Dylan Greene dot com

Even critical updates need to be optional. One of the last critical updates to my system made IE stop working with proxy servers, and one on my wife's system made it stop working with DHCP. To be brutal, MS doesn't test these well enough to make them amndatory....

James - that's why I require an "Undo" for any patch. You wouldn't know if it would effect your system or not without trying it first.
Often times the reason a system stops working correctly after an update is because of 3rd party software, like buggy spyware. If updates were manditory and automatic, the people at the 3rd party companies who's software stopped working or causes other problems would instantly realize the conflict and either fix their software or notify Microsoft. Microsoft could then quickly issue an automatic re-patch and your system would be working again.

You need to be careful about automatically giving users non-essential software (like the .NET Framework) - if users are on a pay-for-bandwidth-used connection, they might not be that pleased...

Tom - I agree. Add to my list: The ability to easily order an inexpensive CD with all necessary updates. The CD should cost no more than the cost to burn the CD and ship it.

My biggest gripe: inability to save the downloads or designate a local update server. I've just finished installing 24 brand new XP workstations, and they all needed critical updates and such. Wouldn't the world benefit if the admin at that site could set up a server there to act as their local proxy for any/all updates? That way only one computer gets all the updates, not 24 - less bandwidth on the net, and less load on M$'s servers.
But what do I know, I'm just a Mac guy...

"Never make users read. Users don't read." This is actually not true in all cases. I have been on the other side of the two way mirror for a few usability studies and have learned that older people or people that are less computer-savvy tend to read all the text on the page (for example, I once watched a woman read an entire privacy statement).
I don't disagree with your main point, but I would say "focus on usability" would be a better way to put it.

Reply to #5
I use a transparent HTTP proxy and it works to cache MS updates, but they should be kept in a directory similar to the way IE stores its files that it downloads. You could then patch many computers from the same location and not waste any bandwidth.

Brian Sullivan has some more great ideas:
http://radio.weblogs.com/0127028/stories/2003/10/16/microsoftSecurityIdeas.html
My personal favorite is offering Windows Update CD's at 7-11's for those without highspeed connections.

One feature I would like to see on windowsupdate is the ability to hide updates from future scans. For example, there is an update for windows messenger that keeps coming up on a machine at my office, this particular machine will NEVER use windows messenger so I would like a way to hide the update. Maybe this isn't the best thing to do but I always felt that you should not install updates that you do not need.(ie if it ain't broke, don't fix it)

This may be helpful for the handful of us that went through all the fixes and still could not get the Windows Update site to work. I found a site that has been repacking the windows update files and distributing them as a free download with its own installation client.

The site is AutoPatcher.com

They update their program mothly with the latest Patches and have a cumulative download as well as "lite" versions that have only the updates for the last month.

Best of all is that once I used their program to install the updates, the Windows Update site was then fine on my computer. I guess I just needed the right update - go figure.

For those that my last did not help... installing Cisco VPN may do the trick.

In response to Tim Macrina - as I remember the Messenger update is not a critical update and is listed in the 'Win98/ME/XP updates' section.

If you look down the list on the left of your page, there is a link to 'Personalize Windows Update'.

Clicking here allows you to remove unwanted updates (except critical ones).

I too have problems with updates - I have a PC here now which, after scanning, says there are two Critical Updates and after downloading and installing them, they appear next time I scan again?

Any ideas on that one?

HTH

I think when that happens there is an error applying the update to you system, that is why when you rescan for updates, it looks over your critical files and versions and sees those files at the older version.

go here:

http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/troubleshoot/

all ur windows update problems solved here. check it out.

here is another good site for windows update help:

http://www.updatexp.com/main-index.html

Re comment #5 above and others: IF you don;t want to keep downloading the updates every time you build a new machine, all you have to do is download them all once then patch them from one of your own machines on your own network. It's much quicker, you have more control and you can add reg entries to all users which makes them treat your server as the windows update server. Check out Microsoft WUS (great name huh?) at http://www.winnetmag.com/Windows/Article/ArticleID/41969/41969.html and also on Microsoft's site at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/sus/default.mspx I think it's free as well.

You guys seem to gripe before you search, alot of those things can be done..such as ordering update CDs and choosing which updates are hidden and such...It's not your fault, I see it in practically everyone these days, especially those that likes to think they know alot about computers, but dont have the qualification or background to support their claims other than the fact that they poke around at things on it from time to time. People are always quicker to complain and assume that what they want isnt there before they try to find out how to do it themselves. Seek and yee shall find...or maybe a more current idea...Google and yee shall find...

You can solve all you rproblems and not use windows.

Is there a way to make Windows Update look for it's files on a CD? I don't mind the updater itself, but I don't want to have to manually install everything. Especially since most machines require different updates.

Sootah - yes, you can order a free Windows Update CD from Microsoft.

And where does Microsoft publish that CD order form? They did once but I haven't seen it since and that was long time ago.

Oh amnd if AOL can leave CDs all of the place, even the US Post Office. Why can't Microsoft? Perhaps they could make a deal with Microsoft??

Sorry I meant Microsoft could make a deal with AOL.. It could have AOL on it aAND the lastest Windows updates. People could choice to install or not install AOL or the updates.

bad comparison , really inappropriate, I prefer a brush and regular brushing rather then inasive action of the dantist which on top of it always leave a negative attitude towards yourself as incabable .... updates are the attributes of the game , cancle them now and you will have significantly less amount of problems later

ok

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