Windows Update

[Tosca]

Hi everyone

I have XP Pro and have configured Windows Update to let me know when updates
are available so I can decide when to install them. It tells me regularly
that SP2 is available but it hasn't told me of any updates for about a
month. Out of interest, I checked the updates "manually" (Start>All
Programs>Windows Update) and was astonished to see that there were about 10
updates recommended - including SP2.

The question I have is why didn't the automatic update mechanism let me know
about all of these updates? I understand that they come out regularly and
can't believe that 10 or so came out simultaneously between the previous
automatic warning and my "manual" search.

Thanks for your time.

 

[David C]

Hi everyone

I have XP Pro and have configured Windows Update to let me know when updates
are available so I can decide when to install them. It tells me regularly
that SP2 is available but it hasn't told me of any updates for about a
month. Out of interest, I checked the updates "manually" (Start>All
Programs>Windows Update) and was astonished to see that there were about 10
updates recommended - including SP2.

The question I have is why didn't the automatic update mechanism let me know
about all of these updates? I understand that they come out regularly and
can't believe that 10 or so came out simultaneously between the previous
automatic warning and my "manual" search.

Thanks for your time.

I just experienced the same thing today - although I am not sure if I
had the updater set to let me know, or if I might have had it disabled
- possibly because I ran "xp-antispy" a long time ago.

I thought I had manually run WU at least once in the last few months,
but I clicked on one of the links to tell me more detail about one of
the ~10 updates, and it was dated October.

So I'm thinking either
a) Microsoft screwed up somehow and just fixed it recently
b) I had something bad (worm, spyware, etc.) which had been stopping me
from getting these real updates
c) I just GOT something bad and it's doing a great job of spoofing the
MS website (but I'm using Firefox, which can't be spoofed as easily as
IE and making my XP think it's getting real updates when in reality
I'm currently downloading a whole bunch of trouble! (the paranoid
theory


A couple other variables that could throw off my analysis is that it
also asked me to update the WU software (again) at the beginning of the
update steps, and also I was running it from my wife's username since
she was logged in, and I usually run it from mine (we're both admins).
ALSO, I only recently started running things like Spybot S&D again,
and also Spyware Blaster for the first time.

So another possibility is that even though I have McAfee installed, I
may have had (b) above and the recent running of some anti spyware
stuff cleared it.

Or I may be wrong about remembering having manually selected "update"
since October, and the recent running of these spyware tools did the
opposite of xp-antispy and turned on my automatic notification.

I'm going to reboot now that it's done, and try to look more carefully
at what other updates are left (I didn't see anything about SP2 this
time because it's now running most of WU as a program instead of in the
browser - is that true for others too?)
David

 

[PA Bear]

Do you have Norton Internet Security or McAfee Security Center installed and
is configured as the default Security Center? Any difference if NIS or MSC
is disabled?

I would install SP2 and see how Automatic Updates behaves then. (Disable
your anti-virus app and close all other running programs prior to installing
SP2, please.)

Installing WinXP SP2
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;ln;xpsp2getinstall

Are You Ready for WinXP SP2?
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/preinstall.mspx

What to Know Before Downloading/Installing SP2
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/sp2_whattoknow.mspx

Installing SP2 Step-by-Step
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;[ln];xpsp2insthowto

 

[David C]

PA Bear,
Thanks for the reply, but as you probably know, I held off on
installing SP2 for awhile because it got a lot of bad publicity. I
think the main issue was that it was incompatible with several common
apps. I admit I didn't do hours of research on it, but I don't have
time for that - just going by what I heard. Also, even my company
warned us all that they were disabling the automatic installation of
it, and please don't download it ourselves (at work).

I'm not running a security centre or firewall yet. I realize this is
bad. I was thinking of ZoneAlarm soon, or maybe the one that comes
prepackaged with Windows that I never turned on.

Can you give me the deVry version of what are the remaining issues with
SP2, and reasons why I maybe should wait a bit longer? Can I expect
any common apps to break? I think I heard that SP2 enables the windows
firewall by default, so that's probably good - anything else basic I
need to know that might not be obvious from skimming those links?
Thanks,
David C

 

[PA Bear]

Skimming won't do it, you gotta read. The vast majority of WinXP users
haven't had one bit of problem with SP2, David. Make certain you enable
Automatic Updates in SP2 (as well as a/the firewall).

Installing WinXP SP2
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;ln;xpsp2getinstall

Are You Ready for WinXP SP2?
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/preinstall.mspx

**What to Know Before Downloading/Installing SP2**
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/sp2_whattoknow.mspx

Installing SP2 Step-by-Step
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;[ln];xpsp2insthowto

Troubleshooting Your Installation
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;[ln];xpsp2insttshoot

WinXP SP2 FAQ: What to do after installing SP2
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;ln;xpsp2installed

Service Pack (any) Installation Checklist (MVP Jupiter Jones)
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/spackins.htm

WinXP SP2-specific Page (MVP Jupiter Jones)
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/xpsp2.htm

Please always include previous message in your replies. I haven't the
foggiest idea which post of mine you're replying to.

Oh, and TURN ON THE FIREWALL NOW!

Protect Your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/default.asp

 

[~ FreeSpirit ~]

PA Bear,
Thanks for the reply, but as you probably know, I held off on
installing SP2 for awhile because it got a lot of bad publicity. I
think the main issue was that it was incompatible with several common
apps. I admit I didn't do hours of research on it, but I don't have
time for that - just going by what I heard. Also, even my company
warned us all that they were disabling the automatic installation of
it, and please don't download it ourselves (at work).

I'm not running a security centre or firewall yet. I realize this is
bad. I was thinking of ZoneAlarm soon, or maybe the one that comes
prepackaged with Windows that I never turned on.

## Get ZoneAlarm. The firewall that comes with XP allows scumware to phone
home. With ZA you know what has access to the net and what doesn't. We
uninstalled SP2 because it was just too aggravating and invasive. However I
do have a start-up manager and run SpyBot and Adaware regularly. Also have
Spyware Blaster and BHOD. Non invasive and they stay out of your face.
Google bar has a popup stopper. Also, no conflicts with other software and
all are FREE.

Can you give me the deVry version of what are the remaining issues with
SP2, and reasons why I maybe should wait a bit longer? Can I expect
any common apps to break? I think I heard that SP2 enables the windows
firewall by default, so that's probably good -

## Unless it interferes with some types of software you want to reach the
net (& receive replies from), which it did on my PC, and had to be disabled.
Turning it on and off was a pain in the (_|_). Then there was the warning
bar about downloads >>GROAN!<<

anything else basic I

need to know that might not be obvious from skimming those links?

## SP2 seems geared to newbies and the issues they have with security. For
some of us it was a real pain....

Thanks,
David C

--
FS~
Never buy what you can get for FREE.
Completely FREE software:
http://www.pricelessware.org
http://www.pricelesswarehome.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[David C]

Thanks FS.

I will take the time (sometime soon) to read the links that PA Bear
suggested, but I would also like PA to address your last comment:
## SP2 seems geared to newbies and the issues they have with security.
For
some of us it was a real pain....

PA Bear: I'm using Google Groups Beta so I don't have much control over
the way I post/reply, and a straight cut-paste wouldn't look good here.
This is thread "Windows Update" on microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers
- very recent posts - not that hard to find. Those links you gave me
explained how to install SP2 and what to do before/after, but didn't
explain WHY. Is it true that I don't really need it if I'm taking all
the other security measures that FS suggested on this thread?

FS - you say that the firewall that comes with XP is garbage - do you
know if the new one in SP2 (which is different) is better? Maybe even
better than ZoneAlarm?

FS - What's BHOD?

Either way, no matter what anybody says, I'm not using IE, and I'm
converting all my newbie Family and Friends to Firefox. Sorry MS, but
it's too well known that most spyware and vulnerabilities come through
IE (and Outlook, although that may have changed), and you can't release
the patches overnight. Plus IE deviates from the HTML spec,
encouraging web designers to make nonstandard code that will only work
with IE, which is predatory, if not simply flawed.

XP itself, on the other hand, has been so stable, solid, and easy for
the most part, that it stopped me from giving up on Windows and
starting fresh with Linux.

David C

 

[PA Bear]

## SP2 seems geared to newbies and the issues they have with security.

Horse hockey!

For some of us it was a real pain....

IC.

 

[PA Bear]

David C wrote:

PA Bear: I'm using Google Groups Beta so I don't have much control over
the way I post/reply, and a straight cut-paste wouldn't look good here.

Access these and other MS newsgroups using an NNTP newreader instead:

Configuring OE to access MS Newsserver/Newsgroups
http://www.insideoe.com/resources/communities.htm#setupmsnews

This is thread "Windows Update" on microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers
- very recent posts - not that hard to find. Those links you gave me
explained how to install SP2 and what to do before/after, but didn't
explain WHY.

1. Top 10 Reasons to Install Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2)
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/topten.mspx

Also see:

WinXP SP2 Features at a Glance
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/features.mspx

Is it true that I don't really need it if I'm taking all
the other security measures that FS suggested on this thread?

No, it is not. To keep your system as secure as possible, enable Automatic
Updates and install all critical updates as soon as they're released:

Protect Your PC
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/default.asp