Microsoft Update Product Team Blog : MU

Update Notifications and Install-at-Shutdown Behavior

muteam — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 03:32:00 GMT

Hi All,

There have been some recent questions about how users are notified about updates and comments that sometimes customers aren’t being notified that updates are available when they shut down their computer. We are investigating the reports and trying to clarify with the community exactly what people are experiencing. We also want to make sure you understand how the update notifications work.

1. The tray icon should display when all of your available updates have been downloaded. If there are some downloads that haven’t completed, Windows Update (WU) and Automatic Updates (AU) will reschedule the “updates are available” tray notification until those downloads have completed. We wait to notify you after all available updates are downloaded, so you are not constantly interrupted with notifications while using your computer.

2. Upon shutdown, Windows Update and Automatic Updates will also notify customers if there are any available and downloaded (but not yet installed) updates. We do this by prompting customers via the shutdown button to install the downloaded updates. The shutdown and install updates button does not prompt users to install updates – like Service Packs, Internet Explorer, etc… – that require manual interaction (accepting a EULA or completing an installation wizard). It only prompts on updates that could otherwise be installed automatically, according to the user’s configuration. Customers can also choose not to install these updates at shutdown.

Please call Microsoft Support if updates are installed when you shut down your computer and the shutdown button did not inform you that updates would be installed. If you don’t want to be prompted to update at shutdown, you can disable this feature using the guidance provided in the Controlling the Install Updates and Shutdown Feature section of the linked TechNet article. Please note that if your computer attaches to a corporate network, your IT Administrator may be enabling this feature through Group Policy, and it may be turned back on the next time you connect to your corporate network.

Note: Some updates shown in the update list aren’t downloaded with the other updates, and you aren’t notified to install them (described in KB910340). Some customers call support believing that WU isn’t working correctly, because it isn’t downloading or notifying them about some updates. These updates are held back by WU. You can download and install them manually through WU, but WU won’t automatically download or notify you about these specific updates until the WU servers make them “available” for your computer. We gradually allow computers to start downloading larger updates, like Service Packs, because they are bigger downloads that require more network bandwidth to download. If an update is held back from your computer, it will not prevent WU from notifying you on the system tray after all of the “available” updates have been downloaded.

We hope this helps!

MU Team

Windows IE 8.0 Installation

muteam — Sat, 09 May 2009 04:17:00 GMT

Hi All,

We’ve been hearing that there is some confusion with how Windows Internet Explorer 8 is offered through Windows Update (WU) and Automatic Updates (AU), so we thought we’d post a little bit of information regarding this update.

WU and AU will not automatically install Internet Explorer 8. It can be installed just like any other interactive update in WU or AU. The update will be offered to you, and you can choose Install, Don’t Install or Ask me later. If you choose Don’t Install then it won’t be actively offered to you again, and it will become an Optional Update which you can manually install at some point in the future.

Why is it classified as an Important (or High Priority on XP) Update? This classification is used for updates that protect you from security or privacy threats, significantly improve the reliability of your PC, etc. There are many new security features in IE8 that protect you while browsing the Web, and this update is offered like other updates that have similar security implications, like the Microsoft Software Removal Toolkit (MSRT). For more information about how we classify updates, please visit the Windows Update Website on microsoft.com.

Hope this information is clear!

MU Team

Enabling Microsoft Update to keep Office 2003, Office XP, and other Microsoft Products Secure and Up-To-Date

muteam — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 12:07:00 GMT

Hi Folks –

We want to remind everyone that enabling Microsoft Update and keeping your computer up-to-date will give you the best possible experience with Windows. Are you wondering about the difference between Windows Update and Microsoft Update? Windows Update offers updates for Windows and drivers for your hardware and devices. Microsoft Update offers updates for Windows, other Microsoft software, and drivers. So, if you have any version of Microsoft Office installed on your computer, or any other Microsoft software, then you should enable Microsoft Update. Otherwise you won’t even get security updates for your other Microsoft software.

Enabling Microsoft Update gives you updates for more software, it doesn’t change how you get updates. If you use Windows XP, you can find the updates through Automatic Updates or by visiting the Microsoft Update Website. If you use Windows Vista, you can find all available updates in the Windows Update control panel.

So, you’re probably wondering how to "opt-in", or "enable" Microsoft Update, or check your configuration and stay up to date. It’s very easy, just follow the steps below:

1. To enable Microsoft Update and verify your update settings, click here: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=146977.

Note: If you’re a Windows Vista user, this link will take you to the Windows Update Control Panel “applet”.

A. On Vista, on the Control Panel App, if you have not enabled Microsoft Update your Control Panel Windows Update screen will look like this and you will see the Get updates for more products link in a yellow highlighted area. Simply click Get updates for more products, to start the Microsoft Update install and scan process:

B. On Windows XP, clicking the above link will take you to the Microsoft Update page. If Microsoft Update is already enabled you can check to see if you need updates for Windows, other Microsoft programs, or your hardware of devices from this page. If you have not yet enabled Microsoft update, you will see this page. Simply click Start now and follow the steps to install Microsoft Update.

2. Regardless of your Windows version or your automatic update settings, you can always check for new updates and new software available through Microsoft Update. If you are a Windows XP user click here: http://update.microsoft.com/. If you are a Windows Vista user (or Windows 7 Beta user), you can open the Start menu, click All Programs, and then click Windows Update.

Thank you!

The MU Team

.NET Framework 3.5 SP1 Package Clarification

muteam — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 02:55:00 GMT

Hi Folks,

We’ve been noticing some questions regarding the recent update for Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 titled “Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 and .NET Framework 3.5 Family Update (KB951847)”. This update includes a full family update for .NET Framework bringing versions 2.0 and greater, up to version 3.5 SP1, as well as a small compatibility update for .NET Framework 3.5 SP1.

If you already have .NET Framework 2.0 or higher installed, you will be offered this update as an Important Update. If you do not have .NET Framework 2.0 or higher installed, then you will be offered a Recommended Update. For those users who already have .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 installed, only the app compatibility update will be installed as part of this update; for all other users, .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 will be installed, followed by the compatibility update.

Hope this helps,

The MU Team

Windows Live OneCare category coming soon

muteam — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 02:09:00 GMT

Updated 10/30/08 : WSUS admins will be seeing a new product category under the Windows Live product family in the future. The new product category will be Windows Live OneCare.

Thank you,

The MU Team

Critical Security Update Released Today

muteam — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 22:31:00 GMT

Hello,

Microsoft has released a critical security update today, 10/23/2008 and made this update available via all update distribution channels. For more information see: Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-067.