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General => Technical Help => Topic started by: Calverley Lad on Thursday 15 December 11 20:24 GMT (UK)
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For the benefit of the forgetful few?
Updates for XP/Vista and Windows 7 are available.
(Best time is whilst waiting for a meal cooking)
I counted 14 including Office updates for XP.
Enjoy yourselves :D
Brian
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My Windows 7 machine downloaded and installed 14 updates yesterday 8)
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If you have your computer set to auto update, then you won't forget ;D
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No doubt I have that privilege to come at the end of this session.And a Merry Christmas to one and all. ???
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Serious question but I'm probably being very dense here - Why does it wait to update until I want to shut down at bedtime? (As last night - I go to shut down and it says do not turn off your computer - installing updates 1-1million!)
Is there a way to make it update quietly and unobtrusively in the background during the time when I'm actually using the computer? I don't get a message saying there are any updates beforehand....
Sorry you probably are thinking 'what a numpty' ::) but it annoyed me last night as I don't like to leave the computer / internet on all night so I had to get up a bit later to switch it off. Am I missing the ******* obvious please?
Pat
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Microsoft will soon be updating your browser - whether you want it or not ::)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16214912
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I had 9 updates for XP yesterday.
Mine are also automatic and usually at the end of the evening when I click to close down, although if I am using the computer and they are ready and waiting they will comes through at whatever time I shut down.
However once the download is finished the computer just switches itself completely off.
Selina
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In Mozilla, a small Yellow shield should show bottom right corner bar when there are updates to install. Click on it and install when you like.
Regards
Malky
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I sometimes get the shield for odd ones and I download them, not sure why some do that and the others, more regular ones, do not.
With XP it looks like I can expect to be updated to IE8 from IE7 next year then.
Selina
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Serious question but I'm probably being very dense here - Why does it wait to update until I want to shut down at bedtime? (As last night - I go to shut down and it says do not turn off your computer - installing updates 1-1million!)
Is there a way to make it update quietly and unobtrusively in the background during the time when I'm actually using the computer? I don't get a message saying there are any updates beforehand....
Sorry you probably are thinking 'what a numpty' ::) but it annoyed me last night as I don't like to leave the computer / internet on all night so I had to get up a bit later to switch it off. Am I missing the ******* obvious please?
Pat
It should shut down automatically once the updates have been installed. However you can select when to install updates by going to Control Panel, Windows Updates and select Settings and change to Download Updates but let me choose whether to install them. (Windows 7) You can install when you like
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Midase - thank you, I'll try that.
Oldtimer - Oh dear! For me, looks like it might be a case of "Be careful what you wish for" ... ::) ;D
Pat
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Serious question but I'm probably being very dense here - Why does it wait to update until I want to shut down at bedtime? (As last night - I go to shut down and it says do not turn off your computer - installing updates 1-1million!)
Is there a way to make it update quietly and unobtrusively in the background during the time when I'm actually using the computer? I don't get a message saying there are any updates beforehand....
Sorry you probably are thinking 'what a numpty' ::) but it annoyed me last night as I don't like to leave the computer / internet on all night so I had to get up a bit later to switch it off. Am I missing the ******* obvious please?
Pat
You can change the time that Windows updates. On Windows 7, you have to go to Start >> Control Panel >> Windows Updates, and then choose Settings in the window that appears. I think XP is similar, although from memory I think there is a direct link to Windows Update on XP. You can then choose a time when Windows updates, but you should choose a time when you know the computer is going to be on, otherwise you will miss them. By having Windows install the update at switch-off, you can guarantee that you'll always get them. As others have said, your computer should switch off automatically when the updates have finished.
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Microsoft will soon be updating your browser - whether you want it or not ::)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16214912
Only if you are using an IE browser ! I recently decided to try out Google Chrome, and I'm very impressed. Faster than IE, and because it's from Google, I don't have to install a Google Search bar which takes up more page space. I like the onscreen keyboard, but I miss the drop-down favourites bar that IE had. I'd previously resisted Chrome because it spied on your browsing habits, but you can now turn that off (and it's off by default).
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Nick - thank you for your advice. Not sure I like the idea of automatic update to IE, will have a look at Google Chrome.
Pat
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Microsoft will soon be updating your browser - whether you want it or not ::)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16214912
The fourth paragraph of that report says "Those who did not want their browser updated could opt out or uninstall the software, said Microsoft."
On that basis there should be some way to prevent updates if they're not wanted.
I'm an XP user and have it set to be notified of updates (the little shield already mentioned) rather than have them do it automatically, so that I can choose when to install. In practice it usually appears on Wednesdays when I first switch on, so I generally set them going then. It's the only time IE is used by me as the update screen opens that up. I will be watching what they do next year as I prefer to choose the time of update depending on what I'm doing.
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Once a month Microsoft releases a whole batch of fixes for its software, on wwhat is known in the trade as Patch Tuesday.
Of course things burst into life during the day on the west coast of the USA, so people in the UK normally see these things on Wednesday.
The company I work for (a multinational IT services outfit) spends the hours following the MS release checking out whether or not they foul up any other software and queuing up distribution to tens of thousands of users' PCs. It takes the best part of a week to get them installed. If we pushed them to all the PCs in one go our networks would be flooded.
Occasionally there is what is called and "out of band" patch, deemed so urgent that it can not wait until the next Patch Tuesday.
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"On that basis there should be some way to prevent updates if they're not wanted."
Problem is that the majority of hackers access Microsoft due to their size, and the knowlege that a sizeable number of users are NOT keeping up with the security updates. It's like leaving your back door open in an deprived inner city, and showing a flat widescreen tv etc etc in your front room. The thing with updates is, it's not that they are not wanted, it's that they are needed, as when an infected PC or laptop makes contact with another who's owner trusts the source, then like a disease, any problem will spread exponentially.
Regards
Malky
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Malky - I don't dispute that.
My position is that I want the updates, but want to choose the time of installation as it generally takes around 5-10 minutes (including a re-boot) and I prefer to be around to check it's all gone through & switch off after. I do check what the updates are (I use the "custom" rather than "express" setting) and generally take the lot - exception is where I don't use that bit of MS.
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To see what it is like I downloaded a developer edition of Windows 8, and installed it on a virtual machine in Virtual Box, it won't work in VMWare player. By and large I like it and will probably take it when it is commercially available, but I was very surprised to find that with the December updates from Microsoft there was also an update for the developer edition of Windows 8.
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The bottom line is that it's impossible to write software without having bugs and unwanted 'backdoors' :)
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The browser updates for IE will be done silently ie in the background and therefore I imagine shouldn't need a restart.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16214912
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I use Vista and have my computer set so that when there are Windows updates to instal, I get a message when I turn on the laptop. I check whether they are relevant to my computer and most of them are, I then click to instal. They instal in the background, some require a re-boot of the computer and I'm given the option to re-boot immediately or postpone. I usually postpone and then re-boot when I leave the laptop to do something else.
My laptop is switched on about 9.00am and switched off at around midnight.
Other updates to Roboform etc. work in the same way. I'd never give permission for updates to be done automatically.
Lizzie