Windows Update needs to change...

/whining on/

While I understand the need and importance of Windows updates (and any OS for that matter), it gets ridiculous. I just installed Windows 8 fresh install on my new laptop (Sager NP7330 / Clevo W230ST), and that took all of 60 minutes tops with drivers and apps install. But once I get in there and go to Windows update, there's in total about 1.5GB of new updates. Then I install Office 2013 and another 350MB of updates. I mean come on, really? They need to keep a rollup patch single file that you can throw in your Windows USB drive in a "patch" directory or something so every time you go to install, it just updates all those without the need to download it on every machine you install it on.

/whining off/

 

Actually, Windows 7 & 8 and Office but have "Update" folders where you would stick that file you mentioned in.

Windows 8 x64 Rollup - Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 update rollup: May 2013 (May 2013)

Update File - Download Update for Windows 8 for x64-based Systems (KB2836988) from Official Microsoft Download Center

 

At 1.5GB updates it is time for a Service Pack but then again 8.1 is about to be released...............

 

I know the Office update folder have existed at least since 2003, but I've never heard of something similar for Windows? Would you mind explaining please?

 

For a one-time install, this is par for the course. OS X is no different, Linux is typically no different. You install a several-month old OS, this happens.

Windows since Vista has a mechanism for updating the installation image. They used to use ImageX, which was replaced by DISM. These tools are actually pimped by MS as being for deployment, but they can be used to simply make an updated installer. You can capture most of the system how you want it, updates and drivers, pre-installed apps, pre-configured accounts, etc., package it as a windows image file, replace the install.wim on the installation media and poof, instead of stock Windows, you get *your* setup instead. These tools are command line-centric and not for the faint of heart, but for those with strong Google-fu and some free time this can save a lot of time later on for doing installs.

DISM.exe Replaces ImageX.exe - My Thoughts On IT…

I haven't tried Win8 yet, but I made a Win7 image at work and holy moly it cut the deployment time for a new machine down substantially, as well as making it consistent.

 

Do a faster internet solve the problem?

 

I highly doubt that 62.5MB file makes up for the 1GB+ of downloads. I'm aware that there are "ways" to create your own custom installer. But I'm talking about a download and drop a single file on your USB thumb drive with all the latest "required" security patches, etc, and install the OS.

Nothing to do with internet speed. Microsoft's servers don't push data so fast anyhow, and there's the couple hours of grinding for installing the updates and reboots.

 

This doesn't work well because a lot of the updates are not based on the day 1 installation image. Update C only goes on after update B which went on after update A. A lot of times Windows Update itself can't keep the order right, so on a new machine doing updates, it's not uncommon to have it give random unexplained errors on updates that seem to resolve themselves after reboots.

I can tell you there will be an update in the next month or so that will be a roll-up. A .1 revision even.

 

Yes, even Windows update can screw up installations and cause issues, then you have to hunt down the problematic install, uninstall it before you can continue. I know 8.1 is due out soon, but it still doesn't change the issue. In six months we'll be in the same boat.

 

Too true, but this is always the case. This is why over time Service packs need release. This is also why no Service pack 2 for Windows 7, make it as difficult as possible to downgrade. If you had not noticed I am no fan of M$ as of late.....................

 

Windows 7 does need a SP2 I agree, they aren't going to make one. however, at this point another service pack would be welcome, there are enough new updates for that since SP1.

 

You will. I can just make a new install image as I explained earlier.

 

Skip the damn updates, it's not necessary anyway.

 

Did anyone else notice that Service Pack 2, for MS Office 2010, was released last Wednesday, 24 July?

 

Yup, I did, 400 MB...

 

I'm losing my "faith" in MS as well. I was never a "fanboi" but I have used Windows and DOS as long as I can remember, since the original DOS days. And for gaming of course Windows is still the ultimate champion. I am debating whether to dual boot Linux though on my new 13" notebook. Keep Ubuntu on a 128GB mSATA and my Windows on 256GB mSATA.

 

A big issue that I have had is that some aren't completely installed until reboot, so it has messed with different versions of caching programs I have tried. It would be awesome if they gave you some way to control the updates better like some here have suggested.

 

I wouldn't consider this a valid complaint because Windows 7 does a perfectly good job with this task by itself.

 

There just has to be a better way than what they currently do. But then again, MS doesn't care about making anybody's life easier. They just assume they have you by the balls so they focus on keeping things easy for themselves.

 

It's annoying to say the least. I've mitigated it by only shutting down (and applying the updates) at night.

 

You did read where I said Linux has this same problem, right? You know Ubuntu 13.04 is from April. There's no distro where the ISO is 0-day, and I've never read on the process of "updating" a Linux install image.

 

For the record, I was curious about this "1.5GB of updates" thing and I have a spare Win8-licensed laptop here at the office, so I did a clean install. It has 615MB of updates. This is almost 1/3 of what you claimed yours had. Maybe you have a device with a several hundred meg driver or something but I'm starting to think the numbers are little askew.

 

Nope. I didn't document it, but it had 600MB+, then another 350MB+, then another 300MB+, not to mention the several hundred from Microsoft Office. When you're done with that update, check for updates again and you'll see more updates. Install anything that needs .Net 3.5 or lower and see another couple hundred MB. I'm not exaggerating, it's a ridiculous amount of updates, and size, in any case.

 

This is what you said:

"Once I got in there .. about 1.5GB of new updates" This is what I am reading. But now you say 600 "+350" "300+".. On the fresh install I did, which should be the same as the fresh install you did, our numbers should be somewhat similar. After I rebooted from 616MB of updates, I had ~40MB of additional uppdates for .Net, but then.. that was it.

Office is a different thing with it's own updates, which is another story in itself. A fresh Windows 8 install.. doesn't have Office in it.

 

Dude, relax. It may not have been exactly 1.5GB, it was at least 1GB and then some... if you want to prove me wrong and say you're right, then fine, you're right. I'm not about to go install Windows 8 again to prove you wrong.

 

Well you have to remember that version of Windows 8 may be the original version that came out a year ago. That means it has to do a almost a years worth of updates.

 

There hasn't been any other version.

The size of the updates is going to get bigger over time, that's a given. Things to remember here are: 1. The system is still usable while doing updates. 2. The user who installs -OS- on day 1 of release and the user who installs it a year later get a similar number of updates, one is simply spread over time.

Note I didn't say Windows 8 here. Because it's true for any modern OS.

 

minus the umpteen reboots.

 

I've found that if you switch off auto-updates Uncheck ALL the Important Updates then install ALL of Windows Optional Updates first - re-check the same procedure after reboot. Then Install ALL the Important Updates, the process is much smoother and faster and less reboots and needing to constantly check both areas.
I don't turn back on auto updates but you can after you're caught up.