Computer newbies forum: WINDOWS UPDATE WARNING !

I as well noticed this switch as I orginally had an optional hardware update that has now switched to High Priority. I orginally did this update back when it was on the optional list as it was for my audio card. The only problem is that it doesn't work with my audio card. Interesting that Micorsoft's hardware analysis does a crappy job at picking up the correct drivers... but then again it is Microsoft.

As an impoverished, old, bald guy, this leftover from the good old punch card days, I volunteered with the Beta Testing of Office xp, Win xp, Win 2003, v4, v5 etc.

If nothing else, the main things I learned about "Updates" is that people are being educated well beyond their level of intelligence, and are being hired by companies that flog incomplete, unfinished software. Windows 2003 server at the moment needs 28 Critical Updates and 2 Windows updates straight out of the box.

Would you buy an SUV or other auto that needs 30 recalls before you get it off the car lot? Apparently there are enough of us stupid customers to do just that.

Oh yes, removing SP2 using [ADD/REMOVE] will rip the guts right out of both Win xp and Win2003.

This is not funny at all everytime MICROSHAFT send something,always something goes down in My computer.The latest was SP2 locked Me out of My webbrowser (IE6 XPhome)My main tool ADOBE down loads and also locked out NORTON and some other stuff( something in GEEK)dont know what..I using my ADOBE all the time now I have to down load on My lap top and transfer back to My primary computer.I'd complained and complained finaly before Xmas,Lady name Shirley wrote to Me an Email from Microshaft..andyes i'm qualify for a freebe to correct My OS and gave Me a 16 digit ID number this number should be given to the GEEK who will contact Me in the next century??? I guess the number is a QUE number (WOW) iwrote again last week using My 16 digit QUE# may be should convereted to GEEK (HEX)first, may be some one could read it....Now I have half of My OS down USELESS
The help site from MS. is like reading GEEK in binary.Is any one understand half of the lingo they talking about..So think You guys have fun with MS down loads,and they dreaded SP2.. any one know if it could be removed from the system without taking every thing else out with it???
Cheers out there in computerland.. as the saying goes IT WILL PASS...

I had been updateing regularly for XP home.On my last attempt to do a critical update the microsoft site did the scan and then told me it encounterd unexpected errors and could not continue. I tried three times to resolve the issue through micosoft email help,Every time thier advice failed and I avised them of this. I got a form letter telling me how happy they were to help. I have done some investigating on my own and have discovered that the fix prior to my last succesful update failed. I used belarc advisor to find this out. This was update 834707 which was basically a I.E. Exploror update There was no indication at the time from the microsoft update page that this patch had failed and although the next update worked,subsequent attemps to update has returned the aformetioned error message. I am now depending soley on AVG virus and Zone alarm firewall for protection and so far we are fine.
I also was stung once,early on,in the driver update portion for the micosoft patch game. Wiped out my ATI vidio driver. NEVER UPDATE DRIVERS FROM MICROSOFT UPDATES&PATCHES-NEVER! Oh and by the way if anyone has a answer to my situation do not hesitate to post it.
Thanks
jim

Be careful with the PestPatrol online Pestscan. The last couple of months we've been getting a lot of reports of false positives lately in the Virus and Securities forum so we have stopped sending people there until they straighten out that problem. They USED to be good, I don't know exactly what happened except that the company was bought out a while back.

a shame, They used to be highly regarded.

I have to agree here. I ended up downloading a network driver for my XP Pro box and it ended up severing my ability to connect to my router, hence my ability to connect to the Internet. I had to uninstall the update.

I just ran the update again and the drive isn't showing as a selection this time around. Also I notice that there is 'Malicious Software Removal Tool' being offered (KB890830). Makes me wonder what MS thinks is a malicious software!! hehe

Now if I could just get rid of the little message that flashes up every so often because I chose to turn off auto updates. )

If I'm not mistaken the updates have to do with the ability of virus writers and others from being able to install programs from viewing a pic or audio file online. Seems there is a flaw in windows that could allow a person to included code inbedded in a picture or audio file, that when clicked on might or might not play the audio/video file but would run the imbedded code and install the virus or adware program. This fix is to stop them from executing such code in this manner.
Hope this helps....
Sincerely, skooterfd

I bought XP about three years ago before there were any SP's. So I don't have any service patches, nor any problems either. I have a great firewall (Sygate) which doesn't let anyone in the gate withouy my permission, a great anti-spyware program (Ad-Aware) which removes every attempt at someone trying to use my PC for their use and two anti-virus (Norton & AVG)which are automatically scheduled to scan ever few days.

So what am I missing? Should I risk downloading these controversial Service Packs. One friend told me he downloaded SP2 and now his scanner will NOT work.

Ron

I have also found that the updates do cause problems, I know that the same update causes a huge variety of different problems on different computers, no doubt for just as many different reasons.

Personally I can't see how the updates provided from one source can ever be perfect for everyone, and anyone who believes they can do it, is kidding themselves.

So I have to agree the "easy does it method" of updating is highly recommended.

I believe it is impossible to have 25 years experience with windows, if I remember rightly the first windows didn't come out till 1980, and I don't know how many years after that windows updates started. Infact MS didn't exist yet.

Nobody really took it very seriously in those days, it was just another operating system modified from an already existing one used on mainframes then.
I wonder what would happen to someone doing what BG did in those days, now.

Most people then only considered the PC was another hobby computer. I never dreamed it would end up being seriously used by large companies.

I have not noticed anything in the critical or 'High Priority' section of Windows Update. I have my machines set to ask me when to download and then when to install. I do agree with you that audio and video drivers if not installed properly can definitely hose your system. And should not be an update thrown in there like a security fix for say a buffer overrun or a mime problem in your mail client. I am just wondering what article they had to back up making those update high priority. They usually have something listed in their knowledge base. Maybe it was from a mistake they made on a previous update that they are trying to correct??? That would be my thought!

todde_

Any one noticed, as from KB834707 all Hotfixes come under the designation of SP3?

With XP, they were listed as SP1..

With XP SP1, they were listed as SP2...

And now, with SP2, they are listed as SP3...if that particular version is ever needed.

You never know...Windows 2000 is on SP4 !

Hope this helps.

Grif

you don't want by using that option at windows update. As far as the other ones, they should be in add/remove programs in the control panel. They will be listed as hotfixes with the KB number and the date they were installed. Window's Updates also keeps a record in the installation history but I would check add/remove to make sure. IF you have XPSP2, the updates may be hidden. Once you go to the control panel and double click on add/remove programs, at the very top of the page there is a small box that you have to put a checkmark in the says "show updates". You can also use Belarc Advisor which a small tool that shows most everything on your computer that you would really need to know as far as specs. That is free and you can get that here.
http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

driver it was probably just aborted and Windows Update just doesn't realize it. It maybe in a temporary folder somewhere but if that is the one that you don't want I would not worry about it. The malcious software tool is not exactly imbedded, it's in a special folder and it ran silently and the only time you would see it is if you had a problem. I would just do the rest of the checking to make sure that the critical updates got installed as I posted before. You can read more about the malicious software tool on this link here. There will be a new one released each month, but as I said, you won't even know that it ran unless you have a problem OR would like to actually download it again and run it. Somewhere on this link or in one of the links ths is on this page will tell you exactly where the tool was put on your computer if you want to actually see it. ( I forgot off hand without rereading the whole thing myself where they put it)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=AD724AE0-E72D-4F54-9AB3-75B8EB148356&displaylang=en