Vista SP1 update question

I have Vista Home Premium without any Service Packs installed according to
Run/winver. I checked with Windows Updates so I could install SP1 in order
to then go up to SP2-- it lists 72 important and 5 optional updates
available for my laptop but there is no SP1 or SP2 in the list (SP1 & SP2
only mentioned along with .NET stuff). Since MS recommends downloading SP1
from Updates, what should I do?

Also, those "72 Important" updates freak me out because I once attempted to
bring my PC with WinXP current with such a long list of updates all at once
overnight, and woke up to a black screen -- XP has never booted again since.
I assume many of these will be taken care of if I can get SP1 & 2 installed
so I will look at them again afterward.

I can't afford to have problems that take my laptop out of commission. Any
help will be greatly appreciated.

frog

Upon further investigation I found MS's possible reasons why SP1 is not
offered in the updates list:

Drivers listed in "optional" need to be installed first. None of these
apply -- they are about MS Office which I don't have going.

Another update needs to be installed first. Out of the 72 listed, how am I
supposed to figure out the ones needed? As I said, I am leery of this big
of a list of updates because of bad past experiences.




"frogliver" <> wrote in message
news:5oVtp.48422$...
>I have Vista Home Premium without any Service Packs installed according to
>Run/winver. I checked with Windows Updates so I could install SP1 in order
>to then go up to SP2-- it lists 72 important and 5 optional updates
>available for my laptop but there is no SP1 or SP2 in the list (SP1 & SP2
>only mentioned along with .NET stuff). Since MS recommends downloading SP1
>from Updates, what should I do?
>
> Also, those "72 Important" updates freak me out because I once attempted
> to bring my PC with WinXP current with such a long list of updates all at
> once overnight, and woke up to a black screen -- XP has never booted again
> since. I assume many of these will be taken care of if I can get SP1 & 2
> installed so I will look at them again afterward.
>
> I can't afford to have problems that take my laptop out of commission. Any
> help will be greatly appreciated.
>
> frog
>
>
>
>
>

On Wed, 27 Apr 2011 14:04:46 UTC, "frogliver" <>
wrote:

> I have Vista Home Premium without any Service Packs installed according to
> Run/winver. I checked with Windows Updates so I could install SP1 in order
> to then go up to SP2-- it lists 72 important and 5 optional updates
> available for my laptop but there is no SP1 or SP2 in the list (SP1 & SP2
> only mentioned along with .NET stuff). Since MS recommends downloading SP1
> from Updates, what should I do?
>
> Also, those "72 Important" updates freak me out because I once attempted to
> bring my PC with WinXP current with such a long list of updates all at once
> overnight, and woke up to a black screen -- XP has never booted again since.
> I assume many of these will be taken care of if I can get SP1 & 2 installed
> so I will look at them again afterward.
>
> I can't afford to have problems that take my laptop out of commission. Any
> help will be greatly appreciated.
>
> frog
>
>
>
>

What I found out (see Vista SP1 to SP2 Thread) is that SP2 does not
"come up" until you have every other "fix" downloaded and installed.
Theis meant that after you install the current updates, go back and
click on "Check for updates" in the updater menu (left screen). I had
to do this 4 times with new updates found (and installed) each time.
Then on the 5th time SP2 came up as an update. --- Have Fun!!!
--

On Wed, 27 Apr 2011 17:48:30 UTC, "PaulRS" <>
wrote:

> On Wed, 27 Apr 2011 14:04:46 UTC, "frogliver" <>
> wrote:
>
> > I have Vista Home Premium without any Service Packs installed according to
> > Run/winver. I checked with Windows Updates so I could install SP1 in order
> > to then go up to SP2-- it lists 72 important and 5 optional updates
> > available for my laptop but there is no SP1 or SP2 in the list (SP1 & SP2
> > only mentioned along with .NET stuff). Since MS recommends downloading SP1
> > from Updates, what should I do?
> >
> > Also, those "72 Important" updates freak me out because I once attempted to
> > bring my PC with WinXP current with such a long list of updates all at once
> > overnight, and woke up to a black screen -- XP has never booted again since.
> > I assume many of these will be taken care of if I can get SP1 & 2 installed
> > so I will look at them again afterward.
> >
> > I can't afford to have problems that take my laptop out of commission. Any
> > help will be greatly appreciated.
> >
> > frog
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
> What I found out (see Vista SP1 to SP2 Thread) is that SP2 does not
> "come up" until you have every other "fix" downloaded and installed.
> Theis meant that after you install the current updates, go back and
> click on "Check for updates" in the updater menu (left screen). I had
> to do this 4 times with new updates found (and installed) each time.
> Then on the 5th time SP2 came up as an update. --- Have Fun!!!

Just read the remainder of your post. Here is the key (probably to XP
failure), You have to watch over the update process. So require
conformation and reboots - - If nobod is there (like over night) these
may get lost or a power blip happened, etc. I just did 70+ and watch
them all (painfully), but NO PROBLEMS -- all is working fine at SP2
level.

Paul
--

>> What I found out (see Vista SP1 to SP2 Thread) is that SP2 does not
>> "come up" until you have every other "fix" downloaded and installed.
>> Theis meant that after you install the current updates, go back and
>> click on "Check for updates" in the updater menu (left screen). I had
>> to do this 4 times with new updates found (and installed) each time.
>> Then on the 5th time SP2 came up as an update. --- Have Fun!!!
>
> Just read the remainder of your post. Here is the key (probably to XP
> failure), You have to watch over the update process. So require
> conformation and reboots - - If nobod is there (like over night) these
> may get lost or a power blip happened, etc. I just did 70+ and watch
> them all (painfully), but NO PROBLEMS -- all is working fine at SP2
> level.
>
> Paul

Thanks for the info, Paul. I tried just doing just four of the optional
driver installs because MS says it is usually these needed driver installs
that block service packs from showing up (hoping that most of the security
update would come with the service pack(s) anyway). I always have lousy luck
with updates -- the OS hung in the middle of installing and would not
restart without unsuccessfully trying a repair restart, then having to go to
System restore to open Vista again.

frog


> --
>
>

On Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:49:06 UTC, "frogliver" <>
wrote:

>
>
> >> What I found out (see Vista SP1 to SP2 Thread) is that SP2 does not
> >> "come up" until you have every other "fix" downloaded and installed.
> >> Theis meant that after you install the current updates, go back and
> >> click on "Check for updates" in the updater menu (left screen). I had
> >> to do this 4 times with new updates found (and installed) each time.
> >> Then on the 5th time SP2 came up as an update. --- Have Fun!!!
> >
> > Just read the remainder of your post. Here is the key (probably to XP
> > failure), You have to watch over the update process. So require
> > conformation and reboots - - If nobod is there (like over night) these
> > may get lost or a power blip happened, etc. I just did 70+ and watch
> > them all (painfully), but NO PROBLEMS -- all is working fine at SP2
> > level.
> >
> > Paul
>
> Thanks for the info, Paul. I tried just doing just four of the optional
> driver installs because MS says it is usually these needed driver installs
> that block service packs from showing up (hoping that most of the security
> update would come with the service pack(s) anyway). I always have lousy luck
> with updates -- the OS hung in the middle of installing and would not
> restart without unsuccessfully trying a repair restart, then having to go to
> System restore to open Vista again.
>
> frog
>

Sounds to me like either you have
(1) a really messed up installation OR
(2) a Hard Drive that is nearly full

My suggestion would be since hard drives are very cheap and easy to
swap in laptops these days buy a duplicate of the HD you now have in
your laptop. Then start a fresh install on the new drive. Swap the
drives when you need your current set up , but work on your new drive
to transfer the stuff you need. Soon you can completely make the
replacement drive your laptop's drive.

If you do this, begin with the Vista OS from your install disks and
the do all the upgrades before anything else on the new drive.

This will give you access to your current system and a nice clean
upgraded system in the future for a decent price. Transfer files with
a 4GB or 8GB flash drive.

Alternately, you may buy an external HD to copy all your important
stuff. Then do a fresh install, do all the upgrades, then transfer
programs and data from the external HD. Of course we are talking
about a "lost weekend," but in the end it will be worth it.

Paul
--

> Sounds to me like either you have
> (1) a really messed up installation OR
> (2) a Hard Drive that is nearly full
>
> My suggestion would be since hard drives are very cheap and easy to
> swap in laptops these days buy a duplicate of the HD you now have in
> your laptop. Then start a fresh install on the new drive. Swap the
> drives when you need your current set up , but work on your new drive
> to transfer the stuff you need. Soon you can completely make the
> replacement drive your laptop's drive.
>
> If you do this, begin with the Vista OS from your install disks and
> the do all the upgrades before anything else on the new drive.
>
> This will give you access to your current system and a nice clean
> upgraded system in the future for a decent price. Transfer files with
> a 4GB or 8GB flash drive.
>
> Alternately, you may buy an external HD to copy all your important
> stuff. Then do a fresh install, do all the upgrades, then transfer
> programs and data from the external HD. Of course we are talking
> about a "lost weekend," but in the end it will be worth it.
>
> Paul

Before I read your last comments I managed to install those four optional
drivers and most of the "important" updates from the list, hoping that I
would cover MS requirements for showing SP1 along the way. That did not
happen and the remainder of those "important" ones that I left for last
specifically do not apply, such as one that configures something for iPod
functions -- I will never have a need for that unless I relocate to a
civilized part of the country.

There are several updates listed for MS Office 2007 which came with the OEM
OS but I never activated. One of those is 202+MBs! I intend to try ridding
the machine of Office totally over that, but it is a great illustration of
why I never turn on Automatic Updates. Many others deal with Windows Media
player scheduling and internet access functions I don't use -- and the few I
did allow are already popping up .DLLs to install all over the place asking
for permission to open.

But still no SP1 option. After I delete anything to do with MS Office and
hopefully destroy the recognition of it to MS Updates, I guess I will
install the rest, hoping this will satisfy the MS SP1 requirement whether
they apply or not.

I have plenty of room available plus have two external HDDs, so that isn't
much of an issue. I can still plod along a bit more before considering the
more elaborate solutions you mentioned.
>