Patch Lady – some comments about the master listing

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So let me explain a bit about my patch chart this month and some of the optional items. First off let’s draw a line in the sand between Windows 10 and
[See the full post at: Patch Lady – some comments about the master listing]

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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abbodi86, Elly, AlphaCharlie, OscarCP, AJNorth, MrBrian, WildBill, ch100

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“Download but do not install” on Win. 7 is not a good idea. With that setting, any updates downloaded via the WU chute will install when you turn your PC off, whether you want them or not. There are ways round this, but they are easy to forget when you close down in a hurry!

https://www.techsupportalert.com/content/three-tricks-shutting-down-your-windows-7-pc-without-having-install-updates.htm

2 users thanked author for this post.

Lori, Elly

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LOL, that’s what caught my eye too!

Set to “Never search” and instead use “Search for updates”… got caught once with laggy connection while gaming (yeah, laugh away, but online racing is serious business!).

No need having the update “service” running automatically, so change it to “Manual”. It will only be started, when you click on “Search now”… which btw. the past year has been fewer and fewer times.

Thanks for the list!
Would be nice though, if it could be sorted by clicking on column headers… not really a requset, but if you should find yourself idle with nothing to do but rolling the thumbs…

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Why not just set Win 7 to ‘Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them’

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“Check for updates but let me decide whether to download and install them” is the setting I’ve used for years. It lets me keep abreast of what is being offered (unlike “Never check”), but I’ve never had an update install itself without my say so (unlike many users I’ve seen reporting that happen when set to “Download but let me decide whether to install”).

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Why not just set Win 7 to ‘Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them’

Because I do not want my OS to do anything but what I ask it to?

No need to phone home and I really don’t see any advantage of your suggestion. When I click “Search for updates now”, it’s only a matter of seconds before the list is generated anyway…

Still trying to keep the boat tight and afloat…

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I always make the setting to not have updates on the shut down button as my default https://www.askvg.com/how-to-disable-install-windows-updates-and-shut-down-option-in-windows-start-menu/  (my bad, I forgot about that)

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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Lori, MrBrian, Jan K., Seff, Elly

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The main argument for security-only updates is not about telemetry. Windows 7 is feature complete. It should only be getting security updates. Even if they are adding non-telemetry updates, what purpose is there in installing them? They won’t give you anything new, but Microsoft’s lack of testing means that you’re introducing potential problems.

I also do not think that “Download but don’t install” is a good choice. You may very well wind up downloading an update that will be pulled and replaced. I much prefer “Check but don’t download” as it means I get a notification every so often as a reminder, but I choose when to do download. If that notification is too much, then choosing to disable altogether is fine, too.

Though I’d feel more comfortable recommending that if the site would set up an RSS feed or mailing list or something that would ping you every time the MS-DEFCON level changes to 3 or higher. (Or even just all changes.)

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Seff, SueW

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We have an RSS feed – click the RSS icon in the upper right corner.

But fewer and fewer people are using RSS these days.

I’m thinking about some kind of email alert, but haven’t figured out what it would look like. I don’t want to have a long email, published on a schedule, with rapidly-out-of-date info. Things change too quickly for that.

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“… email alert”

@woody, the simplest email might just have as the Subject “MS-DEFCON is now at 3 (or 4 or 5) for Relevant Month” with no message at all.  I’ve seen ‘N/M’ added to indicate that there is no message.  If you decide to send out emails, make it as quick and easy on yourself as possible!

Win 7 SP1 Home Premium 64-bit; Office 2010; Group B (SaS); Former 'Tech Weenie'

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I have the updates set to “check for updates and let me know, but let me choose… “in my Windows 7 Pro, SP1, x64 PC.

When I see an “optional” new update being offered by Windows Update, I right-click on its title and  choose “more information”, which takes me to a MS page that explains what the update is for. Then I make up my mind as to what to do with it.

If it seems necessary, one might check further, here and in ghacks, for example, to be on the safe side. For up to date information on updates, the good, the bad and the ugly, I am also thankful to PKCano and the Patch Lady.

 

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV

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@Susan Bradley: For those on the “old way”, you often decide to install only the security updates and not the non security updates.  But doing so, means that you got nailed this month by a dependency.  The security update for Word depended on the non security update to properly let the application open up files.  If you failed to install the earlier non security update from the week before, you saw the side effect.  If you installed it, you didn’t see the side effect.

This is only for Office 2016 or also for Office 2010? For KB4011674 (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4011674/descriptionofthesecurityupdateforword2010march13-2018) no such knows issue is stated?

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There’s 2 ways you can go with Windows Updates for Win 7 & Win 8.1:

1. Never check for updates (& then click ‘Check for updates’ periodically),
2. Check for updates but let me choose when to download & install them.

(Emphasis mine.) I usually do #2; occasionally I’ll do #1 if Woody’s convinced me things are dire & that I need to manually check. #2’s advantage is that I know what’s coming down the WU pipe at any time, but I still have control & can use it when MS-DEFCON changes for the better.

Now onto Click-to-Run. Thank you, Patch Lady, for your explanations. I have Windows 8.1 (Group A; I install almost everything but Optional updates, KB2976978 [“Compatibility” update] & KB3080149 [telemetry].) I have Office 2013 Home & Student. When at MS-DEFCON 1 or 2, I click on File, then Account. I make sure Office Updates is set to “This product will not be updated.” Occasionally I check Update Options, then View Updates. This gives me Microsoft’s Update History for Office 2013, so I know when current updates have been released & that I’m 1 month behind.

When Woody bumps MS-DEFCON to 3 or higher, I click Update Options, then click Enable Updates to allow Office 2013 to apply updates. When I’m current with this month, I click Update Options, then click Disable Updates to get ready for a new month.

Optional, but run if you have if: After Enabling Updates & getting caught up, I run OffCAT (Office Configuration Analyzer Tool) & click all 4 apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint & OneNote) to scan. I then view each scan to see there’s nothing out of the ordinary with the apps. After that, I click Update Options, then click Disable Updates.

Bought a refurbished Windows 10 64-bit, currently updated to 22H2. Have broke the AC adapter cord going to the 8.1 machine, but before that, coaxed it into charging. Need to buy new adapter if wish to continue using it.
Wild Bill Rides Again...

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abbodi86, Lori

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Wildbill,

That’s how I do Office 2013 Home & Student updates on my W8.1 pc; except not used OffCAT before. Do you have a link for that? Though, I sometimes miss the Defcon change before the new non-security Office updates are out, which aren’t cleared yet. I haven’t installed Jan. or Feb. Office updates yet; waiting for the March all-clear.

But “ClickToRun” Service still runs in background. I tried stopping it, but it restarts itself. Is there away to stop it except when I’m updating?

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In my opinion, using “Optional” for some updates in the “Safe to install?” column risks confusion with the Important/Recommended/Optional status that Microsoft maintains for each update.

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SueW

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Example: From https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/patch-lady-posts-2018-02-13/#post-177016: “Anyway, in this article In you state KB4076492 is an optional update, but on my win 7 computer, notifications lists it as an important update, not an optional one.”

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On 7 I don`t  download the PREVIEW.

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Agreed. Nobody should ever install Preview Updates (or e.g. beta drivers) unless operating within a test environment. It’s a purely personal view, but I don’t believe that Microsoft should be offering Preview Updates routinely to all users through WU, they should be restricted to beta testers/”Insiders”. The present system is just a free way of replacing their own QA testers, and it’s bad practice.

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OscarCP

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Most issues are caused by the SECURITY updates, the ones you install

the word “Preview” in Win 7/8.1 rollups is just a bad choice to differentiate security rollups from non-security ones
both rollups are production-ready, regardless if they cause some problems

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MrBrian

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@Susan  many thanks for your master patch list.

Any chance you could sort it by KB number?  I am comparing it to the list of “needed” updates pending on my WSUS server.  At present I’m pulling your list into Excel and sorting by KB number there, but this is a bit laborious!

Thanks again,

Chris.

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“There is a way to opt out of the monthly channel and move to the semi-annual.  I’ll post on that tomorrow, just know that click to run has a monthly update cycle, a semi-annual targeted and then a semi-annual channel.”

Hey Susan, its tomorrow Wednesday 3/21 –  pls post regarding how to change Channels with Office 2016 C2R.

Thx

 

Edited for HTML. Please use Text tab when using Copy/Paste.

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