MS Updates using Dialup, whata pain.

[SpenceQ]

I'm using XP with firewall active and auto updates on.

The lower right yellow shield would say occasionally, "Updates are ready for your computer." When I click, it pops up a MS window giving me express install or custom options.

I have heard that dialup updates may be as much as a day long. Also, some updates crash due to some bugs.

Why doesn't MS provide a ballpark estimate of my download time both for HS and dialup.?, which is why I'm reluctant. How long will it take their program to come to the conclusion I'm not interested.? It can do this by determining what's running and how many times I've ignored the message.

Lastly, how do I know it's really MS that's sending the message.?

Spence

[GroundZero3]

You can disable the auto update, the amount of time to download will all depend on the amount of downloads and your connection

[Nude_Lewd_Man]

^^ +1

Hi, and WELCOME TO TECHIMO - from the Folding@Home Team (#111)...!

To disable the automatic download or notification of M$ updates, right-click your "My Computer" --> Properties. Click on the "Automatic Updates" tab, then select the level of updating you wish to use.

Personally, I set my computers to use the "Download and notify" version, which means that the updates are downloaded in the background, and I can then choose which updates I want to install and which I want to ignore completely.

If you decide that there are any updates that you don't want to ever have (like Windows Search 4.0) then you can untick the box, and there will be another box that appears after that asking whether you want to have this update 'hidden'.

If you choose for the computer to never update, then I would advise you to periodically check (one of) the M$ updates sites.

http://www.update.microsoft.com

Microsoft Windows Update