windows update keeps installing same updates

[rose ellen]

Does anyone else have the problem that I have with my computer where windows updates keeps installing the same 5 updates over and over?I have an icon that says updates are ready for your computer and when I install them it takes ages and the icon is back straight away after.Every time I turn the computer off I get the message do not switch off or unplug your compter windows is installing updates 1 of 5 and it sometimes takes over an hour.I checked my update history and they are there so it isn`t that it isn`t working.If anyone has had this problem and solved it please tell me how it is very annoying as I sometimes have to wait ages before it shuts down properly.

[will.15]

I never had that problem, but I've solved some other annoying ones by going to the backup and restore center and going back before the computer started acting up. Set the restore date before it started doing that. It shouldn't take an hour to update. Did it always do that?

[jimw1]

not a Problem Ive come across Rose.....If you dont get an answer here the PC Advisor site is a good place to ask the question' (Registration required)
some Computer savvy People on there will probably Know the Answer



Forums - Helproom - PC Advisor

[rose ellen]

Thank you both for your help.I already tried system restore but it didn`t work.I will try the pc advisor.

[jimw1]

As a Temporary measure you could turn off updates through the Control Panel on your PC at least you will be able to use your PC without the long Interruptions

[Wolfgang]

If they are not important updates, it might be wiser to select custom installation and select not to install them. Can you tell us what these updates are called and what operating system you are on?

[rose ellen]

I am on windows xp and I keep getting microsoft net framework security updates. no.8979909 keeps reinstalling along with 4 others.I did think of turning the updates off but wasn`t sure if it was a good idea.

[will.15]

I had an update that was supposedly important, but wouldn't update and screwed up the computer. I had it permanently hidden and it seems to work fine without it. I later found out by going somewhere on the internet the update was flawed and there was a corrected one for it, but I never installed it.

[mrs_emma_peel]

As a Temporary measure you could turn off updates through the Control Panel on your PC at least you will be able to use your PC without the long Interruptions

I was advised by a computer expert not to bother installing Windows XP updates as they can cause more harm than good.
Emma

[GoggleboxUK]

Sounds like good advice to me Rose. If your PC is running well why bother updating? Java and Flash updates are sent seperately so there's no real need to update if your happy with your system.

I'd follow Jim's advice and turn them off in control panel but you could try manually installing those you already have downloaded once you've altered the stting. If that works, turn it back on.

[Wolfgang]

You should not turn off your updates because you will not get necessary security patches, even if your PC seems to work ok without them, it will be left vulnerable. You do not actually need Microsoft's .NET framework unless you do windows programming, so what I would do is uninstall your whole .NET framework. Go into Control Panel->Add/Remove Programs. There is little box at top called "Show Updates", tick that and it will list everything from Windows Update. Go down to Microsoft .NET Framework and proceed to unistall all version (there is probbaly .NET, .NET 2, .NET 3, .NET 3.5 and possibly .NET 4)—try and do it in reverse order (4, 3.5, 3 etc). You need none of that stuff, and if you get rid of it then it will not need security updates. My cousin had problems with his .NET Framework updates last summer (he had one update that kept failing to install rather than installing over and over) so I just took it all off, problem solved. I do not have it on my PC either. If you do decide you want it on your computer at some point you can always reinstall it from Windows Update but removing it all should solve your problem.

[Steve Crook]

I was advised by a computer expert not to bother installing Windows XP updates as they can cause more harm than good.
Emma

That sounds like a bad "expert". They don't send out updates just because they feel like it. They are usually to fix a security hole (or which there are many in all Micro$oft systems) after someone's managed to attack a system through that particular hole

Steve

[GoggleboxUK]

So they're still fixing security holes this morning for XP are they?

Well, it's over 9 years since XP was launched so if it's not crippled my syste, by now then I hardly would describe it as necessary or urgent..

As long as you update to SP2 everything else is fairly unecessary. Take alook at the site below for a full list of updates provided for XP since launch and why. Most of them are meaningless to the majority of us. Why bother to update programs you don't use?

OS Updates: Latest patches and updates for your Windows System - TechSpot

[rose ellen]

Thank you all for your help.My computer is all right today,it sometimes stops for a day and I think the problem has gone away but it always comes back the following day.If this happens-which is very likely-I will try Wolfgangs advice and unistall the updates.I appreciate all the comments from everybody who has taken the time to try and help.

[jimw1]

thanks for the Update rose ellen I hope you get it fixed.......Good Luck

[Arfur Teacake]

I am on windows xp and I keep getting microsoft net framework security updates. no.8979909 keeps reinstalling along with 4 others.I did think of turning the updates off but wasn`t sure if it was a good idea.

As far as I know MS stopped supporting XP around June this year.
So your not getting anything from Microsoft anymore concerning the operating system , unless its an old patch that has not quite fitted in yet.
If its net framework security then there must be something busy running it, so with it running it cannot update it? maybe your virus checker program for example?

you can see what is is on in your computer by pressing control-alt-delete (on the bottom row of keys)
this should bring up the task master . The task master will tell you all the things that are running or switched on .You only need 'Explorer, to be running IIRC.

[Steve Crook]

As far as I know MS stopped supporting XP around June this year.
So your not getting anything from Microsoft anymore concerning the operating system ,

I run XP and I still get updates from Micro$oft. I got one sent to me today

you can see what is is on in your computer by pressing control-alt-delete (on the bottom row of keys)
this should bring up the task master . The task master will tell you all the things that are running or switched on .You only need 'Explorer, to be running IIRC.

You need a lot more than that running.

You don't need much that is shown in the Applications tab of the Task Master - not even Explorer if you use a proper browser like Firefox
But under the Processes tab there are a lot more things shown, most of which you do need

Steve

[Wolfgang]

Extended support for XP runs until 2014 if I remember correctly, which essentially means they will keep patching their own software, release updates for device drivers etc. It is true you may not need much of what is released, but it is probably better to have what you do not need than not have something you do need.

[mrs_emma_peel]

I'm on SP2, which is maybe why he suggested (in August) updates were unnecessary, (although I have installed some updates since) the computer specialist did also switch me to, and recommend, Firefox ... which I agree is excellent ... and he speeded up my computer considerably.
Emma

[Steve Crook]

I'm on SP2, which is maybe why he suggested (in August) updates were unnecessary, (although I have installed some updates since) the computer specialist did also switch me to, and recommend, Firefox ... which I agree is excellent ... and he speeded up my computer considerably.
Emma

SP2 is only for clusters of computers, not for single computers. Even with SP2 they don't say that you shouldn't add any more updates after installing SP2, they say that if you are running a cluster of computers you shouldn't apply any updates before installing SP2.

Even when support for SP2 ended they then recommend that you move on to SP3 - if you are running a cluster of computers

There will always be a need to keep updating any Micro$oft system, for as long as you run it. They are so full of security holes when they are released, the updates try to block each of these holes as they are found. Micro$oft are always playing catch-up behind the hackers.

Mind you, as most of the updates are to do with system security, none of them are really necessary if you add a decent security system like Norton and don't rely on Windoze own poor attempts at security

Steve