Confused about update date and safety of latest patches

metroid79 · 27 Apr 2018

Two in one question:

1. I last installed updates 3/19/2018. However I am seeing an available update which was published 1/18/2018. Any idea why that happened? Shouldn't updates prior to the last update date already be installed? (have I confused you yet?)

2. There are a number of updates (including the one from January) and, although I've read up on them, it's too confusing to understand which ones I should install and which ones I should not install. It seems some of them bricked people's computers or caused other issues, and some of them supercede others.

I would greatly appreciate if you could take a look at the attached screenshot of my Windows Update and let me know which updates to hide vs which ones are safe to install (that is, which ones likely will cause problems or have been replaced by better or more stable ones). If you need more info, let me know.

Meanwhile I'm going to do a system image and some backups

Thank you

torchwood · 27 Apr 2018

Hi metroid79,

Mostly due to the Meltdown/Spectre farce, where Updates were issued/pulled/reissued and released outside of the current monthly policy

Of those you mentioned, the only one i would hide is kb2952664
note it will be re-released hide it next time round as well

Of more concern is why the Defender Update definition is showing if thats your AV it should auto install

Awfull lot of optional updates
from those DO NOT install any of the previews

Roy

ThrashZone · 27 Apr 2018

Hi,
Yeah net framework rollup well if you have it installed already it would be easy to find in your history or better uninstall a update list.
It might of been slow to reach you wouldn't be the first time a update showed up well past release

Ranger4 · 27 Apr 2018

Of more concern is why the Defender Update definition is showing if thats your AV it should auto install

I use Microsoft Security Essentials & if I Check for Updates first thing in the morning when I start the computer, MSE Updates will be showing in the Pending section as an Optional Update. If I tick it, it will get installed, but if I don't it will install automatically later on. Presumably Windows Defender behaves the same way & should not be a concern.

metroid79 · 28 Apr 2018

torchwood said:

Hi metroid79,

Mostly due to the Meltdown/Spectre farce, where Updates were issued/pulled/reissued and released outside of the current monthly policy

Of those you mentioned, the only one i would hide is kb2952664
note it will be re-released hide it next time round as well

Of more concern is why the Defender Update definition is showing if thats your AV it should auto install

Awfull lot of optional updates
from those DO NOT install any of the previews

Roy

Thanks, Roy, I will just hide the one you suggest and then update. I did a system image prior, so theoretically I could revert if problems arise.

I have Kaspersky, so the defender updates aren't that big of an issue.