Installing Updates 1 of 3 ... forever

[OldGuy]

Well it has been 30 minutes so far and still waiting for it to install
the first update.

It says do not power off or unplug but there is no other option to get
out of this.

What do I do???



--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: (e-mail address removed) ---

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, OldGuy.

What do I do???

You wait....

30 Minutes is not so long. It's nowhere near "forever". Sometimes these
updates can take hours. More feedback would be comforting, of course, and
SHOULD be a part of every update - but that would probably require frequent
interruptions of the update process (to put a message onscreen, after
calculating time remaining) and make the updates take even longer. :>(

Of course, we don't really know what updates you are asking about. You
didn't say. It has been a couple of weeks since "Patch Tuesday"; are you
just now getting around to Windows Updates?

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP (2002-2010)
Windows Live Mail 2012 (Build 16.4.3508.0205) in Win8 Pro


"OldGuy" wrote in message
Well it has been 30 minutes so far and still waiting for it to install
the first update.

It says do not power off or unplug but there is no other option to get
out of this.

What do I do???



--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: (e-mail address removed) ---

 

[Leala]

Well it has been 30 minutes so far and still waiting for it to install
the first update.

It says do not power off or unplug but there is no other option to get
out of this.

What do I do???



--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: (e-mail address removed) ---

If they are .net framework types updates, they do take a while.
I have 21 listed for the 9 July update in Win7.

 

[Paul in Houston TX]

Well it has been 30 minutes so far and still waiting for it to install
the first update.

It says do not power off or unplug but there is no other option to get
out of this.

What do I do???

It sometimes takes longer. Sometimes things go wrong and it stalls.
Do you really need the gigabyte of .NET and Office updates?
Watch the hdd light and the internet traffic (install Network Activity
Indicator on 7 if you don't already have it).
http://www.itsamples.com/network-activity-indicator.html

 

[chicagofan]

It sometimes takes longer. Sometimes things go wrong and it stalls.
Do you really need the gigabyte of .NET and Office updates?
Watch the hdd light and the internet traffic (install Network Activity
Indicator on 7 if you don't already have it).
http://www.itsamples.com/network-activity-indicator.html

What are .NET updates required for? I've always allowed them, because
of my ignorance regarding what it affects. If I don't need them I'd
like to stop them.

I don't use Office either, but I assumed maybe [erroneously] I needed
those updates for the Microsoft Office Picture Manager or something...
[which I also don't know if it's connected to that Personalization
business].

Don't mean to hi-jack this thread, just hope I can gain some info along
with OldGuy.
bj

 

[Ken Blake]

Hi, OldGuy.


You wait....

30 Minutes is not so long. It's nowhere near "forever". Sometimes these
updates can take hours. More feedback would be comforting, of course, and
SHOULD be a part of every update - but that would probably require frequent
interruptions of the update process (to put a message onscreen, after
calculating time remaining) and make the updates take even longer. :>(

Longer? Yes. But *significantly* longer? No.

I'm with you. They SHOULD do that.

 

[Ghostrider]

Well it has been 30 minutes so far and still waiting for it to install
the first update.

It says do not power off or unplug but there is no other option to get
out of this.

What do I do???



--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: (e-mail address removed) ---

It always pays to check first before permitting downloads to update
Microsoft Windows. Some updates may require the computer to re-start;
others do not. There are also potential updates that conflicts with
applications that are already on the computer or possibly require that
an application running in the background might need to be turned off.
In other words, one should not do updates blindly.

Depending on how the script is written by Microsoft that links the
updates, a prolonged delay for a short update file may indicate that
the computer has hung (i.e., in a "non-responsive" state) while it
catches up, as could occur with a change of a system file to a newer
version of the same name. Or an incompatible version of a driver file
has been installed. Anything can happen, especially if there are more
than one update file that would call for a restart.

The second piece of advice: Always have a backup image file of the
systems partition before initiating an update that involves more than
one file or application or device.

IIRC, if one aborts the update, then on the re-start, use F8 and
re-start with the previously good start. I think this option still
exists with Windows 7.

GR

 

[Ian Jackson]

It sometimes takes longer. Sometimes things go wrong and it stalls.
Do you really need the gigabyte of .NET and Office updates?
Watch the hdd light and the internet traffic (install Network Activity
Indicator on 7 if you don't already have it).
http://www.itsamples.com/network-activity-indicator.html

In XP, 'NetMeter' was great for graphically continuously showing
internet activity - but doesn't work in W7. Can Network Activity
Indicator do something similar?

 

[Paul in Houston TX]

In XP, 'NetMeter' was great for graphically continuously showing
internet activity - but doesn't work in W7. Can Network Activity
Indicator do something similar?

NAI does not graph. I like it because of the little screens that
look like the XP one, send / rcv. There are statistics but they
are at the time you clicked on the icon.
I like the idea of realtime graphing. Will have to look around
for something like that for my w7 machine.

 

[Paul in Houston TX]

What are .NET updates required for? I've always allowed them, because
of my ignorance regarding what it affects. If I don't need them I'd
like to stop them.

I can't answer the question about needing updates or not.
Most people probably should get all the updates for everything.
People that are fairly computer literate probably don't get
many updates.

Some windows programs require a version of .NET. Most don't.
My industrial communication software requires the .NET 3.5 library.
I rarely update it and have not gotten 4.x.
Some of the updates are for security. Some are new functional
libraries. Its kind of, sort of, somewhat, like Java or C++ language.

I don't use Office either, but I assumed maybe [erroneously] I needed
those updates for the Microsoft Office Picture Manager or something...
[which I also don't know if it's connected to that Personalization
business].

Many of the updates are for security or to enable the software
to work with new or changed hardware and software.
Click on a few of them sometime and then view the detailed description
and you will see what they are for.

I have not updated this machine in years and don't intend to.
It works great as is.

 

[Ken Blake]

What are .NET updates required for? I've always allowed them, because
of my ignorance regarding what it affects. If I don't need them I'd
like to stop them.

They are .net *framework* updates. Note the word "framework." The .net
framework files are needed for programs written with .net and the
appropriate .net framework is needed, depending on what version of
..net the program was written with.

Not all programs are written with .net, but a good number are. Chances
are you run some such programs, but if you don't today, you will
tomorrow. So you should allow the updates.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Some windows programs require a version of .NET. Most don't.
My industrial communication software requires the .NET 3.5 library.
I rarely update it and have not gotten 4.x.

It is my understanding that a program that requires .NET x.y will not
run with .NET p.q, when p != x or q != y.

 

[Paul]

It is my understanding that a program that requires .NET x.y will not
run with .NET p.q, when p != x or q != y.

The numbers correspond to layers.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/DotNet.svg/433px-DotNet.svg.png

But Microsoft likes to screw around with the delivery,
and there can be more than one way to install .NET libraries.
For example, there are "lightweight" installers, which
require a smaller download. And apparently, if you run
Windows Update, then Windows Update may have an update
that pulls down the full install (defeating the purpose
of the lightweight one).

So while the layer cake model is a "fun concept",
the practical details say "Microsoft couldn't do
release control if their life depended on it.

I've found a couple *installers* for programs, that
insisted that .NET 4.0 be present. And then .NET 4.0
demands that you install Win7 SP1 (if you haven't already
installed SP1). And then there are claims that .NET 4.0
can take the place of some of the others .NET numbers.

But who knows what the relationship is in {p,q,x,y} space ?
Maybe if Einstein is out there tonight, he can post
back with a blackboard full of math.

In theory, a program asks for a particular CLR (common
language runtime) version. Like a .NET 2 program, would be
looking for 2.0.50727. But what I don't know, is if a package
like .NET 4, will answer for several versions, or just answer
when 4.0.30319 is called for.

Paul

 

[Jeff Layman]

Paul in Houston TX wrote:

I don't use Office either, but I assumed maybe [erroneously] I needed
those updates for the Microsoft Office Picture Manager or something...
[which I also don't know if it's connected to that Personalization
business].

Many of the updates are for security or to enable the software
to work with new or changed hardware and software.
Click on a few of them sometime and then view the detailed description
and you will see what they are for.

Quite a few machines come with an Office trial pre-installed, but
time-limited. I have 2007 on this laptop, but never use it because I
can't stand the interface. And, although it no longer works for
creating/editing files, it does act as a reader. On that basis alone I
install the Office updates in case there is something I might need when
I use that reading facility, such as a security patch.

 

[chicagofan]

I can't answer the question about needing updates or not.
Most people probably should get all the updates for everything.
People that are fairly computer literate probably don't get
many updates.

Some windows programs require a version of .NET. Most don't.
My industrial communication software requires the .NET 3.5 library.
I rarely update it and have not gotten 4.x.
Some of the updates are for security. Some are new functional
libraries. Its kind of, sort of, somewhat, like Java or C++ language.

I see I have many older C++ programs on my Win7, I was wondering what
they were for. I will wonder no more, and assume all these things are
necessary for my OS to work, and I will never understand another Windows
OS.

I don't use Office either, but I assumed maybe [erroneously] I
needed those updates for the Microsoft Office Picture Manager or
something... [which I also don't know if it's connected to that
Personalization business].

Many of the updates are for security or to enable the software
to work with new or changed hardware and software.
Click on a few of them sometime and then view the detailed description
and you will see what they are for.

I do... and they all say virtually the same thing... go to the website
to see what it affects. Never seem to have the time to do that for ALL
of the updates I don't recognize.

I have not updated this machine in years and don't intend to.
It works great as is.

Thanks so much for all the info, and I'm sorry I didn't respond sooner.
Life intervenes sometimes...
bj

 

[chicagofan]

They are .net *framework* updates. Note the word "framework." The .net
framework files are needed for programs written with .net and the
appropriate .net framework is needed, depending on what version of
.net the program was written with.

Not all programs are written with .net, but a good number are. Chances
are you run some such programs, but if you don't today, you will
tomorrow. So you should allow the updates.

Thanks! When I have the time to get back to this, I'll see what I have,
and Google for some enlightenment. Meanwhile, I will keep allowing
them.
bj

 

[chicagofan]

Paul in Houston TX wrote:
I don't use Office either, but I assumed maybe [erroneously] I needed
those updates for the Microsoft Office Picture Manager or something...
[which I also don't know if it's connected to that Personalization
business].

Many of the updates are for security or to enable the software
to work with new or changed hardware and software.
Click on a few of them sometime and then view the detailed description
and you will see what they are for.

Quite a few machines come with an Office trial pre-installed, but
time-limited. I have 2007 on this laptop, but never use it because I
can't stand the interface. And, although it no longer works for
creating/editing files, it does act as a reader. On that basis alone
I install the Office updates in case there is something I might need
when I use that reading facility, such as a security patch.

I have Office 2010 trial installed and have been allowing the updates to
Office for that reason. After reading your response I think I will
continue. Thanks!
bj

 

[Char Jackson]

NAI does not graph. I like it because of the little screens that
look like the XP one, send / rcv. There are statistics but they
are at the time you clicked on the icon.
I like the idea of realtime graphing. Will have to look around
for something like that for my w7 machine.

I like Bandwidth Monitor. It's one of the utilities that I install on every
PC as soon as I build or acquire it. I feel blind without it.

<http://www.bwmonitor.com/>

 

[Steve Hayes]

I like Bandwidth Monitor. It's one of the utilities that I install on every
PC as soon as I build or acquire it. I feel blind without it.

<http://www.bwmonitor.com/>

Thanks for the tip.

 

[WayPoint]

Thanks for the tip.

I thank you too - that's a very handy program.