Re: OT(windows updates and patches)


"Norman L. DeForest" <af380@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:Pine.GSO.3.95.iB1.0.1051027031648.26810A-100000@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> On 25 Oct 2005, badgolferman wrote:
>
>> yar, 10/25/2005, 1:16:34 PM,
>> <dcosl1t92ues9fsia436qcnh0b0il0i3ts@xxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>> > this is a little off topic ,but i respect the opinion of those that
>> > post here. is windows updates and patches a good thing? i see all
>> > sorts of problems that are generated for users by doing this. the
>> > solutions are just about as bad. in fact everything that MS does seems
>> > to be very , how should i put it......not done very well.
>>
>> I administer 30+ computers at work and am required to install patches
>> and updates Microsoft releases. In the 5 years I have been doing this
>> on W2K and WXP machines I have only had a problem on two computers.
>> One was my own, which has so many installations and registry tweaks
>> that I would expect something like that to happen more often.
>
> I have had two problems with updates, both easily solved:
>
> 1. One update changed some of my settings back to the default ones,
> including changing the Windows swap file back to my overcrowded[1]
> C: drive again, causing Windows to slow to a crawl (15 minutes to
> open something, 3 hours for shutdown). Changing the swap file
> back to my D: drive fixed things.

That I never heard of. Basically needs to edit System.ini. I'd like to know
what update that was, as it's only ever happened to me due to Symantec.


>
> 2. One update broke Windows Updates. The Start menu item no longer
> works. (I think they hardwired in the wrong hostname or something
> like that.) Setting Microsoft's Windows Update page as IE's home
> page and just launching IE for updates works. (With rare exceptions,
> I use Firefox, Opera or Lynx for browsing.)

This is more credible. MS seem to have been through a period of a couple of
years (?) that I've always put down to patches not being tested properly for
now-defunct 9x systems. Before then I swore by Windows updates and, while
they seem to be reliable again, the lesson is be wary of everything!

>
>>
>> In my opinion you are better off installing patches -- mostly for
>> security reasons. If you have problems after installing it is related
>> to other software or hardware drivers on your computer. Regardless,
>> keep track of what you are installing and if necessary you can always
>> uninstall it from the Add/Remove Programs applet unless it is one of
>> thse that you can't uninstall of course.
>
> Indeed.
>


Quite. In the same time there's been a not-quite-coincident variability in
Via and Nvidia (for example) updates quality, too. And there was the
Prescott XP update, so too an extent one's hardware plays a role in update
reliability.

> [1] Rant: Why do so many programs have installation routines that
> installs automatically on drive C: without asking you where you
> want it to install. The latest software guilty of that was the
> Real Player plugin for Firefox needed to display something I wanted
> to see. 22 [bleep]ing megabytes downloaded with a 14.4 modem and
> it finally announced that it couldn't install because there was
> insufficient room on my C: drive. I would have to uninstall half
> the software on that drive (most of which also gave me no choice of
> installation location) to make room and then download the Real Player
> extension all over again. I like the installation procedure for
> Alchemy Mindworks GIF Construction Set.[2] No hidden registry tweaks.
> No fuss. Just unzip to the directory of your choice and create the
> shortcuts you want. To uninstall, just drag the directory (assuming
> only GIFCon was put there) into the Recycle Bin (a toilet on my
> system).
> [2] http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~af380/Tips.html#Tip020

Have you tried http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Real_Alternative.htm?
They're where I go for Real and Quicktime viewers without the bloat of the
originals. Not sure you can choose different drives, but the size (and
following pita) sure is smaller!

Shane


.

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