garychu
asked on
Managing Windows Updates
I had always stood by my practice to never allow automatic Windows downloading/updating. Time and again, I have been vindicated. As recently as a botched release on 10 Sep 2013.
Thus far, I had adopted a "holding period" of 2 to 3 weeks.
Researching where I can, but mainly waiting for cries from some demented souls on the internet
But this is getting increasingly onerous with the weekly growing deluge of updates.
Even going through the list of pending updates is a chore.
I keep a blacklist. But there is no easy way to check if a particular one is pending on any given computer. A year ago, I missed one which resulted in a server BSD! And it was a known one!
I am hoping that some Experts would have tips and suggestions to help make life a bit more easy for me. Thanks
Thus far, I had adopted a "holding period" of 2 to 3 weeks.
Researching where I can, but mainly waiting for cries from some demented souls on the internet
But this is getting increasingly onerous with the weekly growing deluge of updates.
Even going through the list of pending updates is a chore.
I keep a blacklist. But there is no easy way to check if a particular one is pending on any given computer. A year ago, I missed one which resulted in a server BSD! And it was a known one!
I am hoping that some Experts would have tips and suggestions to help make life a bit more easy for me. Thanks
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ASKER
Thanks, Experts.
I am going to keep this thread going for just a little longer.
Meanwhile, I am going to check out the suggested patch watch articles.
Looks like a good way to keep "up to date" with the updates you don't need.
(Pardon the oxymoron!).
I will also more closely examine if not try out the suggested powershell script.
I am going to keep this thread going for just a little longer.
Meanwhile, I am going to check out the suggested patch watch articles.
Looks like a good way to keep "up to date" with the updates you don't need.
(Pardon the oxymoron!).
I will also more closely examine if not try out the suggested powershell script.
ASKER
I have had a look at the powershell script.
Not having had a great deal of experience with powershell apart from some common cmdlets, I am still trying to get my head around it. Let alone customise it.
Still I think it is a promising approach.
Perhaps I was dreaming of something more like a "pending updates detection and removal" scanning software which works with "definition lists" .
Even as we discuss this, Microsoft has just released another botched update for Access 2013 (KB2752093). It is causing a bit of grieve to Access 2013 users.
This is an ongoing challenge.
Thanks for your advice.
Not having had a great deal of experience with powershell apart from some common cmdlets, I am still trying to get my head around it. Let alone customise it.
Still I think it is a promising approach.
Perhaps I was dreaming of something more like a "pending updates detection and removal" scanning software which works with "definition lists" .
Even as we discuss this, Microsoft has just released another botched update for Access 2013 (KB2752093). It is causing a bit of grieve to Access 2013 users.
This is an ongoing challenge.
Thanks for your advice.
Check it out here: Tech Net - WSUS
As for what updates are good or bad? Maybe set up a test machine, either physical or virtual, to test the compatibility of the update with your systems.
For this I have a physical client, and I also use VMware. It has heaps of good features, such as making virtual machines out of already existing physical machines (for your server machines maybe?).
Hope this helps.