Tag: WINDOWS-UPDATE

While Microsoft Security Essentials has gotten mostly glowing reviews so far, some users are still hesitant to install it. One thing holding up some users is Windows Update. You can't update your Security Essentials definitions automatically if the Windows Update service is disabled. And while keeping your system fully patched is a necessity, not everyone wants to allow Windows to do it for ...

If someone were to ask you what Microsoft's biggest competition is on the operating system front is, what would your guess be? OSX? No. Linux? Sorry, but no. Truth is, it's unlicensed Windows. So when you're developing a new operating system with a wide array of modern features, it's probably best to take a hard line against piracy, right? Maybe not. Paul Cooke, Microsoft's director of Windows ...

Next week Microsoft will be pushing out up to 5 updates to Windows 7 (build 7000) beta testers using the Windows Update service. Basically, this will be a test of the Windows Update process. Users won't notice any new features or bug fixes. Microsoft will begin sending out the updates on February 24th. Users should receive a notification that updates are available, but they won't be installed ...

Since you want your computer to be as secure as it can possibly be, you have Windows set to automatically install updates as soon as they're available, right? Well, if you do, you will have noticed that Windows can be pretty pushy about wanting to restart. In fact, it will pop up a reminder every 10 minutes until you finally give in, or worse, accidentally press the space bar when the update ...

If you've got Windows XP SP2, you might want to check the good ole Windows Update page today. A week after delaying the launch of Windows XP SP3, Microsoft today released the update through Windows Update. That means even if you don't go out of your way to download it, there's a good chance you'll wind up downloading the service pack in the next few days if your computer is configured to install ...

If you have Windows Update configured to automatically download and install hotfixes, security updates, service packs, and other updates, it's not always easy to see exactly what you're installing or what's already been packed onto your PC. WinUpdatesList is a simple application that brings up a list of all the updates that have been applied to your PC. You can run WinUpdatesList simply by ...

Microsoft is set to release Windows XP SP3 through Windows Update tomorrow. But if you just can't wait to get your hands on the latest and greatest OS update from Microsoft (not that Vista isn't great...), it looks like a number of folks have found the download links that will let you grab the update from Microsoft's servers. Microsoft released SP3 to manufacturers last week, and shortly after ...

A few weeks ago we could have sworn that Microsoft was getting ready to release the final build of Windows XP SP3 by the end of March. But today Microsoft released Windows XP SP3 RC2 refresh, which basically means it's a slightly modified version of the release candidate made available in February. There aren't really many new features or surprises in the latest build. The refresh basically has ...

If you had any doubt that Internet Explorer 8 beta 1 was released as a developer preview and wasn't really meant for general consumption, consider this: You can't access Windows Update using Internet Explorer 8. If you try to visit the Windows Update page, you'll get a message telling you that you need to use Internet Explorer 5 or later. Microsoft plans to add IE8 support to its software update ...

While most Windows Vista users we know can't wait to get their hands on Service Pack 1 in the hopes of improving stability, reliability and performance, some people might want to hold off on updating their computers. For example, company IT managers who aren't looking forward to deploying an update that could mess up some of the software on hundreds of machines. So Microsoft has issued a tool that ...

Once upon a time, AutoPatcher was the go to program for downloading and installing Windows Updates without connecting to Microsoft's servers. Say you've got a bunch of PCs that you need to update and you don't want to take the time to connect each to the internet and download updates one by one. Just use AutoPatcher, download the latest updates, burn the results to a CD and carry it from ...

You know, we're starting to think that by the time Microsoft actually gets around to releasing Windows Vista SP1, all the major updates will already have been made available as update packs and hotfixes. Microsoft has just released yet another compatibility, reliability, and stability pack for Vista. Here are some of the highlights: Extended battery life on mobile devices Improved stability ...

You may not be able to get your grubby little paws on Windows Vista SP1 yet, but if you're itching for a few performance enhancements, Microsoft has released several new reliability and compatibility updates. First up is a package that: Extends battery life for mobile devices Improves stability of portable computers and desktops using a uninterruptable power supply Improves reliability ...

Windows XP and Vista each have a Windows Update utility that can automatically download and install critical system updates. Most of the time, this is a good thing. But if you want to install updates on your own schedule, or if you're a privacy freak advocate and just don't want Microsoft accessing your PC without your consent, you can turn off automatic updates. Or so we thought. It turns out ...