More on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 servicing changes

Brds7t7 · 09 Oct 2016

Seffrid said:

My intention is to carry on as now. Have WU set to "Notify but do not download or install" and then hold fire on all updates for two or three weeks after Patch Tuesday

That's what I've been doing since the XP days, I always like to see what I'm installing beforehand.
I only install updates on patch Tuesday in my VM's. But I always hold off for a week or two on my main systems.

Painter · 09 Oct 2016

ThrashZone said:

Hi,
Another thing that does not change is create a system image before downloading and installing these updates and don't bother using windows system images use Free Macrium reflect instead that way no updates can really hurt you...

Best advise going TZ. It is a shame that so many people don't bother. When things go sideways, they end up getting stuck with a clean install and that is more complicated and 10X more time consuming.

I will be installing the security-only update package and I am very pleased that MS did not make it cumulative. The one thing that bothers me with this decision is when a security patch breaks something. Hopefully if MS produces a fix for the component the patch has broken, it will be sent out-of-band. It will be a huge disappointment if such a fix gets sent out in the monthly cumulative rollup. Time will tell.

mjf · 09 Oct 2016

I may have missed it but are MS still going to categorize Windows 7 updates as Important, Recommended, and optional. Are they suggesting in future you have to take the lot?
At the moment I only install "Important" and always make a system image before installing these.

Seffrid · 09 Oct 2016

Where a combined update is concerned, the rating will be the highest of the component parts.

mjf · 09 Oct 2016

Seffrid said:

Where a combined update is concerned, the rating will be the highest of the component parts.

What you are saying is that you believe they will be all lumped together. eg. 1 or more important plus all the other rubbish you don't want.

An example of "rubbish" would be drivers I don't want installed.

ThrashZone · 09 Oct 2016

Hi,
I believe the net framework ones are the weirdest to me
Anything net related was always important
Last I saw it was optional could of been recommended but it is still whack

Brds7t7 · 09 Oct 2016

mjf said:

I may have missed it but are MS still going to categorize Windows 7 updates as Important, Recommended, and optional. Are they suggesting in future you have to take the lot?
At the moment I only install "Important" and always make a system image before installing these.

I believe the cumulative rollups would have to fall under the important category, as they're also addressing security issues.

MS has said there are a few that will be available separately. The servicing stack update was one mentioned. .NET Framework and Adobe flash security updates (on 8.1) will also be separate. But most will be in the rollups from Tuesday.

Seffrid · 09 Oct 2016

mjf said:

Seffrid said:

Where a combined update is concerned, the rating will be the highest of the component parts.

What you are saying is that you believe they will be all lumped together. eg. 1 or more important plus all the other rubbish you don't want.

An example of "rubbish" would be drivers I don't want installed.

I'm just basing it on what was said in the article.

mjf · 09 Oct 2016

The article doesn't make it clear to me. A quote:
"Each month there will be separate updates released for a variety of reasons (e.g. DST time zone changes, out-of-band security fixes). Many of these will be rolled into the next monthly rollup, although some will remain separate- including Office, Flash and Silverlight updates."

It would be useful to know in more detail what the "some will remain separate" will contain. Hopefully it will contain things like video drivers, Windows 10 upgrade nagging etc so you can decide not to install. We'll wait and see.

Seffrid · 09 Oct 2016

My understanding is that the separate updates will be those relating to third-party applications (including other Microsoft products like MSE), as well as any upgrades to the Windows Update client itself. Only operating system updates will be included in the new format, to include things like kernel updates, time zone fixes, telemetry changes, etc. as well as the usual security updates to Internet Explorer which is an embedded part of the operating system.