Media Center Edition: Updates, Rollups, etc. KB914548

I bet many are wondering the same thing I am. In a word, "Huh?" [I'm
wondering if I woke up in a bizarro world where the definitions of
"cumulative, rollup, update, and etc" have been interwinded & now have no
meaning? [sorry]

I have new MCE 2005 Dell computer. Had completed all updates a fortnight or
so ago. In back time order, these all "XP MCE 2005":
April 25: KB913800, "Update..." (size 7.70 MB)
April 11: KB912067, "Update Rollup..."
April 09: KB912024, "Update..."
April 09: KB910393, "Update..."

The new one installed today (KB913800), a critical, required update. It
claimed to be fixer-upper for an errant MCE. After that installed, a second
new MCE appeard in Software Optional Updates: KB914548, "Update Rollup...",
info text follows, then two questions:

Update Rollup for Windows XP Media Center 2005 (KB914548)
Date last published: 4/25/2006
Download size: 3.4 MB
Microsoft has released Update Rollup KB914548. This update is intended for
systems running Update Rollup 2 for Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition
2005. This update rollup is cumulative and supersedes KB908250 and KB912067.
For more information on this Update Rollup, see KB914548.

Q1: What does "...systems running Update Rollup 2..." mean? Nothing says
names like that in my update history? How can I tell if I am running that or
not?

Q2: What does cumulative and supercedes mean?
I listed all the updates from my history above, and I don't have KB908259,
for example. (My system less than a month old, April Fools!).

Q3: Why is this one "optional", and is it harmful if not needed, etc.
The KB article(s) are even more confusing...

Isn't that what these update agents are for, to check for requirements and
protect from just this kind of numbers game?

> Q1: What does "...systems running Update Rollup 2..." mean? Nothing says
> names like that in my update history? How can I tell if I am running that
> or
> not?

settings->general->about->version. It will be listed in there if you have
rollup2.

> Q2: What does cumulative and supercedes mean?
> I listed all the updates from my history above, and I don't have KB908259,
> for example. (My system less than a month old, April Fools!).

the old patches listed are also in this patch so they are no longer
available for download and instead of several patches to apply, its 1 larger
one. Helpful for system builders, not really too much to worry about for
end users.

> Q3: Why is this one "optional", and is it harmful if not needed, etc.
> The KB article(s) are even more confusing...

It doesn't contain any security fixes. If your problem isn't listed and
your mce is running great, you are not putting your computer at risk by not
installing it. Criticals have direct security problems associated with them
and you should install those. aka, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

> Isn't that what these update agents are for, to check for requirements and
> protect from just this kind of numbers game?

An office or large installer that has more than 1 machine usually doesn't
use update agents to patch machines. This is a more detailed list of what
changed and a downloadable version of the patch. This way it can be run on
many many systems without redownloading.

It won't show up if you don't have the pre-req (rollup2) installed. This is
a collection of previous bug fixes plus some new ones. This patch is in
windows update using custom and you'll see it in the optional section.
Thats how I installed it.

Bryan Socha
MSMVP-Media Center

Answered inline..

--
Jason Tsang - Microsoft MVP

Find out about the MS MVP Program -
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/default.aspx

"Michael W" <michaelj_SPAMME_waltrip@hot_NOT_mail.com> wrote in message
news:29D4E38C-F305-4ED4-8386-...
>I bet many are wondering the same thing I am. In a word, "Huh?" [I'm
> wondering if I woke up in a bizarro world where the definitions of
> "cumulative, rollup, update, and etc" have been interwinded & now have no
> meaning? [sorry]
>
> I have new MCE 2005 Dell computer. Had completed all updates a fortnight
> or
> so ago. In back time order, these all "XP MCE 2005":
> April 25: KB913800, "Update..." (size 7.70 MB)
> April 11: KB912067, "Update Rollup..."
> April 09: KB912024, "Update..."
> April 09: KB910393, "Update..."
>
> The new one installed today (KB913800), a critical, required update. It
> claimed to be fixer-upper for an errant MCE. After that installed, a
> second
> new MCE appeard in Software Optional Updates: KB914548, "Update
> Rollup...",
> info text follows, then two questions:
>
> Update Rollup for Windows XP Media Center 2005 (KB914548)
> Date last published: 4/25/2006
> Download size: 3.4 MB
> Microsoft has released Update Rollup KB914548. This update is intended for
> systems running Update Rollup 2 for Microsoft Windows XP Media Center
> Edition
> 2005. This update rollup is cumulative and supersedes KB908250 and
> KB912067.
> For more information on this Update Rollup, see KB914548.
>
> Q1: What does "...systems running Update Rollup 2..." mean? Nothing says
> names like that in my update history? How can I tell if I am running that
> or
> not?

How to determine the version of Media Center that you are running
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;837707

> Q2: What does cumulative and supercedes mean?
> I listed all the updates from my history above, and I don't have KB908259,
> for example. (My system less than a month old, April Fools!).

Cumulative means that it includes all the updates that have been released
since Update Rollup 2 was released on Oct 14, 2005. Supercedes means that
it completely replaces the other... i.e. KB914548 supercedes KB908259..
KB914548 completely replaces KB908259, therefore the installation of
KB908259 is redundant and not needed as long as KB914548 is installed.

> Q3: Why is this one "optional", and is it harmful if not needed, etc.
> The KB article(s) are even more confusing...
Optional means you don't need to install it if you don't want to, even
though it fixes issues. I don't see why you wouldn't want to install it,
but some people might not want to.

> Isn't that what these update agents are for, to check for requirements and
> protect from just this kind of numbers game?

Yes, and that's what Windows/Microsoft Update does.

Note that critical updates are not always security updates... e.g. a
non-security critical update would include KB900485

--
Jason Tsang - Microsoft MVP

Find out about the MS MVP Program -
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/default.aspx

"Bryan Socha (MVP-MCE)" <> wrote in message
news:%...
>> Q1: What does "...systems running Update Rollup 2..." mean? Nothing says
>> names like that in my update history? How can I tell if I am running
>> that or
>> not?
>
> settings->general->about->version. It will be listed in there if you have
> rollup2.
>
>> Q2: What does cumulative and supercedes mean?
>> I listed all the updates from my history above, and I don't have
>> KB908259,
>> for example. (My system less than a month old, April Fools!).
>
> the old patches listed are also in this patch so they are no longer
> available for download and instead of several patches to apply, its 1
> larger one. Helpful for system builders, not really too much to worry
> about for end users.
>
>> Q3: Why is this one "optional", and is it harmful if not needed, etc.
>> The KB article(s) are even more confusing...
>
> It doesn't contain any security fixes. If your problem isn't listed and
> your mce is running great, you are not putting your computer at risk by
> not installing it. Criticals have direct security problems associated
> with them and you should install those. aka, if it ain't broke, don't fix
> it.
>
>> Isn't that what these update agents are for, to check for requirements
>> and
>> protect from just this kind of numbers game?
>
> An office or large installer that has more than 1 machine usually doesn't
> use update agents to patch machines. This is a more detailed list of what
> changed and a downloadable version of the patch. This way it can be run
> on many many systems without redownloading.
>
> It won't show up if you don't have the pre-req (rollup2) installed. This
> is a collection of previous bug fixes plus some new ones. This patch is
> in windows update using custom and you'll see it in the optional section.
> Thats how I installed it.
>
> Bryan Socha
> MSMVP-Media Center
>

Thanks for correcting that. I guess a better wording would be critical are
fixes that affect everyone. Optionals may not affect you specifically.

--
Bryan Socha
MSMVP - Media Center
http://www.microsoft.com/mvp

"Jason Tsang" <jason-> wrote in message
news:%...
> Note that critical updates are not always security updates... e.g. a
> non-security critical update would include KB900485
>
> --
> Jason Tsang - Microsoft MVP
>
> Find out about the MS MVP Program -
> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/default.aspx
>
> "Bryan Socha (MVP-MCE)" <> wrote in message
> news:%...
>>> Q1: What does "...systems running Update Rollup 2..." mean? Nothing
>>> says
>>> names like that in my update history? How can I tell if I am running
>>> that or
>>> not?
>>
>> settings->general->about->version. It will be listed in there if you
>> have rollup2.
>>
>>> Q2: What does cumulative and supercedes mean?
>>> I listed all the updates from my history above, and I don't have
>>> KB908259,
>>> for example. (My system less than a month old, April Fools!).
>>
>> the old patches listed are also in this patch so they are no longer
>> available for download and instead of several patches to apply, its 1
>> larger one. Helpful for system builders, not really too much to worry
>> about for end users.
>>
>>> Q3: Why is this one "optional", and is it harmful if not needed, etc.
>>> The KB article(s) are even more confusing...
>>
>> It doesn't contain any security fixes. If your problem isn't listed and
>> your mce is running great, you are not putting your computer at risk by
>> not installing it. Criticals have direct security problems associated
>> with them and you should install those. aka, if it ain't broke, don't
>> fix it.
>>
>>> Isn't that what these update agents are for, to check for requirements
>>> and
>>> protect from just this kind of numbers game?
>>
>> An office or large installer that has more than 1 machine usually doesn't
>> use update agents to patch machines. This is a more detailed list of
>> what changed and a downloadable version of the patch. This way it can be
>> run on many many systems without redownloading.
>>
>> It won't show up if you don't have the pre-req (rollup2) installed. This
>> is a collection of previous bug fixes plus some new ones. This patch is
>> in windows update using custom and you'll see it in the optional section.
>> Thats how I installed it.
>>
>> Bryan Socha
>> MSMVP-Media Center
>>
>
>

Gratze, me jeffe (hey italia y mex-slang minus the accent marks...)

I see the Rollup 2... didn't guess that meant inside the Media Center
interface.

I don't any problem (except trying to keep current). I really haven't begun
to play the MCE stuff (no TV tuner card). Getting rid of my old (HUGE) JVC
4x3 tv for a monitor, I'm looking forward hopefully.

Opps, I see there are subsequent messages (and threading in the middle).
Bye & thanks for so quick a response (I was still chuckling over some rant
thread a few pages back...)


"Bryan Socha (MVP-MCE)" wrote:

> > Q1: What does "...systems running Update Rollup 2..." mean? Nothing says
> > names like that in my update history? How can I tell if I am running that
> > or
> > not?
>
> settings->general->about->version. It will be listed in there if you have
> rollup2.
>
> > Q2: What does cumulative and supercedes mean?
> > I listed all the updates from my history above, and I don't have KB908259,
> > for example. (My system less than a month old, April Fools!).
>
> the old patches listed are also in this patch so they are no longer
> available for download and instead of several patches to apply, its 1 larger
> one. Helpful for system builders, not really too much to worry about for
> end users.
>
> > Q3: Why is this one "optional", and is it harmful if not needed, etc.
> > The KB article(s) are even more confusing...
>
> It doesn't contain any security fixes. If your problem isn't listed and
> your mce is running great, you are not putting your computer at risk by not
> installing it. Criticals have direct security problems associated with them
> and you should install those. aka, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
>
> > Isn't that what these update agents are for, to check for requirements and
> > protect from just this kind of numbers game?
>
> An office or large installer that has more than 1 machine usually doesn't
> use update agents to patch machines. This is a more detailed list of what
> changed and a downloadable version of the patch. This way it can be run on
> many many systems without redownloading.
>
> It won't show up if you don't have the pre-req (rollup2) installed. This is
> a collection of previous bug fixes plus some new ones. This patch is in
> windows update using custom and you'll see it in the optional section.
> Thats how I installed it.
>
> Bryan Socha
> MSMVP-Media Center
>
>
>