Hi,
At what point during the install process is it best to install Updates and Service Paks for:
- OS
- NIC
- Drivers
- Apps
After windows security essentials is installed? If so, is it safe to launch a browser and navigate to microsoft to download Essentials, or should this be done off USB stick?
I download before hand and save all of the above to thumb drives.
This is my routine for a clean install is once windows is installed and I'm at my desktop.
I start with the latest drivers for my key hardware, motherboard first, then video card, sound card, NIC and so on. I do printers and such later on as I need them.
The I do the major Microsoft updates, service packs if there are any, DirectX, IE, Media Player, Silverlight, Microsoft Security Essentials, Microsoft Office. Then I hit Windows update and keep patching until there aren't any left.
Then I move onto other stuff like Adobe Reader, Flash player, Java, etc. stuff I use right away.
The rest of my programs I just install as needed.
You can download the latest stand alone definition files here if you're interested.
Get the latest definitions - Microsoft Malware Protection Center
Or you can use WSUS Offline Update to install MSE and all critical updates for Windows & MS Office from usb/whatever: WSUS Offline Update - Update Microsoft Windows and Office without an Internet connection
I actually do the above each month on a Win7 image I keep here in a VHD that I do not update. I download all the updates to a folder, download the latest MSE and definitions, and then use an MDT 2010 task sequence to install Win7, then the updates, then MSE+latest definitions, all from a USB key offline. Only then do I plug the system into a network or Internet connection.
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