Windows updates of 2013-09-10

[Stan Brown]

Well, how annoying!

Not only did the updates make me reboot TWICE, but when I logged in
after the second reboot there was a long, long wait with a black
screen and just a white message box "Creating personalized settings
for Windows Desktop Update".

Apparently this was something associated with Internet Explorer 4
through 6, which I don't have on my Win 7 Home Premium and never did
have, and it creates content for Windows Mail, which I don't have
(not Windows Live Mail, which I uninstalled years ago).

I did some further Googling and found this advice:
- Delete the value ?StubPath? under this key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{44BBA840-CC51-
11CF-AAFA-00AA00B6015C}. This will prevent ?Windows Mail? from
generating ~14MB of content when the user profile is created (local
folder under AppData, not roaming).

I've done that -- actually, renamed rather than deleted it -- and we
shall see. But it seems every set of updates makes Windows 7 start
slower and slower, and way too many are just adding annoyances. I'm
also ticked off at the 19 optional updates, of which fully fourteen
just say "Update for Windows 7 for c64-based systems, and one has to
do multiple clicks on each one to _maybe_ find out what it is.

I am this close to just turning off Windows updates.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Well, how annoying!

Not only did the updates make me reboot TWICE, but when I logged in
after the second reboot there was a long, long wait with a black
screen and just a white message box "Creating personalized settings
for Windows Desktop Update".

Apparently this was something associated with Internet Explorer 4
through 6, which I don't have on my Win 7 Home Premium and never did
have, and it creates content for Windows Mail, which I don't have
(not Windows Live Mail, which I uninstalled years ago).

I did some further Googling and found this advice:
- Delete the value ?StubPath? under this key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{44BBA840-CC51-
11CF-AAFA-00AA00B6015C}. This will prevent ?Windows Mail? from
generating ~14MB of content when the user profile is created (local
folder under AppData, not roaming).

I've done that -- actually, renamed rather than deleted it -- and we
shall see. But it seems every set of updates makes Windows 7 start
slower and slower, and way too many are just adding annoyances. I'm
also ticked off at the 19 optional updates, of which fully fourteen
just say "Update for Windows 7 for c64-based systems, and one has to
do multiple clicks on each one to _maybe_ find out what it is.

I am this close to just turning off Windows updates.

From time to time, I think about OS-X or some flavor of Linux. But I
have a lot of inertia...[1]

At least Linux would be free (or anyway, it would cost no more than a
new hard drive).

[1] And maybe some apps that can't happen except in Windows. Just
guessing.

 

[Auric__]

From time to time, I think about OS-X or some flavor of Linux. But I
have a lot of inertia...[1]

At least Linux would be free (or anyway, it would cost no more than a
new hard drive).

If you have a large enough hard drive, install Linux into an emulator and
play with it there for a few weeks. Depending on what distro you pick and
what install options you choose, it could be as small as maybe 100 mb up to
dozens of gb. Then you will still have Windows available while learning
Linux. (I don't know about emulating OSX, though. Whole different can of
worms.)

[1] And maybe some apps that can't happen except in Windows. Just
guessing.

Depends on what apps you're talking about. There's a good chance that either
whatever you're looking for has a Linux version, or there's an alternative
that will work "good enough". See, for example:
http://alternativeto.net/

And that doesn't even consider Wine (an implementation of the Windows API
for non-Windows machines). *Lots* of Windows apps work under Wine. For the
current list of what's known to work (and what doesn't), see here:
http://appdb.winehq.org/

I had Wine installed back when I was using a Linux workstation, and in my
experience it was generally in the category "good enough to work, but not
perfect."

I actually deleted Windows from my PC when I decided to learn Linux (in
1999), and that worked out pretty good for me... 14 years ago. (I did that
with other systems, too.) Nowadays, I have multiple Windows machines that
talk to my Linux server.

(My point is, Linux vs Windows doesn't necessarily have to be an either-or
situation.)

One more thing: anyone who says that Linux is as easy as (or harder than)
Windows is only telling you half of the story: Linux is *different*, and it
definitely takes getting used to... but it works the other way, too: someone
who got their start on Linux would have a hell of a time doing many things
the first time they sat at a Windows box.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

From time to time, I think about OS-X or some flavor of Linux. But I
have a lot of inertia...[1]

At least Linux would be free (or anyway, it would cost no more than a
new hard drive).

If you have a large enough hard drive, install Linux into an emulator and
play with it there for a few weeks. Depending on what distro you pick and
what install options you choose, it could be as small as maybe 100 mb up to
dozens of gb. Then you will still have Windows available while learning
Linux. (I don't know about emulating OSX, though. Whole different can of
worms.)

I have plenty of room but not plenty of enthusiasm for running Linux
under VMware. I'll reserve judgment for another week

There is talk of running OSX on Windows PCs, but I haven't noticed any
noise about running it under VMware or whatever. The best way t run OSX
seem to be on an Apple computer. I even have an old one, but I have no
idea if it's able to run the current release (yes, it's an Intel
computer).

[1] And maybe some apps that can't happen except in Windows. Just
guessing.

Depends on what apps you're talking about. There's a good chance that either
whatever you're looking for has a Linux version, or there's an alternative
that will work "good enough". See, for example:
http://alternativeto.net/

I've never found a Linux newsreader that I like, but I don't claim an
exhaustive search. I also have a couple of programmable remote controls
that are not even usable under Windows Vista or 7. I run them under
VMware/XP.

Other than that, I really don't know what I'm talking about. I doubt
that Word and Excel run under Linux, and I haven't been totally
satisfied with Libre Office in the Windows environment.

Other things, such as Android development, do run in Linux. And a few
other programs doubtless have substitutes that I can live with.

And that doesn't even consider Wine (an implementation of the Windows API
for non-Windows machines). *Lots* of Windows apps work under Wine. For the
current list of what's known to work (and what doesn't), see here:
http://appdb.winehq.org/

Not for me - I prefer beer.

I wonder if the remote control programming SW runs under Wine? Although
I have sort of solved that problem by no longer using the devices. There
are no longer any truly consumer-programmable devices available (I don't
count Harmony under that rubric), and the old devices' software is not
maintained beyond XP. It's not even findable at the manufacturers - I
just keep my old downloads.

I had Wine installed back when I was using a Linux workstation, and in my
experience it was generally in the category "good enough to work, but not
perfect."

I actually deleted Windows from my PC when I decided to learn Linux (in
1999), and that worked out pretty good for me... 14 years ago. (I did that
with other systems, too.) Nowadays, I have multiple Windows machines that
talk to my Linux server.

Back around then (maybe 1995) I had a multiboot system with several
OSes. Windows something, BeOS, and something else - from Philippe Kahn,
I think it was[1]. And at least one, maybe two Linuxes (Linices?).

Eventually I got bored & killed all but Windows.

[1] I don't see anything online that indicates there was an OS from
Philippe Kahn, so maybe I'm just thinking of Turbo Pascal. Or of yet
another OS that I can't recall.

(My point is, Linux vs Windows doesn't necessarily have to be an either-or
situation.)

Unless one doesn't want to mess with three or seven OSes

One more thing: anyone who says that Linux is as easy as (or harder than)
Windows is only telling you half of the story: Linux is *different*, and it
definitely takes getting used to... but it works the other way, too: someone
who got their start on Linux would have a hell of a time doing many things
the first time they sat at a Windows box.

Well, I'll say it: Linux is as easy as (or harder than) Windows.

There!

 

[Bob Henson]

Well, how annoying!

Not only did the updates make me reboot TWICE, but when I logged in
after the second reboot there was a long, long wait with a black
screen and just a white message box "Creating personalized settings
for Windows Desktop Update".

Apparently this was something associated with Internet Explorer 4
through 6, which I don't have on my Win 7 Home Premium and never did
have, and it creates content for Windows Mail, which I don't have
(not Windows Live Mail, which I uninstalled years ago).

I did some further Googling and found this advice:
- Delete the value ?StubPath? under this key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{44BBA840-CC51-
11CF-AAFA-00AA00B6015C}. This will prevent ?Windows Mail? from
generating ~14MB of content when the user profile is created (local
folder under AppData, not roaming).

I've done that -- actually, renamed rather than deleted it -- and we
shall see. But it seems every set of updates makes Windows 7 start
slower and slower, and way too many are just adding annoyances. I'm
also ticked off at the 19 optional updates, of which fully fourteen
just say "Update for Windows 7 for c64-based systems, and one has to
do multiple clicks on each one to _maybe_ find out what it is.

I am this close to just turning off Windows updates.

Do what I do, Stan. Set them to take place automatically at 01:00 and
you'll never see them again.

--
Bob
Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England

You know you're old when you don't mind where your partner goes out to, so
long as they don't ask you along too.

 

[Bob Henson]

Well, how annoying!

Not only did the updates make me reboot TWICE, but when I logged in
after the second reboot there was a long, long wait with a black
screen and just a white message box "Creating personalized settings
for Windows Desktop Update".

Apparently this was something associated with Internet Explorer 4
through 6, which I don't have on my Win 7 Home Premium and never did
have, and it creates content for Windows Mail, which I don't have
(not Windows Live Mail, which I uninstalled years ago).

I did some further Googling and found this advice:
- Delete the value ?StubPath? under this key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{44BBA840-CC51-
11CF-AAFA-00AA00B6015C}. This will prevent ?Windows Mail? from
generating ~14MB of content when the user profile is created (local
folder under AppData, not roaming).

I've done that -- actually, renamed rather than deleted it -- and we
shall see. But it seems every set of updates makes Windows 7 start
slower and slower, and way too many are just adding annoyances. I'm
also ticked off at the 19 optional updates, of which fully fourteen
just say "Update for Windows 7 for c64-based systems, and one has to
do multiple clicks on each one to _maybe_ find out what it is.

I am this close to just turning off Windows updates.

From time to time, I think about OS-X or some flavor of Linux. But I
have a lot of inertia...[1]

At least Linux would be free (or anyway, it would cost no more than a
new hard drive).

[1] And maybe some apps that can't happen except in Windows. Just
guessing.

I've used it fairly extensively, and you are quite correct - it is very
limited in the number of programs available and in their quality. It used
to be small and quick, and if you just want to use Firefox and Thunderbird
it's fine - anything else and you'll struggle for a good program.
Compatibility for commercial use - non-existent.

 

[...winston]

"Stan Brown" wrote in message
Well, how annoying!

Not only did the updates make me reboot TWICE, but when I logged in
after the second reboot there was a long, long wait with a black
screen and just a white message box "Creating personalized settings
for Windows Desktop Update".

Apparently this was something associated with Internet Explorer 4
through 6, which I don't have on my Win 7 Home Premium and never did
have, and it creates content for Windows Mail, which I don't have
(not Windows Live Mail, which I uninstalled years ago).
What update (KB) did you install ?

Windows 7 doesn't include Windows Mail (that was Vista's mail client) unless
you ported WM from Vista to Win7 which would be unsupported (and possibly
confuse Windows Updates).

 

[Auric__]

From time to time, I think about OS-X or some flavor of Linux. But I
have a lot of inertia...[1]

At least Linux would be free (or anyway, it would cost no more than a
new hard drive).

If you have a large enough hard drive, install Linux into an emulator
and play with it there for a few weeks. Depending on what distro you
pick and what install options you choose, it could be as small as maybe
100 mb up to dozens of gb. Then you will still have Windows available
while learning Linux. (I don't know about emulating OSX, though. Whole
different can of worms.)

I have plenty of room but not plenty of enthusiasm for running Linux
under VMware. I'll reserve judgment for another week

You could instead download Cygwin and learn to use the tools that way. It
sets up a pretty complete *nix environment inside Windows, no emulation
needed, decent for learning.

There is talk of running OSX on Windows PCs, but I haven't noticed any
noise about running it under VMware or whatever. The best way t run OSX
seem to be on an Apple computer.

One Of These Days(tm) I intend to install OSX on one of my machines, just to
see if it'll work. I don't own a Mac any more, and have never owned one that
was capable of running OSX anyway...

I even have an old one, but I have no idea if it's able to run the current
release (yes, it's an Intel computer).

Wikipedia *might* be able to answer that question for you. Apple.com
*probably* can, too.

[1] And maybe some apps that can't happen except in Windows. Just
guessing.

Depends on what apps you're talking about. There's a good chance that
either whatever you're looking for has a Linux version, or there's an
alternative that will work "good enough". See, for example:
http://alternativeto.net/

I've never found a Linux newsreader that I like, but I don't claim an
exhaustive search.

I used Xnews under Wine. I've tried several *nix readers but didn't like any
of them.

I also have a couple of programmable remote controls
that are not even usable under Windows Vista or 7. I run them under
VMware/XP.

Other than that, I really don't know what I'm talking about. I doubt
that Word and Excel run under Linux, and I haven't been totally
satisfied with Libre Office in the Windows environment.

They do in Wine, although VBA (macros) doesn't work.

Other things, such as Android development, do run in Linux. And a few
other programs doubtless have substitutes that I can live with.


Not for me - I prefer beer.

I wonder if the remote control programming SW runs under Wine?

Check the appdb, or try it. ;-)

Although
I have sort of solved that problem by no longer using the devices. There
are no longer any truly consumer-programmable devices available (I don't
count Harmony under that rubric), and the old devices' software is not
maintained beyond XP. It's not even findable at the manufacturers - I
just keep my old downloads.

That's what I do, for all my Windows drivers... just in case.

I had Wine installed back when I was using a Linux workstation, and in
my experience it was generally in the category "good enough to work,
but not perfect."

I actually deleted Windows from my PC when I decided to learn Linux (in
1999), and that worked out pretty good for me... 14 years ago. (I did
that with other systems, too.) Nowadays, I have multiple Windows
machines that talk to my Linux server.

Back around then (maybe 1995) I had a multiboot system with several
OSes. Windows something, BeOS, and something else - from Philippe Kahn,
I think it was[1]. And at least one, maybe two Linuxes (Linices?).

I've done that before -- Windows, Windows, Windows, NetWare, BeOS, QNX,
Linux, Linux, Linux, etc. -- but I always end up using just one system and
ignoring the rest. Now, all of my systems (except my main workstation) have
2 systems: whatever it normally runs, and DOS -- just in case.

Eventually I got bored & killed all but Windows.

[1] I don't see anything online that indicates there was an OS from
Philippe Kahn, so maybe I'm just thinking of Turbo Pascal. Or of yet
another OS that I can't recall.

You must be thinking of something or someone else; I'm pretty sure he only
did dev tools.

Unless one doesn't want to mess with three or seven OSes

I have about 2 dozen systems in VMware right now. ;-)

Well, I'll say it: Linux is as easy as (or harder than) Windows.

There!

Tada!

 

[Ed Cryer]

Auric__ wrote:
(I don't know about emulating OSX, though. Whole different can of

worms.)

I ran OSX Mountain Lion under a virtual machine program; either VMware
or VirtualBox, can't remember which.
I think I got it here;
http://download.cnet.com/Apple-Mac-OS-X-Mountain-Lion/3000-18513_4-6346.html

Ed

 

[s|b]

I am this close to just turning off Windows updates.

That wouldn't be very smart. I always create an image of my C: drive
/before/ running Windows Updates. I use Macrium Reflect Free, so it
doesn't cost my anything.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

On Fri, 13 Sep 2013 09:50:09 +0000 (UTC), Auric__ wrote:

See inline (but it's not very exciting!)

Gene E. Bloch wrote:

From time to time, I think about OS-X or some flavor of Linux. But I
have a lot of inertia...[1]

At least Linux would be free (or anyway, it would cost no more than a
new hard drive).

If you have a large enough hard drive, install Linux into an emulator
and play with it there for a few weeks. Depending on what distro you
pick and what install options you choose, it could be as small as maybe
100 mb up to dozens of gb. Then you will still have Windows available
while learning Linux. (I don't know about emulating OSX, though. Whole
different can of worms.)

I have plenty of room but not plenty of enthusiasm for running Linux
under VMware. I'll reserve judgment for another week

You could instead download Cygwin and learn to use the tools that way. It
sets up a pretty complete *nix environment inside Windows, no emulation
needed, decent for learning.

There is talk of running OSX on Windows PCs, but I haven't noticed any
noise about running it under VMware or whatever. The best way t run OSX
seem to be on an Apple computer.

One Of These Days(tm) I intend to install OSX on one of my machines, just to
see if it'll work. I don't own a Mac any more, and have never owned one that
was capable of running OSX anyway...

I even have an old one, but I have no idea if it's able to run the current
release (yes, it's an Intel computer).

Wikipedia *might* be able to answer that question for you. Apple.com
*probably* can, too.

But I'm not asking...

[1] And maybe some apps that can't happen except in Windows. Just
guessing.

Depends on what apps you're talking about. There's a good chance that
either whatever you're looking for has a Linux version, or there's an
alternative that will work "good enough". See, for example:
http://alternativeto.net/

I've never found a Linux newsreader that I like, but I don't claim an
exhaustive search.

I used Xnews under Wine. I've tried several *nix readers but didn't like any
of them.

I stopped using Xnews a decade or more ago, so the above is a
non-starter for me.

They do in Wine, although VBA (macros) doesn't work.
Non-starter.


Check the appdb, or try it. ;-)

Not interested any more.

That's what I do, for all my Windows drivers... just in case.

In this situation, it's not just drivers, programs too.

I had Wine installed back when I was using a Linux workstation, and in
my experience it was generally in the category "good enough to work,
but not perfect."

I actually deleted Windows from my PC when I decided to learn Linux (in
1999), and that worked out pretty good for me... 14 years ago. (I did
that with other systems, too.) Nowadays, I have multiple Windows
machines that talk to my Linux server.

Back around then (maybe 1995) I had a multiboot system with several
OSes. Windows something, BeOS, and something else - from Philippe Kahn,
I think it was[1]. And at least one, maybe two Linuxes (Linices?).

I've done that before -- Windows, Windows, Windows, NetWare, BeOS, QNX,
Linux, Linux, Linux, etc. -- but I always end up using just one system and
ignoring the rest. Now, all of my systems (except my main workstation) have
2 systems: whatever it normally runs, and DOS -- just in case.

Eventually I got bored & killed all but Windows.

[1] I don't see anything online that indicates there was an OS from
Philippe Kahn, so maybe I'm just thinking of Turbo Pascal. Or of yet
another OS that I can't recall.

You must be thinking of something or someone else; I'm pretty sure he only
did dev tools.

To clarify: the "other OS that I can't recall" is meant to refer to an
OS that I can't recall, not to an OS from Philippe Kahn that I can't
recall.

I have about 2 dozen systems in VMware right now. ;-)

I've only got about two, and I'm not using them. One is for the remotes,
which were put in a box after the batteries were removed. I forget what
the other is - maybe Win 8 - and maybe it's even in VirtualBox - I
haven't thought about it for a while.

And there might still be a Windows XP Mode system floating around. It
never worked well for me, so I stuck with VMware.

Tada!

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Auric__ wrote:
(I don't know about emulating OSX, though. Whole different can of

I ran OSX Mountain Lion under a virtual machine program; either VMware
or VirtualBox, can't remember which.
I think I got it here;
http://download.cnet.com/Apple-Mac-OS-X-Mountain-Lion/3000-18513_4-6346.html

Ed

Thanks. I'm glad I was wrong.

 

[Stan Brown]

Do what I do, Stan. Set them to take place automatically at 01:00 and
you'll never see them again.

That would be difficult, since I don't leave my computer running when
I'm not using it.

 

[Bob Henson]

That would be difficult, since I don't leave my computer running when
I'm not using it.

Good point. A tad self-defeating to get up at 1am just to run the updates,
I guess

 

[Bob I]

Good point. A tad self-defeating to get up at 1am just to run the updates,
I guess

A lot of Desktop BIOS can be set to start the PC at a particular time
(and days can be set also) You can then shut it back down with a
scheduled task.