Re: XP Updates

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Shenan Stanley wrote:
james w. morgan wrote:
Greetings. Is there a Microsoft web page I can access that will
tell me what all the XP updates are for so I caan pick and chose. I
have altered the settings on the Auto Updates and went back about 3
weeks on the Restore function but still have some I would like to
delete. Thanks for your help.

Shenan Stanley wrote:
Please explain why it is you are wanting to 'delete' previously
installed updates. It may be entirely unnecessary (and possibly
ill-advised.)

If you have automatic updates set to notify you but nothing else -
you can get more information on each.

You can also visit http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com and perform a
CUSTOM scan for updates and look through that list of updates you
need.

You can also review the releases each month to see what updates you
might need/have needed and what they are.

Each month Microsoft puts out that months patches in an ISO format
for burning to DVD:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/913086 (Back to 2006)


You can see the critical (security and other) patches released for
a given month using the following:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms##-***.mspx

At the end of this line you see "ms##-***.mspx" .. If you simply
replace ## with the two-digit year and the *** with the three
character month abbreviation, you will see the list of "critical"
and "important" patches for that month (since it only happens once
a month usually, if you check by the second Tuesday (wait until
afternoon) of each month - you should be fine) - note that future
months will not work.

As an example...

December 2004's patches..
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms04-dec.mspx

March 2005's patches..
None released.. so that one will fail...

May 2006's patches..
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms06-may.mspx

January 2007's patches..
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms07-jan.mspx

April 2008's patches..
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms08-apr.mspx

There's at least one third party tool that will download all of
them for you:
http://wud.jcarle.com/

If you are getting these for integration into a cd or some sort of
installation...

http://unattended.msfn.org/
and
http://unattended.sourceforge.net/

Otherwise - please describe what it is you are doing/hoping to find
in more detail.

james w. morgan wrote:
Well, Mr. Stanley, I'm curious. There are some I don't want. I have
reset my auto updates so that now I can pick and chose. For
instance, It downloaded one that wanted me to enter name and
password before I could use MY computer. It also downloaded one
that caused a notice to come up repeatedly telling me that windows
explorer was having a problem and needed to close. And close it
did. Every time. One man told me to restore to a point I thought
would be before certain updates were downloaded. I did this but it
didn't solve all the problems. I'm curious as to why you would ask
such a question. This is my computer and I should be able to knoow
what the updates are for. I'm sure some of them don't apply to the
way I use my computer and so there is no need to download them.
Some of them cause problems with other programs I am running. My
question was a simple one and it seems reasonable that microsoft
would have a page that tells what the updates are for or what they
cure. Doesn't that sound reasonable to you? If there is such a web
page I would like to have the address. Thank you very much.

Shenan Stanley wrote:
I gave you the information you needed.

As for why I would ask 'such a question' - why would you call it 'such a question'? You asked a question here - you chose to *ask a question here*. I chose to answer your question and felt if I had further information, it might further aid myself (or others) in answering your question properly.

These 'other programs' - what might they be?
What specific updates cause trouble with/for them?
Even if you do not know the specific update (yet), you likely do know when the problem started and/or the last time you did not have the problem... In your add/remove programs, what was installed between those times?

As for 'not applying to the way you use your computer'... Interesting and short-sighted statement - in my opinion.

As for it being your computer - yes, yes it probably is. Didn't care before, don't care now whose computer it might be - you asked a question, I was providing an answer and had follow-up questions.

I suggest you actually read my response instead of taking personal offense to some part of it - your answer was given in multiple ways. Links inside the automatic updates (when set to notify instead of fully automatic); The list of complete updates for a given month; the custom scan option at "windowsupdate.microsoft.com"; etc.

Good luck. Remember - people may ask you things, I suggest not taking everyone of them as some personal attack. We all have differing opinions and different ways of approaching things. ;-)

Additionally:

You could just - through the 'Add or Remove Programs' Control Panel - find the KB###### for each of the updates you have installed that have valid removal methods intact and visit the web page for each one...

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/######\

(where ###### is replaced by the obvious.)

That would work.


Belarc Advisor (http://belarc.com/free_download.html) might help you out as well - it should list the installed and needed updates *decently accurately* and you could use the KB######'s in the same way I describe above. Actually - Belarc (I believe) has a "Details" link next to most of the installed/needd updates that take you to the KB page as I describe - so... In reality - there's your list.


Remember - you *may* own your computer - but if you read the EULA for Windows carefully - you are basically just given the right to *use* the operating system. Sad - but seemingly true. (See #6 in the EULA - "6. TERMINATION". Start button --> run --> type in: winver --> Click OK --> Click on the words "End-User License Agreement" in the "About Windows" box that should appear.)

I learn something new every day using this newsgroup. Run, winver:

END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR MICROSOFT SOFTWARE
WINDOWS XP HOME EDITION SERVICE PACK 2

3. RESERVATION OF RIGHTS AND OWNERSHIP
The Software is licensed, not sold.

6. LINKS TO THIRD PARTY SITES
Is my EULA different to yours? Your post says 6 is Termination.

15. TERMINATION
Without prejudice to any other rights, Microsoft may terminate this EULA if you fail to comply with the terms and conditions of this EULA. In such event, you must destroy all copies of the Software and all of its component parts.

I don't even own it and they can take it back anytime they want? :-(

Come back - reply - let everyone know how things turned out. Remember - this post is available indefinitely - so people 10 years from now may still read it and (possibly) even benefit from it. ( http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics/browse_frm/thread/420177ab1c410572 )


--
JD..
.

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