WindowsUpdate posts

Filed under: OS Updates, Utilities, Windows, Microsoft

Project Dakota: Update Windows XP from a CD

by Simon Kerbel Feb 1st 2008

Build PC's for a living? For a hobby? For a consortium of Russian gangsters? Either way, you'll want to know about Project Dakota.

Project Dakota is a CD that contains all the updates found on the Windows Update website, including Service Pack 2. The updates come with a small stand-alone installer that runs the updates in the order set by Microsoft. For example, if you don't have Service Pack 2 installed, the Project Dakota installer will apply the pre-Service Pack 2 updates, install Service Pack 2 and then continue with the post-Service Pack 2 updates.

If you're wondering why you would want to install the Windows updates from a CD rather than directly from Windows update, here's the answer: with Project Dakota, you won't have to wait for updates to download or endure the endless merry-go-round of install-restart-install. You just insert the CD, make a few clicks, and Project Dakota takes care of the rest. Update nirvana.

Project Dakota also includes some useful and free third-party apps, including Ad-Aware, Adobe Reader, Firefox, Java, and more (for a full list of included third-party apps, as well as a list of all updates currently included, check out the forum).

Project Dakota weighs in at 702 MB, and downloads in an ISO format. For Windows XP Home and Professional 32 bit only.

[via gHacks.net]

Tags: project dakota, ProjectDakota, windows update, WindowsUpdate

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft

Microsoft sends takedown notice to AutoPatcher

by Brad Linder Aug 29th 2007

After four years of providing safe, reliable access to publicly available Windows updates, AutoPatcher has been shut down. AutoPatcher provided a safe and easy way for users to download Windows updates without connecting to Microsoft's servers. This came in handy if you wanted to update multiple computers. You could download AutoPatcher, put it on a disc and install it on PCs before connecting them to the internet, thus avoiding any vulnerabilities that may exist in pre-patched systems.

Apparently Microsoft has sent a takedown notice to the developer, saying that Windows Updates should only be downloaded from Microsoft's servers.

The developer says he has no grounds to challenge Microsoft, and so the AutoPatcher project is for all intents and purposes dead.

[via istartedsomething]

Tags: autopatcher, windows update, WindowsUpdate

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft

Windows Vista Performance and Reliability Pack officially released

by Brad Linder Aug 7th 2007

It looks like Microsoft has officially released the Window Performance and Reliability Pack and Vista Compatibility and Reliability Pack. We first told you about these Vista update packs last week when unofficial versions made their way onto the net.

Here are some of the issues the update addresses:

When you copy or move a large file, the "estimated time remaining" takes a long time to be calculated and displayed.
The screen may go blank when you try to upgrade the video driver.
The computer stops responding, and you receive a "Display driver stopped responding and has recovered" error message.
A memory leak occurs when you use the Windows Energy screen saver.
If User Account Control is disabled you cannot install a network printer.
You experience a long delay when trying to exit the Photos screen saver.
It takes your computer a long time to show the logon screen after resuming from hibernation.

We don't blame you if you were nervous about installing an update obtained from a non-Microsoft source. But since it looks like at least some computers aren't downloading the update automatically through Windows Update, you might want to go ahead and download the pack from Microsoft now that it's available.

[via jkOnTheRun]

Tags: reliability pack, ReliabilityPack, update, vista, windows update, windows vista, WindowsUpdate, WindowsVista

Filed under: Internet, Security

Hackers use Windows Update to download malicious code

by Brad Linder May 11th 2007

Microsoft's Windows Update has a component called Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) that downloads updates while you're busy doing other things with your computer. If you get disconnected, the update will pick up where it left off when you get back on the network.

Sounds great, right? Well, generally it is. But since BITS is part of your operating system, your firewall doesn't really check to see what it's downloading. And while there is pretty much no risk of automatically downloading a virus or trojan through Windows Update under normal circumstances, hackers are starting to use BITS to download code to computers that have already been affected.

Say you click that file attachment in an email from an unknown source, expecting to see compromising photos of a young starlet. Turns out there's no photo, so you shrug and move on. Next thing you know, you're computer's trying to download all sorts of files to capture your passwords. Normally your firewall would help protect your computer from such attacks, but since BITS can fly under the radar, you may be out of luck.

According to a Symantec researcher there's no way to prevent hackers from using BITS right now, but Microsoft could redesign BITS to require a higher user level in order to work. Or Microsoft could only allow BITS to download files from trusted sources.

Tags: bits, hackers, windows update, WindowsUpdate

Filed under: Windows

Get rid of the Windows Update reboot nag

by Jordan Running Apr 14th 2006

One of my biggest Windows pet peeves is the Restart Now/Restart Later nag box that pops up after your install a patch from Windows Update. Yes, Windows, I know there's a reason I shouldn't wait too long to reboot but there's absolutely no reason I should be reminded of it every 10 minutes. Fortunately, there seems to be a solution, at least for folks with SP2. Using the Group Policy editor you can change the time between nags from 10 minutes to something more reasonable like, say, an hour, or get rid of them entirely. To learn how to do it, head over to The Code Project's forum, where a user called Daniel Turini describes the tweak.

Additionally, if you just want a temporary fix (or don't have SP2), stopping the Automatic Updates service will make the nags go away. Just go to Start > Run and type net stop wuauserv. Once you eventually reboot, the Automatic Updates service will start again by itself.

Tags: nag, reboot, restart, tip, tweak, update, windows, windowsupdate

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