if you were to apply all the patches made available to you, except for SP4, you'd still have an extremely insecure machine.

Sounds like it's time for an upgrade

~ Knute

Go here for the Security Update CD for OS's...
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/default.asp

Go here for the Office CD...
http://office.microsoft.com/home/office.aspx?assetid=FX010383631033&CTT=98

Free shipping included. Received mine in about 10 days, have used all of them without incident.


Edit
The disks I received covered updates through Feb/2004

You should be able to download the CD as an ISO, then you can burn the CD yourself. Even better a bittorrent link.

This talk of a CD is all well and good, but how many consumers know about it?  Of course I realize there are still many who don't even update regularly, but for those that do I agree that there is a huge download to be made after an install.  Imagine once SP2 comes out if your reinstall CD is pre-SP1 then you could spend some serious time downloading.  As it was SP1 took me all night when I had dailup, lucky now that is not the case.
I think WindowsUpdate should have an option where you can check an option that this is a reinstall of the OS and a CD option will be presented to you.  Of course that means you will have to go several days without the updates, but then you'd have the CD for the future also.  It could be presented as an option to get the CD from WindowsUpdate even if you weren't a reinstall, as a safety measure.

It is such a task if you have to do a complete reinstall of Windows.  Its bad enough to have to replace programs, etc, but OS updates should be easier to accomplish.

Warren...

this has been going on all night..

every 5 minutes - even though I THE USER said - LATER

Me: "going on about SP2 again"?   you better belive it!

i hate it!
BTW - the channel 9 .ico file i was working on - i have to ALLOW to view in IE.  nag nag nag allow allow allow


anyway - thats all SP2 stuff - ( did i mention as an interface developer i hate it??????!!!!!)

anyway - this thread is windows update- 200 megs to fix your brand new $300 dollar xp - at least 2 hours of time on fast everything

boo to MS on this -  we dont need a new version - just a - same -but with all the fixes version - FREE if you bought XP

ghos wrote:

This talk of a CD is all well and good, but how many consumers know about it?  Of course I realize there are still many who don't even update regularly, but for those that do I agree that there is a huge download to be made after an install. 

Yup. In the UK it used to be relatively easy to get updates on CD because each monthly issue of most of the PC magazines would include the latest Microsoft patches. In fact I found the Microsoft updates were often the only reason for not throwing the CDs in the bin.

Then Microsoft shot themselves in the foot by announcing they would no longer be allowing magazines to cover fixes and patches on their free CDs. Net result: lots of editorial whingeing and letters from the public asking "WHY???!!!".

Great marketing move (not!)