1. Every time Microsoft bullies the software and user communities more of us start looking at alternatives to escape the MS crap and nonsense.

In the last little while I have switched my second computer to Linux and bought a Mac for home.

Reply

Autopatcher was great for doing XP installs on new computers, especially if they didn't have broadband. Hopefully less legal methods will be employed to provide the service?

Reply

You can't really blame them...you can use this site without a valid copy of Windows.

Reply

Ooh, that sucks hard. AutoPatcher has been invaluable to me the last two times I've done an XP install.

Reply

Instead of all that auto-update crap and it corollary : the time it takes, the bandwith it needs, all the trash it leaves behind in the Windows folder and the registry, why not simply just providing a couple more service packs?

Yep, me too, I am looking at Linux with growing interest.

Reply

Instead of all that auto-update crap and its corollary: the time it takes, the bandwidth it needs, all the trash it leaves behind in the Windows folder and in the registry, why not simply just providing a couple more service packs?

I hate to think that 50% of my CPU power is wasted away in such fashion. Yep, me too, I am looking at Linux with growing interest.

Reply

If MS had half a brain, they'd buy this thing for a small sum (after all, the guy's choices are basically sell or shut down), then re-brand it like they did with SysInternals. They'd get a near-free "enterprise" update distributer, plus they could add (some) WGA controls to it.

Reply

I can't express how upset I am about this takedown. AutoPatcher is one of--no, scratch that, it's THE most important tools I keep on my flash drive. As an IT professional working for many companies, I have to reinstall Windows on machines on a weekly basis. Sometimes as many as four or five simultaneously. AutoPatcher has saved me massive amounts of time, and my clients a great deal of money. The tool is invaluable, and I really think we're taking a massive step backwards by losing this. Unless Microsoft produces a comparable solution (which they can't, as AutoPatcher included some very valuable third-party freeware, as well as some very useful tweaks), or buys AutoPatcher and rebrands it, we have lost something very important today.

I am pissed.

Reply

http://windowsupdate.62nds.com/

Reply

a service pack is starting to look good now, they should come out with one every 1 or 2 years. i mean 75megs of critical updates since sp2 isn't that much tho, not like sp2 at 250megs, but it can take an hour to an hour and a half to download and install.

But you can automate the critical update process with a batch file and the updates themselves downloaded locally.

Just use "windows update downloader" from http://wud.jcarle.com/

you can use /? on any kb.exe update (from cmd prompt) to see if they support switches. But most support the following switches: /nobackup /noreboot /quiet (or /progress instead of /quiet to see the progress bar instead of nothing on screen)

So create a batch file with the command line switches: kb*.exe /nobackup /noreboot /quiet to automate the install of critical updates. just remember to reboot after the last one.

Having the updates local speeds up my installs by alot, i'd say it takes less than half an hour to do all updates, and even faster if you disable system restore (re-enable it after your last update)

Voila, simple and fast, and 100% legal since WUD downloads from m$, basically its the same as using their windows update catalog and installing by hand but with some creative scripting.

The only downside is you have to recreate the Batch/WUD or update it every month.

ps: you can integrate ie7 and its updates aswell, they handle command line switches too.

Reply

a service pack is starting to look good now, they should come out with one every 1 or 2 years. i mean 75megs of critical updates since sp2 isn't that much tho, not like sp2 at 250megs, but it can take an hour to an hour and a half to download and install.

But you can automate the critical update process with a batch file and the updates themselves downloaded locally.

Just use "windows update downloader" from http://wud.jcarle.com/

you can use /? on any kb.exe update (from cmd prompt) to see if they support switches. But most support the following switches: /nobackup /noreboot /quiet (or /progress instead of /quiet to see the progress bar instead of nothing on screen)

So create a batch file with the command line switches: kb*.exe /nobackup /noreboot /quiet to automate the install of critical updates. just remember to reboot after the last one.

Having the updates local speeds up my installs by alot, i'd say it takes less than half an hour to do all updates, and even faster if you disable system restore (re-enable it after your last update)

Voila, simple and fast, and 100% legal since WUD downloads from m$, basically its the same as using their windows update catalog and installing by hand but with some creative scripting.

The only downside is you have to recreate the Batch/WUD or update it every month.

ps: you can integrate ie7 and its updates aswell, they handle command line switches too.

Reply

you want one more interesting tip?

try copying your xp install cd to your hard drive, and then with each kb.exe, use the /integrate:C\xpinstallcd folder,

burn to cdrw monthly if you want or every 6 months make your own fully patched cd.

then when you install xp again, they're already integrated.

how's that for cool ?

with nlite, you can integrate drivers and do more aswell.

Reply

Autopatcher é um bpom Pack de atualizações do Windows XP

Reply

Not only have I switched to Linux (OpenSuse 10.2), but so has my youngest son (Debian, whatever the Enlightenment Live distro was). Our reasons are different, but Microsoft bullying of developers and customers is a common reason. Even the wife is starting to like Linux. She has witnessed our uptime, with no virii, trojans, or other malware taking a machine out.

We don't need Bill, plain and simple.

Reply