How do YOU keep up with all Microsoft patches and bug fixes?

wrote:
Im curious..... how do you keep up your PCs with all the MS patches
and bug fixes? Do you actually take the time to read each critical
patch and se what it does before installing it, picking and choosing
what you feel you need and don't need? Or do you just shoot from the hip
and install all the recommended "critical patches"?

Funny you should mention this, just received an email update from
Woody's Office Watch (http://www.woodyswatch.com/office) -

==========================

In a rare turn of events, I'm recommending that everyone install all
of Microsoft's outstanding "critical" Windows and Office updates.

As of today I recommend that everyone (with one exception) try to use
Windows Update and Office Update to apply all of Microsoft's critical
patches. (The exception: if you run Windows XP/Pro as a server for
ASP.NET pages, with IIS 5.1 and .NET Framework version 1.0, then you
need to jump through some hoops. See http://woodyswatch.com/kb?827641
for details.)

I do NOT recommend that you install the optional updates. I do NOT
recommend that you install driver updates (there's a good explanation
of why in "Windows XP Timesaving Techniques For Dummies"). I KNOW that
at least one update - MS03-032 - doesn't fix what it's supposed to.
But I DO think that now's the time to get your system patched with all
those security updates, through MS03-038/ 826292 / 826293.

Microsoft will no doubt release another crop of critical updates soon.
Heaven only knows if they'll be stable. So take the time right now to
get your system up to date.

The easy way to get at Windows Update: Click Start | Windows Update or
Start | All Programs | Windows Update. For Office Update, click on
this link http://office.microsoft.com/officeupdate/default.aspx , then
click Check For Updates.

Office Update doesn't work at all for Office 97, and it doesn't work
worth beans for Office 2000. But it's the best place for you to start.

RANT: WHAT'S WRONG WITH OFFICE UPDATE?

For starters, there shouldn't be a separate Office Update. If
Microsoft is going to have an automatic update site, why are Windows
Update and Office Update in completely different places?
Yeah, that's an old kvetch, and Microsoft appears to be doing
something about it. Windows Update version 5 will go into beta test
shortly. ("The vision for Windows Update V5 is to provide an efficient
and effective means to keep all Microsoft products secure and up to
date with the latest patches, starting with Windows, Office, SQL, and
Exchange.")

Alrighteeee then. Permit me to tell you about my recent experiences
with Office Update.

I had a perfectly good Office 2000 SR-1a system running when I decided
to apply all the new security patches. Usually I download the patches
and apply them manually, but this time I figured I'd follow the
recommendation I gave last week and use Office Update. (Yes, I, too,
eat my own dogfood - on occasion.) I moseyed over to Office Update,
and let it do its thing, sniffing around my PC.

Office Update informed me that I needed Office XP Service Pack 1,
Office XP Service Pack 2, three different Office XP patches, Office
2000 Service Pack 3, and a slew of Office 2000 updates, both critical
and otherwise.

Of course, I don't have Office XP on this particular machine. Never
have. Never will. For the life of me, I don't have any idea why Office
Update insisted that I needed the Office XP Service Packs.

So I unchecked all the boxes for Office XP updates, and left all the
critical patches for Office 2000 checked. Office Update informed me
that it had to install Office 2000 Service Pack 3 before it could get
at the other patches. I clicked OK and switched over to a different PC
to get some work done while Office Update downloaded a ton of stuff.
Quite some time later, I checked back and Office Update wanted my
original Office 2000 CD. Fair 'nuff. I slapped the CD in the drive,
and went back to working on a different machine.

Fast forward an hour or so, and I checked the machine again. Office
Update informed me "Installation Unsuccessful! / Office 2000 Service
Pack 3 (English Version)".

Oy.

I clicked and poked and prodded and, for the life of me, I couldn't
figure out what went wrong. I found an error log that included an
entry that looks like this:

V3_2|511167|INSTALL|MAINSP3OP_9327_ENG||2003-09-01
11:49:54|9|FAIL|00000000|The operation completed successfully.|
And that was the closest I came to understanding what went wrong.

I finally figured that it would be wise to re-install Service Release
1a. So I dug out WOW 8.7
http://www.woodyswatch.com/office/ar...ate.asp?v8-n07 and looked
up the way to manually install Service Release 1a.

To make a very long story short, that did the trick: I manually
applied the SR-1a update (again), then used Office Update to run the
SR-3 update (again), taking great care to uncheck the boxes for Office
XP SP-1 and SP-2 (again). I had to go through the Office Update
routine twice because Office 2000 SR-3 has to be installed before any
of the security patches can be added. (Of course, I had to remember to
uncheck the Office XP SP-1 and SP-2 boxes. Again.)

Windows Update sends me into fits of rage. Office Update leaves me
bouncing off the walls. We get patches that clobber machines. Patches
that don't solve the problem. Patches recommended for software that
doesn't exist. Patches for patches. Why can't Microsoft get this
stupid stuff right?

The Office team have a less then exemplary track-record of reliably
updating their product line. I know Microsoft doesn't agree but
that's because they believe their own publicity rather than what
happened. This idea of letting Microsoft automatically update Office
gives me the willies. Peter says it's like not only giving the
lunatics keys to the asylum but renovation rights as well.

Rant OFF. For now.

Steve wrote:

wrote:
Im curious..... how do you keep up your PCs with all the MS patches
and bug fixes? Do you actually take the time to read each critical
patch and se what it does before installing it, picking and choosing
what you feel you need and don't need? Or do you just shoot from
the hip and install all the recommended "critical patches"?

Funny you should mention this, just received an email update from
Woody's Office Watch (http://www.woodyswatch.com/office) -

That's why you have to use your "Common Sense" when updating & patching
your software.

http://microscum.kurttrail.com/comsense/

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.kurttrail.com
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei!"

On Wed, 10 Sep 2003 16:10:41 -0700, While I was using pressure to stop
the bleeding, Steve posted:
..
wrote:
Im curious..... how do you keep up your PCs with all the MS patches
and bug fixes? Do you actually take the time to read each critical
patch and se what it does before installing it, picking and choosing
what you feel you need and don't need? Or do you just shoot from the hip
and install all the recommended "critical patches"?

Funny you should mention this, just received an email update from
Woody's Office Watch (http://www.woodyswatch.com/office) -

==========================

In a rare turn of events, I'm recommending that everyone install all
of Microsoft's outstanding "critical" Windows and Office updates.

-- big snip --

The Office team have a less then exemplary track-record of reliably
updating their product line. I know Microsoft doesn't agree but
that's because they believe their own publicity rather than what
happened. This idea of letting Microsoft automatically update Office
gives me the willies. Peter says it's like not only giving the
lunatics keys to the asylum but renovation rights as well.

After reading your post, I am left wondering why I should install the
Office patches?

I mean.... If I keep anti-virus and firewall up to date, do I need the
risk?
--
Bill

Is there a contest? Do I win?

"Bill Schowengerdt" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 10 Sep 2003 16:10:41 -0700, While I was using pressure to stop
the bleeding, Steve posted:
.
wrote:
Im curious..... how do you keep up your PCs with all the MS patches
and bug fixes? Do you actually take the time to read each critical
patch and se what it does before installing it, picking and choosing
what you feel you need and don't need? Or do you just shoot from the
hip
and install all the recommended "critical patches"?

Funny you should mention this, just received an email update from
Woody's Office Watch (http://www.woodyswatch.com/office) -

==========================

In a rare turn of events, I'm recommending that everyone install all
of Microsoft's outstanding "critical" Windows and Office updates.

-- big snip --

The Office team have a less then exemplary track-record of reliably
updating their product line. I know Microsoft doesn't agree but
that's because they believe their own publicity rather than what
happened. This idea of letting Microsoft automatically update Office
gives me the willies. Peter says it's like not only giving the
lunatics keys to the asylum but renovation rights as well.

After reading your post, I am left wondering why I should install the
Office patches?

I mean.... If I keep anti-virus and firewall up to date, do I need the
risk?
--
Bill

Is there a contest? Do I win?

I just applied several patches for Office 2000, SP3. No problems for me.

BTW I don't know who the OP was (sorry), but in answer to the question, I
keep up with all the Microsoft patches using the freebie version of the
patch management tool from Shavlik:

http://www.shavlik.com/

Very cool.

I mean.... If I keep anti-virus and firewall up to date, do I need the
risk?
--
Bill


I look at the patches as yet another line of defense. Yes, I try and keep
anti-virus and firewall up to date, but I feel that without applying the
patch there is a window of vulnerability between a new threat being released
and the patches getting out there to stop it.

"Danny Mingledorff" wrote in message
...

I mean.... If I keep anti-virus and firewall up to date, do I need the
risk?
--
Bill


I look at the patches as yet another line of defense. Yes, I try and keep
anti-virus and firewall up to date, but I feel that without applying the
patch there is a window of vulnerability between a new threat being
released
and the patches getting out there to stop it.

it would be nice to save all those patches/security updates/recommended
updates/driver updates into a cd, instead of autoinstalled online.

Use the Corporate Download pages to save them.

--�
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact.


After searching google.groups.com and finding no answer
127.0.0.1 asked:

| "Danny Mingledorff" wrote in message
| ...
||
||| I mean.... If I keep anti-virus and firewall up to date, do I need
||| the risk?
||| --
||| Bill
||
||
|| I look at the patches as yet another line of defense. Yes, I try
|| and keep anti-virus and firewall up to date, but I feel that without
|| applying the patch there is a window of vulnerability between a new
|| threat being released and the patches getting out there to stop it.
|
| it would be nice to save all those patches/security
| updates/recommended updates/driver updates into a cd, instead of
| autoinstalled online.

They don't work anymore !

If they exist, please post the URL !

Dave

"Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]" wrote in message
...
| Use the Corporate Download pages to save them.
|
| --�
| Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]
|
| Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact.

David H. Lipman wrote:

They don't work anymore !

If they exist, please post the URL !

Dave

"Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]" wrote in message
...
Use the Corporate Download pages to save them.

--�
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact.

http://microscum.kurttrail.com/comsense/

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.kurttrail.com
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei!"

On Sat, 13 Sep 2003 02:42:32 -0700, While I was using pressure to stop
the bleeding, "Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]" posted:
..
Use the Corporate Download pages to save them.

What would be the advantage to doing it that way instead of on-line
install? (Home computer)

After searching google.groups.com and finding no answer
127.0.0.1 asked:

| "Danny Mingledorff" wrote in message
| ...
||
||| I mean.... If I keep anti-virus and firewall up to date, do I need
||| the risk?
||| --
||| Bill
||
||
|| I look at the patches as yet another line of defense. Yes, I try
|| and keep anti-virus and firewall up to date, but I feel that without
|| applying the patch there is a window of vulnerability between a new
|| threat being released and the patches getting out there to stop it.
|
| it would be nice to save all those patches/security
| updates/recommended updates/driver updates into a cd, instead of
| autoinstalled online.


--
Bill

Is there a contest? Do I win?