Microsoft changes Win7/8.1 updates, pushes even harder for Windows 10

Infoworld ^ | Aug 16, 2016 | Woody Leonhard

[upchuck]

Starting in October, patches will be cumulative and Win7/8.1 customers will effectively cede control of their PCs to Microsoft

Windows 7 and 8.1 have had a good run, but that's about to come to a close. According to new guidelines, Microsoft will start rolling out Windows 7 and 8.1 (as well as Server 2008 R2, 2012, and 2012 R2) patches in undifferentiated monthly blobs. The patches will be cumulative, which eliminates the need to exercise judgment in selecting the patches you want. At the same time, though, the new approach severely hampers your ability to recover from bad patches -- and it allows Microsoft to put anything it wants on your Win7/8.1 PC.

...

To a first approximation, Windows 7 and 8.1 customers have two choices: Stop updating entirely or accept everything Microsoft ships. There are some nuances: Admins for Win 7 and 8.1 PCs attached to an update server will be able to independently juggle the security and nonsecurity blobs, while Home users get both security and nonsecurity patches together. Monthly Flash updates and .Net cumulative updates will roll out independently.

It's going to take Microsoft a while to fold all of its old patches into the new scheme, but by and large, starting in October it's Microsoft's way or the highway.

As you might expect, many longtime Windows 7 devotees (present company included) are livid. After years of picking and choosing patches based on their KB numbers, Microsoft is taking full control of the billion-or-so Windows machines that aren't yet absorbed into the Win10 fold. If one of the new patches breaks something, your only choice is binary: Remove all of the patches and wait a month for Microsoft to fix the bad one, or suck it up and live with the problem.

[freds6girlies]

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[TomGuy]

There are several distributions and each has its good and bad points.

Several? More like dozens and that is a big negative for Linux. I have yet to see any good descriptions. They all seem to be 'try it; you might like it'. I did several versions of Linux about 10 years ago. None was that great and none recognized all of my peripherals. Trying to figure out which distro version and which desktop -- there are not enough hours in the month.

[upchuck]

Frequently, when I try to upgrade the MS Essentials virus definitions on both my Win7 laptop and desktop, the little icon spins and never finishes.

Ever thought about changing antimalware software? Personally, I use ESET. Yes, it's a pay-for but it's very unobtrusive and updates at least twice a day. Small footprint, too.

Between ESET, Malwarebytes and AdwCleaner, I'm able to keep my computer clean. Oh, wiping it with a cloth occasionally helps too :)

[rustyboots]

Just found this out yesterday. Go into services and turn off Background Intelligent Transfer Services. (BITS) It will turn off all updating; calendar, alarm clock, and a bunch of other crap. With it turned on, I was looking at 300-600KB per second download in the background. When using AT&T or Verizon connections, you have monthly limits. That goes fast at those speeds. With it turned off, I have speeds that average less that 250 BYTES per second. Much better!!

[dayglored]

Windows 10..8..7.. Update... PING!

You can find all the Windows Ping list threads with FR search: just search on keyword "windowspinglist".

Thanks to upchuck for the ping!!

[TomGuy]

Ever thought about changing antimalware software?



I use a little program called Sandboxie to run most of my online programs. Many virus software conflict with it. Also, too many of the programs are bloatware and slow my computer to a crawl.

Over the years I have tried Norton, McAfee, AVG, Trend Micro, AVAST and they all turned into bloatware and snailware. ZoneAlarm firewall was good, but it too grew into a monster.

[Still Thinking]

The patches will be cumulative, which eliminates the need to exercise judgment in selecting the patches you want.

That's correct, though not in the way the writer intended. No choice means I don't have to exercise any case-by-case judgment, because the answer is just NO. I don't get to decide, it doesn't go on there, and that's effing that.

[Chickensoup]

My updater was turned completely off a couple of months ago and it was turned on by MS, I know not how, and started updating. It would not stop

I flipped the laptop over and pulled the battery.

It still works ok. but I will flip it over again if needed.

[lysie]

For later.

[Still Thinking]

Without updates turned on, you’ll probably be fine, but there is a chance you could fall prey to some bug or security hole that other users would be protected against.

....which is exactly the same risk you suffer if you DO accept the updates, just the bugs and security holes lead to Redmond instead of Russia. Much better.

[Still Thinking]

Hmmm....sounds like when your kids are being bad, and you have to flip them over your knee for an attitude adjustment. Apparently it’s not just for kids any more!

[Boomer]

Linux Ubuntu is in my future. I will set up a partition for a dual boot because there will still be certain functions I will want to do in windows but Linux is great and safe. Then there’s TOR but it’s slower and isn’t any good for video downloads.

[TexasGator]

W10 is an of, you can’t minimize it.

[TexasGator]

Uh, check out apples policies on updates ...

[upchuck]

I volunteer at a local computer learning center and have heard stories like your from many students.

Kaspersky and ESET are two programs everybody seems to like. Yes they are both pay-for.

[Secret Agent Man]

microsoft is just a g-d orwellian dictatorship. they really are trying to lose as many customers as they possibly can.

[Secret Agent Man]

you really need to ignore both and go to linux.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Still pushing people into their giant Windows 10 botnet, are they?

[upchuck]

Yeah, but there are those of us who refuse to be pushed.

[NoCmpromiz]

FYI