General notes about update

Since I know that a few MSFTs sandbag these groups I'm posting this here.
I've been an avid Microsoft supporter since my Windows 2 days and I've seen
a lot of changes in those years, some good, some terrible and many that land
in between.

One of the ones that used to be good and has now become a horror show is the
Updates. So bad in fact that I've disabled Automatic and it's associated
warnings. Here are a few points for the powers that be.

(1) If I want to update Windows then I want to go to Windows Update. If I
want to click on Check for Updates in Visual studio then I want to check for
Visual Studio Updates. The same applies to Office. I don't want to be
taken to Microsoft Update where I have to go through Custom and start
disabling a bunch of updates.

(2) When Microsoft checks for updates for my system, I wish they would
first check that the software to be updated is actually installed on my
system. Example: I am constantly provided with updates for Office Outlook.
That happens to be one of 2 Office components that I've refused to install
since Office 95. Therefore I don't need the updates for it.

(3) As an extension of #2 above. Don't offer me updates for previous
versions of Office which have been uninstalled and replaced with newer
versions. Why does this happen? It's caused by poor registry cleanup when
you uninstall a version or when you simply upgrade the existing version.

All in all, Microsoft Update has proven to be an absolute horror show.
That's not the complete list of where MS is going to have to improve. I've
only touched on the problems that involve Update. There are several other
areas of MS Software that are becoming particularly annoying to those of us
that have been around and seen things go from Good to Bad to Worse.

Don't consider this as a rant, it's more constructive criticisms.

Part of 2 & 3 could be because of shared that is used.

"BD" wrote:

> Since I know that a few MSFTs sandbag these groups I'm posting this here.
> I've been an avid Microsoft supporter since my Windows 2 days and I've seen
> a lot of changes in those years, some good, some terrible and many that land
> in between.
>
> One of the ones that used to be good and has now become a horror show is the
> Updates. So bad in fact that I've disabled Automatic and it's associated
> warnings. Here are a few points for the powers that be.
>
> (1) If I want to update Windows then I want to go to Windows Update. If I
> want to click on Check for Updates in Visual studio then I want to check for
> Visual Studio Updates. The same applies to Office. I don't want to be
> taken to Microsoft Update where I have to go through Custom and start
> disabling a bunch of updates.
>
> (2) When Microsoft checks for updates for my system, I wish they would
> first check that the software to be updated is actually installed on my
> system. Example: I am constantly provided with updates for Office Outlook.
> That happens to be one of 2 Office components that I've refused to install
> since Office 95. Therefore I don't need the updates for it.
>
> (3) As an extension of #2 above. Don't offer me updates for previous
> versions of Office which have been uninstalled and replaced with newer
> versions. Why does this happen? It's caused by poor registry cleanup when
> you uninstall a version or when you simply upgrade the existing version.
>
> All in all, Microsoft Update has proven to be an absolute horror show.
> That's not the complete list of where MS is going to have to improve. I've
> only touched on the problems that involve Update. There are several other
> areas of MS Software that are becoming particularly annoying to those of us
> that have been around and seen things go from Good to Bad to Worse.
>
> Don't consider this as a rant, it's more constructive criticisms.
>
>
>

"BD" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Since I know that a few MSFTs sandbag these groups I'm posting this here.
> I've been an avid Microsoft supporter since my Windows 2 days and I've
> seen a lot of changes in those years, some good, some terrible and many
> that land in between.
>
> One of the ones that used to be good and has now become a horror show is
> the Updates. So bad in fact that I've disabled Automatic and it's
> associated warnings. Here are a few points for the powers that be.
>
> (1) If I want to update Windows then I want to go to Windows Update. If I
> want to click on Check for Updates in Visual studio then I want to check
> for Visual Studio Updates. The same applies to Office. I don't want to
> be taken to Microsoft Update where I have to go through Custom and start
> disabling a bunch of updates.
>
> (2) When Microsoft checks for updates for my system, I wish they would
> first check that the software to be updated is actually installed on my
> system. Example: I am constantly provided with updates for Office
> Outlook. That happens to be one of 2 Office components that I've refused
> to install since Office 95. Therefore I don't need the updates for it.
>
> (3) As an extension of #2 above. Don't offer me updates for previous
> versions of Office which have been uninstalled and replaced with newer
> versions. Why does this happen? It's caused by poor registry cleanup
> when you uninstall a version or when you simply upgrade the existing
> version.
>
> All in all, Microsoft Update has proven to be an absolute horror show.
> That's not the complete list of where MS is going to have to improve.
> I've only touched on the problems that involve Update. There are several
> other areas of MS Software that are becoming particularly annoying to
> those of us that have been around and seen things go from Good to Bad to
> Worse.
>
> Don't consider this as a rant, it's more constructive criticisms.
>

WRT 1.
In Windows Update, Setting there is a secion on update service. Try
clearing the check box to use Microsoft Update.

Don

Hi there.
I'm aware of the setting but it's good that you brought it forward for
others. The one that really ticked me off today was when I was writing some
code in Visual Studio and realized that I hadn't checked for updates to that
package for a while. Clicking on "Check For Updates" took me to .... You
guessed it, Microsoft Update where I have to go through all the same crap
again. Just check for Visual Studio updates please, but no, Microsoft
thinks they are going to tell me how I have to use my system by removing
options that would be useful at the time. Just hijack me to a page that I
don't want.
I will just avoid updating it in the future but that's not the point of the
post. When Microsoft Update was first being considered it was suggested by
several people that it would not be a good move and yet they dove into it
head-first and for many people they destroyed the concept that checking for
updates was a good idea.

"dgmacmi<>" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
> "BD" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> Since I know that a few MSFTs sandbag these groups I'm posting this here.
>> I've been an avid Microsoft supporter since my Windows 2 days and I've
>> seen a lot of changes in those years, some good, some terrible and many
>> that land in between.
>>
>> One of the ones that used to be good and has now become a horror show is
>> the Updates. So bad in fact that I've disabled Automatic and it's
>> associated warnings. Here are a few points for the powers that be.
>>
>> (1) If I want to update Windows then I want to go to Windows Update. If
>> I want to click on Check for Updates in Visual studio then I want to
>> check for Visual Studio Updates. The same applies to Office. I don't
>> want to be taken to Microsoft Update where I have to go through Custom
>> and start disabling a bunch of updates.
>>
>> (2) When Microsoft checks for updates for my system, I wish they would
>> first check that the software to be updated is actually installed on my
>> system. Example: I am constantly provided with updates for Office
>> Outlook. That happens to be one of 2 Office components that I've refused
>> to install since Office 95. Therefore I don't need the updates for it.
>>
>> (3) As an extension of #2 above. Don't offer me updates for previous
>> versions of Office which have been uninstalled and replaced with newer
>> versions. Why does this happen? It's caused by poor registry cleanup
>> when you uninstall a version or when you simply upgrade the existing
>> version.
>>
>> All in all, Microsoft Update has proven to be an absolute horror show.
>> That's not the complete list of where MS is going to have to improve.
>> I've only touched on the problems that involve Update. There are several
>> other areas of MS Software that are becoming particularly annoying to
>> those of us that have been around and seen things go from Good to Bad to
>> Worse.
>>
>> Don't consider this as a rant, it's more constructive criticisms.
>>
>
> WRT 1.
> In Windows Update, Setting there is a secion on update service. Try
> clearing the check box to use Microsoft Update.
>
> Don

A1 & A2. You chose to make Microsoft Update (MU) your default update source.
MU offers updates for Windows, Office, and many Windows Live applications.

To make Windows Update your default again: Go to Microsoft Update | Click on
Change Settings in left pane | Scroll to bottom of page | To Stop Using
Microsoft Update | Disable Microsoft Update software and let me use Windows
Update only (check).

With Windows Update as your default, you will need to check in at Office
Update to keep your Office applications fully patched:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/do...incatalog.aspx

A3. Did you also uninstall all versions of PowerPoint Viewer; Word Viewer;
and/or Excel Viewer?
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/

BD wrote:
> Since I know that a few MSFTs sandbag these groups I'm posting this here.
> I've been an avid Microsoft supporter since my Windows 2 days and I've
> seen
> a lot of changes in those years, some good, some terrible and many that
> land
> in between.
>
> One of the ones that used to be good and has now become a horror show is
> the
> Updates. So bad in fact that I've disabled Automatic and it's associated
> warnings. Here are a few points for the powers that be.
>
> (1) If I want to update Windows then I want to go to Windows Update. If I
> want to click on Check for Updates in Visual studio then I want to check
> for
> Visual Studio Updates. The same applies to Office. I don't want to be
> taken to Microsoft Update where I have to go through Custom and start
> disabling a bunch of updates.
>
> (2) When Microsoft checks for updates for my system, I wish they would
> first check that the software to be updated is actually installed on my
> system. Example: I am constantly provided with updates for Office
> Outlook.
> That happens to be one of 2 Office components that I've refused to install
> since Office 95. Therefore I don't need the updates for it.
>
> (3) As an extension of #2 above. Don't offer me updates for previous
> versions of Office which have been uninstalled and replaced with newer
> versions. Why does this happen? It's caused by poor registry cleanup
> when
> you uninstall a version or when you simply upgrade the existing version.
>
> All in all, Microsoft Update has proven to be an absolute horror show.
> That's not the complete list of where MS is going to have to improve.
> I've
> only touched on the problems that involve Update. There are several other
> areas of MS Software that are becoming particularly annoying to those of
> us
> that have been around and seen things go from Good to Bad to Worse.
>
> Don't consider this as a rant, it's more constructive criticisms.

BD wrote:

> (1) If I want to update Windows then I want to go to Windows Update. If I
> want to click on Check for Updates in Visual studio then I want to check for
> Visual Studio Updates. The same applies to Office. I don't want to be
> taken to Microsoft Update where I have to go through Custom and start
> disabling a bunch of updates.

Speaking as a system administrator, I love the fact that all Microsoft produces
update via the same process. It saves me a great deal of work. I suspect that
most home users are glad to get all the updates they need in a single step as
well ... I'm afraid you may be in a minority here. (I could be wrong.)

Also, of course, there's all the users who wouldn't realise they needed to check
for updates for Visual Studio and/or Office.

> (2) When Microsoft checks for updates for my system, I wish they would
> first check that the software to be updated is actually installed on my
> system. Example: I am constantly provided with updates for Office Outlook.
> That happens to be one of 2 Office components that I've refused to install
> since Office 95. Therefore I don't need the updates for it.

Yeah, that's a pain.

> (3) As an extension of #2 above. Don't offer me updates for previous
> versions of Office which have been uninstalled and replaced with newer
> versions. Why does this happen? It's caused by poor registry cleanup when
> you uninstall a version or when you simply upgrade the existing version.

I don't think I've seen this one happen here. You sure the old version is fully
uninstalled? I remember at one point an upgrade left one of the old components
behind because it didn't exist in the new version.

Harry.

BD wrote:

> The one that really ticked me off today was when I was writing some
> code in Visual Studio and realized that I hadn't checked for updates to that
> package for a while. Clicking on "Check For Updates" took me to .... You
> guessed it, Microsoft Update where I have to go through all the same crap
> again.

This isn't intended as a criticism, but I don't think I fully understand what
your objection is. Microsoft Updates isn't all *that* big of a pain to use.

> I will just avoid updating it in the future but that's not the point of the
> post. When Microsoft Update was first being considered it was suggested by
> several people that it would not be a good move and yet they dove into it
> head-first and for many people they destroyed the concept that checking for
> updates was a good idea.

Hmmm. Swings and roundabouts, I guess. I'd be willing to bet that there are
more people who never thought about updating Office and/or VS and now do than
there are people who used to update Office and/or VS and now don't. :-)

Speaking (once again) as a sysadmin I'd like to see Windows Update go even
further in the same direction so that it was able to update third-party
software, in collaboration with the third-party vendor, of course! (It's
unbelievably difficult it is to keep a typical set of third-party applications
up-to-date on multiple machines; by comparison, Microsoft software updates
pretty much Just Happen.)

Harry.