Windows Update downloads updates at wrong time

I have Windows Update (on Vista SP1) set to download and install
automatically at 3 am so that it's working with my offpeak download
allocation.

What I'm finding is that it's downloading at least 4 hours earlier AND not
installing automatically.

Now I'm assuming that Windows is simply downloading at any time, but that's
still chewing up my daytime download allocation for the month. None of the
Windows Updates setting allows me to control download time, only the install
time. Even with automatic install time, I'm just getting a notification icon
that stays there until I manually elect to install.

How can I restrict it to working within appropriate hours?

Is there a port I can block on my router during peak hours?

See...

Automatic Updates in Vista
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/dow...dowsvista.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pro...owsupdate.mspx

=> Excellent Vista tutorial:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tuto...torial140.html

Tip: Select the Notify Only option.
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/

Mike Williams wrote:
> I have Windows Update (on Vista SP1) set to download and install
> automatically at 3 am so that it's working with my offpeak download
> allocation.
>
> What I'm finding is that it's downloading at least 4 hours earlier AND not
> installing automatically.
>
> Now I'm assuming that Windows is simply downloading at any time, but
> that's
> still chewing up my daytime download allocation for the month. None of the
> Windows Updates setting allows me to control download time, only the
> install
> time. Even with automatic install time, I'm just getting a notification
> icon
> that stays there until I manually elect to install.
>
> How can I restrict it to working within appropriate hours?
>
> Is there a port I can block on my router during peak hours?

"PA Bear [MS MVP]" wrote:

> See...
>
> Automatic Updates in Vista
> http://www.microsoft.com/windows/dow...dowsvista.mspx
> http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pro...owsupdate.mspx
>
> => Excellent Vista tutorial:
> http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tuto...torial140.html
>
> Tip: Select the Notify Only option.

None of my points is addressed by these articles.

The Notify Option means that I have to be awake to do the download - still
during the peak period.

Mike Williams wrote:

> I have Windows Update (on Vista SP1) set to download and install
> automatically at 3 am so that it's working with my offpeak download
> allocation.

Nope. That setting only controls the installation time, not the download time,
as you've already discovered.

> Now I'm assuming that Windows is simply downloading at any time, but that's
> still chewing up my daytime download allocation for the month. None of the
> Windows Updates setting allows me to control download time, only the install
> time. Even with automatic install time, I'm just getting a notification icon
> that stays there until I manually elect to install.

It should be automatically installing at 3am as configured. Have you tried
leaving the notification alone until the following day to see if it installs
overnight?

> How can I restrict it to working within appropriate hours?

BITS group policy allows you to control the hours during which downloads can
occur, you would need to set the maximum download rate to 0 for peak times.
However, if I remember correctly, if you have Home Edition you can't use the
group policy tool. I'm not sure whether there is any other straightforward way
to configure this.

> Is there a port I can block on my router during peak hours?

Doubtful, I believe it downloads from the usual HTTP port.

If you're technically minded it is possible to use a script to perform the
download and installation automatically, c.f.

<http://www.scms.waikato.ac.nz/~harry/wsusupdate.vbs>

http://www.scms.waikato.ac.nz/~harry/wsusupdate.vbs

If not, you might want to try a web search to see if anyone has packaged the
functionality you need into a GUI tool.

Harry.

Mike Williams wrote:
>> See...
>>
>> Automatic Updates in Vista
>> http://www.microsoft.com/windows/dow...dowsvista.mspx
>> http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pro...owsupdate.mspx
>>
>> => Excellent Vista tutorial:
>> http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tuto...torial140.html
>>
>> Tip: Select the Notify Only option.
>
> None of my points is addressed by these articles.
>
> The Notify Option means that I have to be awake to do the download - still
> during the peak period.

[I /knew/ I should have explained more.]

Not quite.

If you select Notify Only, you will be able to select which updates are
downloaded (the AU will download them), which updates are installed (after
AU's downloaded the approved updates) and *when* they're installed (i.e.,
when *you* are ready to install them).

If you select the Download Only option, all updates will be downloaded
automatically but then you must approve which updates are installed and when
they're installed.

Either way, the updates will not install attempt to install at 3:00 AM.

PS: You can select another install time if you want to leave AU set to the
default Automatic option.
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/

"Harry Johnston [MVP]" wrote:


> It should be automatically installing at 3am as configured. Have you tried
> leaving the notification alone until the following day to see if it installs
> overnight?

It's quite erratic on this point. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I believe it
waits until I'm doing another important overnight download, so it can
wantonly reboot my machine and kill that transfer :-( . I've just installed
ShutdownGuard to see if that will block those reboots).

> > How can I restrict it to working within appropriate hours?
>
> BITS group policy allows you to control the hours during which downloads can
> occur, you would need to set the maximum download rate to 0 for peak times.
> However, if I remember correctly, if you have Home Edition you can't use the
> group policy tool. I'm not sure whether there is any other straightforward way
> to configure this.

Yeah, I have Home Premium and no GP tool (except on my laptop with the
otherwise complete waste of time that is Vista Ultimate)

> > Is there a port I can block on my router during peak hours?
>
> Doubtful, I believe it downloads from the usual HTTP port.

Yes I verified this.

>
> If you're technically minded it is possible to use a script to perform the
> download and installation automatically, c.f.
>
> <http://www.scms.waikato.ac.nz/~harry/wsusupdate.vbs>
>
> http://www.scms.waikato.ac.nz/~harry/wsusupdate.vbs
>
> If not, you might want to try a web search to see if anyone has packaged the
> functionality you need into a GUI tool.

I've trawled around but haven't found anything like that.

It should be built into the WU base functionality, since not every ISP in
every country has uniform bandwidth allocations.

"PA Bear [MS MVP]" wrote:

> Mike Williams wrote:
> >> See...
> >>
> >> Automatic Updates in Vista
> >> http://www.microsoft.com/windows/dow...dowsvista.mspx
> >> http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pro...owsupdate.mspx
> >>
> >> => Excellent Vista tutorial:
> >> http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tuto...torial140.html
> >>
> >> Tip: Select the Notify Only option.
> >
> > None of my points is addressed by these articles.
> >
> > The Notify Option means that I have to be awake to do the download - still
> > during the peak period.
>
> [I /knew/ I should have explained more.]
>
> Not quite.
>
> If you select Notify Only, you will be able to select which updates are
> downloaded (the AU will download them), which updates are installed (after
> AU's downloaded the approved updates) and *when* they're installed (i.e.,
> when *you* are ready to install them).
>
> If you select the Download Only option, all updates will be downloaded
> automatically but then you must approve which updates are installed and when
> they're installed.
>
> Either way, the updates will not install attempt to install at 3:00 AM.
>
> PS: You can select another install time if you want to leave AU set to the
> default Automatic option.

You're missing the point. It's not the install time I'm objecting to, it's
the download time. Neither the NotifyOnly nor the Download Only options allow
me to specify an off-peak time. The install time is largely immaterial.

Mike Williams wrote:
>>>> See...
>>>>
>>>> Automatic Updates in Vista
>>>> http://www.microsoft.com/windows/dow...dowsvista.mspx
>>>> http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pro...owsupdate.mspx
>>>>
>>>> => Excellent Vista tutorial:
>>>> http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tuto...torial140.html
>>>>
>>>> Tip: Select the Notify Only option.
>>>
>>> None of my points is addressed by these articles.
>>>
>>> The Notify Option means that I have to be awake to do the download -
>>> still
>>> during the peak period.
>>
>> [I /knew/ I should have explained more.]
>>
>> Not quite.
>>
>> If you select Notify Only, you will be able to select which updates are
>> downloaded (the AU will download them), which updates are installed
>> (after
>> AU's downloaded the approved updates) and *when* they're installed (i.e.,
>> when *you* are ready to install them).
>>
>> If you select the Download Only option, all updates will be downloaded
>> automatically but then you must approve which updates are installed and
>> when they're installed.
>>
>> Either way, the updates will not install attempt to install at 3:00 AM.
>>
>> PS: You can select another install time if you want to leave AU set to
>> the
>> default Automatic option.
>
> You're missing the point. It's not the install time I'm objecting to, it's
> the download time. Neither the NotifyOnly nor the Download Only options
> allow me to specify an off-peak time. The install time is largely
> immaterial.

If you AU is enabled (however it's configured), AU will download whenever
the machine's online and AU can sync with the server(s). As the server(s)
are often swamped by tens of millions of computers the world over, all of
which are attempting to sync, AU must keep trying until all updates have
downloaded and are ready to be installed. That's just the way it works/has
to work.

Alternatives:

You could disable AU (or physically disconnect the machine from the
internet) and then only re-enable it (or reconnect to the internet) when
you're ready to allow AU to do its work but you cannot control the
downloading.

You could update via WSUS, if a WSUS server is available to you.

You could run Windows Update manually, overriding AU (which must still be
enabled)...but then you'd be pushing all other AU users further back in the
queue.

You could configure AU to the Notify Only setting. When AU then notifies
you of availble updates, you could then download each of them from the
Download Center and install them manually.

Or you could disable AU and never install updates (which I would NOT
recommend).

Mike Williams wrote:

>>> How can I restrict it to working within appropriate hours?
[...]
> It should be built into the WU base functionality, since not every ISP in
> every country has uniform bandwidth allocations.

Unfortunately this is probably seen as a niche requirement. I'm afraid your
only realistic option at this point may be to stay up late / get up early once a
month to update the machine.

Or ... if you already have the means to schedule downloads of specified URLs
during off-peak hours, you could download the updates from the Microsoft
Download Center and install them by hand rather than getting them via Automatic
Updates. You could still use Automatic Updates to determine which updates you need.

You may want to bug your ISP to provide you with a solution. Most of their
customers must have the same problem.

Harry.

"PA Bear [MS MVP]" wrote:


> If you AU is enabled (however it's configured), AU will download whenever
> the machine's online and AU can sync with the server(s). As the server(s)
> are often swamped by tens of millions of computers the world over, all of
> which are attempting to sync, AU must keep trying until all updates have
> downloaded and are ready to be installed. That's just the way it works/has
> to work.

AU has a large off-peak window it can communicate with. There's absolutely
NO reason it HAS to work 24 hrs. If my machine was only on overnight then AU
would still operate -no?

> Alternatives:
>
> You could disable AU (or physically disconnect the machine from the
> internet) and then only re-enable it (or reconnect to the internet) when
> you're ready to allow AU to do its work but you cannot control the
> downloading.
>
> You could update via WSUS, if a WSUS server is available to you.

Not for my home environment.

>> You could run Windows Update manually, overriding AU (which must still be
> enabled)...but then you'd be pushing all other AU users further back in the
> queue.
>
> You could configure AU to the Notify Only setting. When AU then notifies
> you of availble updates, you could then download each of them from the
> Download Center and install them manually.
>
> Or you could disable AU and never install updates (which I would NOT
> recommend).

Dear me. You still don't get it. I need it downloading during offpeak hours,
which is mostly when I am asleep. Just repeating all the options which
require peak presence doesn't help.