The fifth revision of Windows Update is set to enter beta testing, as Microsoft continues efforts to improve its facility for keeping customers’ systems up to date. Windows Update V5 is slated to be a significant upgrade, eventually extending the service’s reach beyond Windows to all Microsoft products. The company will initially support updates to Office 2003, as well as SQL and Exchange.
New Windows Update to Cover More Products
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
Follow me on Twitter @EugeniaLoli
they weren’t doing this already?
Why not sell a service that updates all the software on your system. Free if its all Microsoft software, but for a small fee it could include everything under the sun.
So much potential, so much oportunity, but sadly no motivation. Oh well.
I was ranting on /. during the blaster/sobig thing about this very same thing!
Why can’t they just build an update model…That’s what windows update was supposed to be after all… for all the windows programs not just MS stuff.
re:hmmm screw the fee, they don’t deserve it! I agree they shouldn’t have to host stuff for others either, but the windows update “model” should allow any windows manufacture to use the standard interface to update their software too! Then every vendor could have a windowsupdate.vendor.com namespace to put their updates on and we could find them in a hurry…kinda like apt-get….but of course MS innovates!
apt-get has been doing this for ages. Portage does it too. In fact, I’m sure that apt-get and Portage will be less involved than this.
Windows users are living in the past.
“they weren’t doing this already?”
Nope, hence the SQL Slammer worm. It’s about time this got fixed. It’s amazing to me that MS isn’t leveraging its girth by offering a computing platform of integrated applications AND security systems(including updates). Longhorn, and all software with patches available, out of the box should firewall WAN IP addresses and Update automatically. For $199 a copy they shouldn’t be worried about bandwidth costs.
They’re not going to be able to compete with Linux if they can’t even take advantage of thier own corporate structure.
> It’s amazing to me that MS isn’t leveraging its girth by offering a computing platform of integrated applications AND security systems(including updates).
Actually, whenever they have come up with anything that does updates things automatically, users have been largely suspicious of what kind of information is being collected, where it is sent, and so on. Then there’s the part where it informs the user about the available updates which most users just choose to ignore.
If ignoring automatic updates wasnt bad enough, most users arent aware of Office update at all, and even the ones who are tend to slack off simply because it is too much of a hassle to search for the Office XP CD every time you try to run Office Updates. Hopefully, this new system-wide update wont bug the user for the CD of each application it tries to update.
This feature has been included for YEARS … yes YEARS. All you have to do is setup in the Control Panel / System / Automatic Updates to Download + Install any new critical updates.
First people complain that Microsoft leaves too many things turned ‘on’ by default and now they leave something turned ‘off’ by default everyone cries wolf.
Please people … get a live.
Secondly, if you are on a domain – the domain admins should have pushed down the RPC patch to everyone way before blaster came out.
For Corporates they should provide a distributed updates
It seems open source guys had the right idea all along. Red-carpet seems to enable you to update more than just security fixes.
I recently switched my critical updates to a server run by the university I am at (Auto update), and I thought I could get a nice interface to enable me tp upgrade on demand, but couldn’t. Can’t do stuff like Windows Media too, though I do not use it anymore.
Automatic updates only does critical updates AFAIK anyway.
I HATE the OfficeUpdate. Requiring you to look for CDs and insert them into the computer is ASSININE.
“Actually, whenever they have come up with anything that does updates things automatically, users have been largely suspicious of what kind of information is being collected, where it is sent, and so on.”
Users care about avoiding costly computer repairs, underinformed tech “experts” worry about the M$ New World Order that’s secretly enabling their webcams using Automatic-Updates. The whole point is that users aren’t going to do it themselves.
Don’t get me wrong, I think MS is a relic of an under-developed industry, it’ll probably be gone in 20 years IMO.
“I HATE the OfficeUpdate. Requiring you to look for CDs and insert them into the computer is ASSININE.”
I second that. I think it does this to verify that you have the original CD and are authorised to do an install, but it has no way of checking the status to make sure it is a legitimate CD, (I use my CD-R bakup media for installations, while the authentic CD is kept safe), but just makes sure you have the office installation files. This is a useless step. Windows does not ask for the original CD with updates, so why should Office?
Just to assist the above users remedy to your CD prompting ills-
use setup.exe /a for admin install this saves key and stores Office CD as local CABS. Once this is done go to folder where you stored the file and execute. I use my fav CDRW software and burn this baby to CD and viola now I have a fully working non-key asking Office CD.
as far as my alias it is sarcasm as I OS agnostic
-metro305
My previous post helps with office update since this is my preferred method saves setup CABS locally and write REG KEY that states MSO was installed locally and this whole CD request thing is moot – you do lose ~ 400MB disk space for cabs YUCK.
Some users care about keeping their PC in good shape, but most expect them to run like any other appliance.
If you do a custom setup and set it up to run everything from the hard drive updates won’t ask for the CD. If I remember right it’s not “checking” on the CD, it’s looking for files that are referenced in the patches but not installed on the hard drive.
Plus I think you can edit the setup.ini to include a registration key so Office won’t ask for one during setup. It works for our Windows disks, so…
Honestly, how long as it taken for Microsoft to come up with this. Here is a couple of points:
1) Why do they have that f*cking stupid “Windows Update” site? what the f*cking heck is wrong with the way MacOS and Linux to it? a little dinky application which one runs, obtains a list of updates, the user selects what they want, then they are downloaded and installed.
Their current method is crap. I was at a family friends house removing a the blaster worm. Cleaned it up, installed an anti-virus, HID Outlook and Outlook Express and Internet Explorer – The person is now FORCED to use Mozilla. I then proceeded to goto Windows Update (from the Windows Start menu), the site loaded, and the ActiveX installed nicely, the computer was scanned and the appropriate fixes were listed. Confirmed what needed to be installed then clicked on the “review and download”, I clicked on “Install” at the top and nothing happened. I click again, and again, nothing happend. I then rebooted and redid the above. It took 4 attempts *JUST* for that dinky little “install” dialogue to appear.
2) Monthly batch patches need to be released just like SUN Microsystems does. It would be a heck of alot easier.
3) Ensure that the patches you deploy actually FIX the problem without busting a whole heap of other stuff in the process. If you are going to bust something, inform third parties so that they can ensure their software is up-to-date and will continue to work after deploying the patch.
Why? So they can bring a false sense of security to more products? Shouldn’t they properly support existing products first?
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105_2-5072672.html
I have recently discovered slipstreaming – the practice of updating your installation media with all the service packs before installing.
windows and Office Service Packs both support this, you copy the CD to the hard drive, run the service pack executable with certain switches and it updates the installer.
Then burn back to CD-R – using WinISO in the case of Windows so the CD remains bootable.. ind install WinXP SP1 and Office XP SP2 from CD, just stopping to get supplemental updates from Windowsupdate.
I’m amazed more people – specifically in industry – aren’t doing this. I’m also hacked off since there are 35Mb of updates out for WinXP SP1 already and all have to be installed individually !