SillyDog701

[Fulvio]

I spent over a hour trying to install Windows Security Updates. I was informed by Secunia PSI that there were updates for IE8 and WinXP SP3. I downloaded one cumulative IE8 and seven WinXP updates, but, within seconds all of them did not install. I have had the problem, once, in the past for some, but, never for updates. After three tries, and failures, I decided to reboot the computer, but I saw an icon on the Shutdown button, where if clicked I would install the updates, and the computer would shutdown thereafter.
It took a while, and the computer shutdown. I restarted the computer, and Secunia PSI told me that instead of eight updates, there was, only, one which was not installed. I went to shutdown, and, there was, still, that icon on the Shutdown button. I clicked on it, again, the computer shutdown. I restarted, and did another Secunia PSI scan, and this time there were no more vulnerabilities. I am thinking of doing totally automatic updates, but the options are not good. Secunia told me of the updates, even before I got a notice from Microsoft (that was the way I had set up the updates, i.e. to let me know when they are available.
I don't see any place where it is possible to remove the downloaded, but not installed files. What if the downloads are corrupted? When I went to the update site, I was told that the files were downloaded, but, all of them, had 0Kb.
It beats me why it worked the way I selected, prior to Shutdown, but I wonder if anyone has had my type of experience. Never mind a completely automatic process. It could be just as bad.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.2.13) Gecko/20101203 Firefox/3.6.13

[Anonymosity]

I do my Windows updates entirely manually. I go to the Security Bulletin Search website, follow the link to the current month's patches, and download the ones that apply to me. I install them later. If you are not sure which updates to get, the latest version of Belarc Advisor can list them for you and provide links to the pages.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X; rv:1.9.2.13) Gecko Firefox/3.6.13

[James]

I install mine automatically. I've never had a single issue doing it this way (knock wood). The latest installed this morning without a glitch.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.1; en-US) AppleWebKit/534.16 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/10.0.648.45 Safari/534.16

[Fulvio]

You may have not understood my issue. I have been doing, in the past, manual updates, but, only after being informed that there were updates available. This time, thanks, or no thanks to Secunia PSI, I beat the notice.
Going to the Windows Update site, the updates were there, the downloads, presumably were completed, but none of the updates were installed. I wanted to redownload the updates, since they indicated sizes of 0Kb, but I could not find any way to do that. After wasting a lot of time, I proceeded to shutdown the computer, and that's when the updates began installing, all but one. The final one installed on that the next reboot.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.2.13) Gecko/20101203 Firefox/3.6.13

[James]

I understood you, Fulvio. I was probably not addressing your concern so forgive me. We approach this thing of computer technology very, very differently... you and I. I don't want to spend a lot of time on the computer. I need to be out and about. This life is far too short and besides, I find it healthier for me to get off my chair and get outside... takes walks along the ocean with my wife, etc. Therefore, I just leave all of these things (i.e. updating our computers and so forth) to the computer itself. Some evenings when I go to shut mine down I see it has a number of critical updates to make so I simply leave it and after updating the system it shuts itself down. I've been doing it this way for years and it's always worked out just fine. I honestly don't care what it deems necessary to add to the computer. My attitude is: just add it. I have no interest in what it's adding and even less in how it all works together. My only concern with the computer is to use it to communicate with family and friends... period. I suppose it's like my car. I have no idea how it works and could care less. I only want it to get me to where I'm going. I let others take care of it and for the past nearly fifty years I've never had any issues with the cars I've owned. Different approaches to things, my friend. Your way... my way... neither is right nor wrong. They're simply different views of how we use these devices... how we embrace this technology... what motivates us.

Anyway... I hope it all worked out for you in the end. Me? I would just find doing all of this vastly boring. There are so many other exciting things to do with one's time than sitting around manually updating a computer. Geeze... you spent "over an hour" trying to update something, my friend. I was sleeping while this occurred. wouldn't you rather have that hour back to do something more interesting? I guess it's different strokes for different folks in this case. Take care.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; rv:2.0b11) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/4.0b11

[Fulvio]

James,
I am no more interested in knowing how the system works, as you are. I, actually, want to take as little time as possible in achieving system security. That's why I rely on Secunia PSI, which tells me what needs an update, and how serious is a vulnerability. And, I don't always pay attention to Secunia. And, my system is more secure than most in the country. To top it all, instead of relying on updates from separate programs, I get a nice list, and I get to work. On the day of the Windows updates, several more programs required updates, and I dealt with those in minutes, click on the link provided by Secunia.
Only the Windows update gave me trouble. Why? I don't know, but I learned a lesson. If I had rebooted my computer right away, I would have saved a lot of time. Now I know that I can select to shutdown, but wait for the update to be completed. I did not intervene at all, after selecting that my computer would shutdown, but install the updates. But, still one update had not installed, but I know what to look for.
Vulnerabilities may not never affect your machine, but why take a chance? Indeed our philosophies are different.
I wish to make educated guesses, and you don't care to make them.
By the way, the primary reason why I reported my problems is to let people know that there may be a solution.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.2.13) Gecko/20101203 Firefox/3.6.13