Tech: Unwanted updates from MS

Subject: Tech: Unwanted updates from MS
From: pavane
Date: 21 Apr 11 - 07:38 AM

Does anyone know how to remove unwanted update downloads? Every time I try to go to standby, Windows (Vista) insists on trying to apply some downloads, and every time, they fail - and since they are for Office, I don't really need them anyway. How can I tell Windows not to apply them?

Subject: RE: Tech: Unwanted updates from MS
From: Little Robyn
Date: 21 Apr 11 - 07:46 AM

Mine offers "Remind me later".
I keep clicking that.
Robyn

Subject: RE: Tech: Unwanted updates from MS
From: pavane
Date: 21 Apr 11 - 07:55 AM

Mine doesn't even offer that, it just goes ahead and tries to apply them

Subject: RE: Tech: Unwanted updates from MS
From: artbrooks
Date: 21 Apr 11 - 08:30 AM

Go to Control panel, click System and Maintenance, go to Windows Update, click Change Settings, select an option.

Subject: RE: Tech: Unwanted updates from MS
From: Art Thieme
Date: 21 Apr 11 - 06:19 PM

MS keeps me in a wheelchair most of the time these days. But I can still transfer to the front seat of a car or to a toilet seat. Tons of other symptoms I'd rather not go into. But I'm still here and having a ball.

Art

Subject: RE: Tech: Unwanted updates from MS
From: IvanB
Date: 22 Apr 11 - 04:36 PM

To expand on artbrook's advice, in the drop down box on the Change Settings page, select one of the less intrusive options. I recommend "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them." You could let the updates download but only install if you wanted, but I can't see any reason for downloading something unless you're sure you want to use it.

Subject: RE: Tech: Unwanted updates from MS
From: pavane
Date: 23 Apr 11 - 05:39 AM

Thanks, I will try these settings.

Subject: RE: Tech: Unwanted updates from MS
From: Edthefolkie
Date: 23 Apr 11 - 11:49 AM

Not necessarily a good idea to ignore Windows updates totally, they very often fix vulnerabilities. Microsoft aren't actually the demons of popular legend, they sometimes do things for a reason!

I normally allow MS to do auto updates, but may have got a bit blasé about checking, also about the necessity for frequent and varied virus scans. As a result, after 12 years of home computing and 40 years in IT, I finally got hit on Friday by a lovely piece of malware called MS Removal Tool. This nice little item pretended to be legit MS software but demanded $59.95 to unlock my PC and told me to call a US 1-800 number & to get my credit card out. Apparently folks who ring their "helpline" find the gent on the other end has a very harsh Russian type accent. There's a surprise.

Luckily the other user accounts on the PC were unaffected, also I know how to boot into safe mode, look at files and the registry etc, and I have a backup PC. It still took several hours to manually find the rogue process and delete it - 4 different virus scans didn't work and several fixes from the internet didn't either. I couldn't even use System Restore as I didn't have a restart point (my fault).   

I don't want to panic people, but there were about 150,000 hits on this subject on just one of the "fix your PC problems" sites yesterday. A lot of the security software firms appear to have been caught out by this one - it appears to be only a few weeks old. I do wonder whether using a certain well known social networking site makes one more vulnerable....

If you're using Win7 make sure you install Service Pack 1, if you're XP/Vista people make sure you're up to date with critical updates. Ensure System Restore is enabled properly, and do a virus scan ASAP.

Subject: RE: Tech: Unwanted updates from MS
From: artbrooks
Date: 23 Apr 11 - 12:43 PM

Free program from Norton, just for this kind of thing, here...with instructions even I could follow.

Subject: RE: Tech: Unwanted updates from MS
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Apr 11 - 01:23 PM

Put yourself out of misery - go to http://www.microsoft.com, click on security updates, let the system scan your computer and run all of the updates intentionally. Then set it to update automatically. It's silly to not have those OS updates in place.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Unwanted updates from MS
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Apr 11 - 01:26 PM

For dealing with that malware program, go join (it's free) Bleeping computer and search on that MS Removal Tool scam. They have a thorough description of how to get it out of your system.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Unwanted updates from MS
From: EBarnacle
Date: 23 Apr 11 - 03:45 PM

Back at the original subject.

I have found that when my computer tells me I have updates waiting to be installed, that the best way is to go to custom install.

I then make a note of what they are attempting to install.

Next, I let the install attempt take place.

Any that have failed, I note for the next time I fire up, do the custom install and uncheck them.

Microsoft then asks me whether or not to include them in future install attempts and I tell them not to bother with those specific items.

This system avoids a lot of irritation and hangups.

Subject: RE: Tech: Unwanted updates from MS
From: Edthefolkie
Date: 23 Apr 11 - 04:36 PM

Silly River Sage, I found BleepingComputer.com too, downloaded their tools and even Rkill and AntiMalware didn't appear to get rid of the b*gger, at least immediately! This one is a bit of a bar steward which is why my reply turned into a heads up.

Subject: RE: Tech: Unwanted updates from MS
From: pavane
Date: 24 Apr 11 - 05:11 AM

Ebarnacle, that was just what I wanted. I don't want to keep trying updates which fail every time, but I do want the critical ones.

Subject: RE: Tech: Unwanted updates from MS
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 24 Apr 11 - 06:00 PM

I'm quite sure you can set your update preferences so that critical updates download and install automatically. If your machine is on and you're not sitting in front of it, the only thing you should see when you come back is "Updates were installed," sometimes after you log back on if a reboot was needed. I don't have time to "research" them all, and the critical updates generally are something you need to have installed.

You can choose several varieties of other settings for optional updates. Normally (with the most common settings?) the optional ones don't download until you check the box(es) to say you want them. It can be difficult sometimes to tell whether an optional one has been downloaded and is ready to install, or whether it still remains to be downloaded when you check it in the list of what to install, but the notices may differ depending on what OS you're using and what other programs you have installed.

The typical notice that I get is:

There are (x) critical updates ready to be installed.
There are (y) important updates ready to be installed.

If I click on either the critical updates line, or the other one, a list of the individual updates is displayed, and clicking on one of them gets a "generic" description, usually with an additional link to detailed information about the update.

For most patches, there usually is a check box on one or the other of the "information" displays where you can check "Don't show me this update again," and checking there will avoid having it come back with every subsequent notice, if you don't install it.

If you change your mind later, you can click "Microsoft Update" on your Start menu, and there should be a button at the front page to "show hidden updates" that will reveal all the ones you declined to install and told them not to show again, if they're still available, along with (possibly) some optionals that were never part of an update distribution.

Although Microsoft doesn't support an OEM OS (without a fee for personal advice) they do provide support for patches, although they make it difficult by requiring your credit card to log in to where they can waive the charge if your call is about a patch.

If a patch, especially one marked critical or important, fails to install, Microsoft frequently will have an article about how to fix it or at least an explanation of why it happened. You should take a look at microsoft.com first to see if they've solved the problem before "wandering around the social network worlds."

Unfortunately, a "simple search" at microsoft.com generally sends you to the "microsoft social solutions" websites, where SPGWKs mixed with total idiots offer all kinds of "opinions" that are seldom useful.

If you use the "Advanced Search" on the microsoft.com site, and click "Search Microsoft.com" it will "deselect" the default "wander around among the idiots" selection, and useful solutions - if they've posted one - will come up close enough to the top of the list to be found. (Preference - IMO - should be given to articles that show a "technet" source, if you see one in the list.)

I keep a link in my "Favorites/Contacts" going directly to Microsoft Advanced Search, and click "Search Microsoft.com" just by reflex when it opens. (Opening to show the "advanced" settings sometimes takes a few seconds.)

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Unwanted updates from MS
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Apr 11 - 11:17 PM

Hey, John, have you taken a look at IE9? I declined to download that one in the latest go-round till I get an idea about it's behavior. Does it play well with other software?

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Unwanted updates from MS
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 25 Apr 11 - 02:05 AM

I did get "slammed" with IE9 and am using it now.

I was getting the XSS filter notices in IE7, and they persisted for about a week after I got IE9. The notices have disappeared, but it appears that the filter is still in place and has a DISTINCT AND OBNOXIOUS EFFECT on browsing.

When IE9 first installed, I found that I could no longer Print (although I could Print Preview) any web page. This was possibly new to IE9 but could have come from an update in IE7 that "upgraded" the XSS filter, that I just didn't notice.

I also could no longer "Save As" in any format other than "html only," or "plain text." This was, however, not specifically an IE9 problem as I found that nothing I'd "saved" beginning 03 OCT 2010 was actually an openable file, and during most of that time I was using IE7. IE9 told me that the save had failed. IE7 acted like it was good, but it had failed.

I found a "fix" at Microsoft that claimed it could repair the inability to Print or Print Preview. It DID NOT fix that problem.

The fix did, however, permit me to resume saving web pages in "archive .mht" format, apparently successfully.

Even if you still have an earlier version, at least back to IE7, you may have the same "defects." You might try printing this web page to see if yours still works, and try a File|Save As or Page|Save As using each of the several (there should be only four) formats offered, so you'll at least know what's been broken.

If you find anything (print or save) that doesn't work, the purported repair is at:

You cannot print or print preview Web pages in Internet Explorer on Windows Vista or on Windows 7

I had to go to "Method 3" to get any effect. For Printing, it changed the error message I usually get, but still does not permit me to print. It did allow me to save (.mht) pages so that I don't have to copy/paste/cleanup to Word to make all of my notes.

It does appear that this effect is due to a Vista/Win7 change in the XSS filter, and not specific just to IE9, but I haven't tried reverting back to an earlier IE to figure out more about what all is happening.

I do notice that since the XSS filter flag stopped, I now get a notice (about every 3d time I open IE) asking me to disable plugins to speed up my computer. It doesn't seem to matter whether I HAVE NO PLUG INS turned on, or have everything up. Minor annoyance.

I've also noticed that a couple of sites where IE7 had recently become subject to "erratic scrolling," IE9 is significantly smoother; but I'm not sure whether that will be a persistent feature.

Note on saving and making notes - WHY I'M PISSED!:

If you save as html "web page complete" you frequently get a file and an identically named folder that contains "embedded objects." The objects are linked to the file by local links based on the place where you save them, so if you move them the links are broken. Moving them back to the original location doesn't usually restore them to usable form. Theoretically, you can edit the html links in the main file, but it's not easy or pleasant to do. I don't consider this a "useful" way of saving anything.

If you save as "web archive - single file (.mht)" everything is included in a single file that you can do just about anything with - and it will still work. The URL shown when you open it, however, will be to the location on your own computer (since that's where it opened from), so you haven't "saved the source reference."

If you print a web page, you can set the footer in IE to show the URL from which the page came, so it's quicker to print if you want a "fully documented reference," although it's not fail-safe since a long URL may truncate and omit the end of the address. If you have a suitable program, you can "print to pdf" and still get it all (for short URLs) without wasting paper.

I make lots of notes.

Bottom line: it appears that they'll be able to break all the earlier versions, so it doesn't make a lot of difference whether you accept IE9 or struggle with the damage in an earlier version. (IE10 is apparently out in pre-beta form already.)

Do note though: Neither IE8 nor IE9 will run on WinXP machines (they say).

John