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display Win7 Updates status while downloading



 
 
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  #1  
Old February 12th 15, 10:52 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
ps56k[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 51
Default display Win7 Updates status while downloading

In the good old days, when you did a Windows Update,
you could display a screen that showed the activity
as it was going on... and control when, how, & what to install.

On my Windows 7 system,
I've not figured out how to get that same acreen,
along with Windows 7 Updater just downloading when it wants
and all I see on the toolbar
is the little blue boxy icon with the ring around...

In Win7 - is there any way to control "updates"
and actually have a screen display as it is downloading & installing ?

I hate all this "dumbing down" to protect the user (consumer).

--
/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/
No Good Deed -
Goes Unpunished



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  #2  
Old February 13th 15, 01:17 AM posted to alt.windows7.general
David E. Ross[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,035
Default display Win7 Updates status while downloading

On 2/12/2015 1:52 PM, ps56k wrote:
In the good old days, when you did a Windows Update,
you could display a screen that showed the activity
as it was going on... and control when, how, & what to install.

On my Windows 7 system,
I've not figured out how to get that same acreen,
along with Windows 7 Updater just downloading when it wants
and all I see on the toolbar
is the little blue boxy icon with the ring around...

In Win7 - is there any way to control "updates"
and actually have a screen display as it is downloading & installing ?

I hate all this "dumbing down" to protect the user (consumer).


To control updates, use the Control Panel. Select [Windows Update
Change Settings]. Select whatever settings you want, especially the
pull-down list under "Important updates". I have "Check for updates but
let me choose whether to download and install them." I also have
checked all the checkboxes below that.

With my settings, I select which updates to install. Since I log them
and maintain my own inventory of what is installed on my PC, I generally
select only one category at a time (e.g., Windows now, Office later).
When I select the "Install updates" button, the Windows Update window
usually closes; but its icon remains in the notification area (formerly
called the Tray). I immediately select that icon, and the Windows
Update window opens again, allowing me to monitor the downloading and
installation.

As I indicated in an earlier thread, I generally wait about a week
before installing Microsoft updates. Too often in recent years, one or
more updates make things worse instead of better; so I wait to allow
Microsoft to withdraw any buggy updates. In the latest batch, I will
not be installing the Windows 7 update for KB3021917, which seems to
benefit only Microsoft and not users. The Windows 7 update for
KB3001652 also seems to be a problem; that one, I might install
separately from all the others -- if it has not been withdrawn.

--
David E. Ross

The Crimea is Putin's Sudetenland.
The Ukraine will be Putin's Czechoslovakia.
See http://www.rossde.com/editorials/edtl_PutinUkraine.html.
  #3  
Old February 13th 15, 01:23 AM posted to alt.windows7.general
David E. Ross[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,035
Default display Win7 Updates status while downloading

On 2/12/2015 4:17 PM, David E. Ross wrote:
On 2/12/2015 1:52 PM, ps56k wrote:
In the good old days, when you did a Windows Update,
you could display a screen that showed the activity
as it was going on... and control when, how, & what to install.

On my Windows 7 system,
I've not figured out how to get that same acreen,
along with Windows 7 Updater just downloading when it wants
and all I see on the toolbar
is the little blue boxy icon with the ring around...

In Win7 - is there any way to control "updates"
and actually have a screen display as it is downloading & installing ?

I hate all this "dumbing down" to protect the user (consumer).


To control updates, use the Control Panel. Select [Windows Update
Change Settings]. Select whatever settings you want, especially the
pull-down list under "Important updates". I have "Check for updates but
let me choose whether to download and install them." I also have
checked all the checkboxes below that.

With my settings, I select which updates to install. Since I log them
and maintain my own inventory of what is installed on my PC, I generally
select only one category at a time (e.g., Windows now, Office later).
When I select the "Install updates" button, the Windows Update window
usually closes; but its icon remains in the notification area (formerly
called the Tray). I immediately select that icon, and the Windows
Update window opens again, allowing me to monitor the downloading and
installation.

As I indicated in an earlier thread, I generally wait about a week
before installing Microsoft updates. Too often in recent years, one or
more updates make things worse instead of better; so I wait to allow
Microsoft to withdraw any buggy updates. In the latest batch, I will
not be installing the Windows 7 update for KB3021917, which seems to
benefit only Microsoft and not users. The Windows 7 update for
KB3001652 also seems to be a problem; that one, I might install
separately from all the others -- if it has not been withdrawn.


Oops! KB3001652 had already been withdrawn by the time I wrote the
above. Instead, I meant KB3013455, which has caused printing and
viewing problems for some users.

--
David E. Ross

The Crimea is Putin's Sudetenland.
The Ukraine will be Putin's Czechoslovakia.
See http://www.rossde.com/editorials/edtl_PutinUkraine.html.
  #4  
Old February 13th 15, 03:18 AM posted to alt.windows7.general
Big_Al[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 431
Default display Win7 Updates status while downloading

ps56k wrote on 2/12/2015 4:52 PM:
In the good old days, when you did a Windows Update,
you could display a screen that showed the activity
as it was going on... and control when, how, & what to install.

On my Windows 7 system,
I've not figured out how to get that same acreen,
along with Windows 7 Updater just downloading when it wants
and all I see on the toolbar
is the little blue boxy icon with the ring around...

In Win7 - is there any way to control "updates"
and actually have a screen display as it is downloading & installing ?

I hate all this "dumbing down" to protect the user (consumer).

Control Panel - Windows Updates. ???


  #5  
Old February 13th 15, 06:47 AM posted to alt.windows7.general
VanguardLH[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,881
Default display Win7 Updates status while downloading

ps56k wrote:

In the good old days, when you did a Windows Update, you could display
a screen that showed the activity as it was going on... and control
when, how, & what to install.

On my Windows 7 system, I've not figured out how to get that same
acreen, along with Windows 7 Updater just downloading when it wants
and all I see on the toolbar is the little blue boxy icon with the
ring around... In Win7 - is there any way to control "updates"
and actually have a screen display as it is downloading & installing ?


When you select which updates to install (you do review them before
installing them, right?), the updates window minimizes to a systray
icon. Expand that tray icon to see the progress.

There is no point in showing each update as it downloads. You already
and just reviewed that list (didn't you? right?). For the download
step, you get to see how much is getting download and percentage
complete. WU is a background job meant to not interfere with your
continued use of your computer, so downloading is slow. Then you see a
message about WU creating a restore point. Then you see "x of y" when
installing each update where x is the current number in the list of
updates you selected and y is the total number of updates that you
selected. As each update is installed, you are shown the name of that
update (title and KB number).

What more information did you expect to see than the progress of the
download(s) and seeing each update as it gets installed?

I hate all this "dumbing down" to protect the user (consumer).


You should ask before lambasting someone else for your ignorance. It
makes you look dumb, not Microsoft. When you start the download, the
tray icon shows up and even shows for a short time a pop up telling you
about how to see the update progress. Or you could leave the tray icon
as it is and hover the mouse over it to get a summary of the update
progress as a percentage.
  #6  
Old February 13th 15, 09:08 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
Gene E. Bloch[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 7,485
Default display Win7 Updates status while downloading

On Thu, 12 Feb 2015 15:52:38 -0600, ps56k wrote:

In the good old days, when you did a Windows Update,
you could display a screen that showed the activity
as it was going on... and control when, how, & what to install.

On my Windows 7 system,
I've not figured out how to get that same acreen,
along with Windows 7 Updater just downloading when it wants
and all I see on the toolbar
is the little blue boxy icon with the ring around...

In Win7 - is there any way to control "updates"
and actually have a screen display as it is downloading & installing ?

I hate all this "dumbing down" to protect the user (consumer).


I can't even guess what you're doing wrong...

Maybe VanguardLH pegged it, however.

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)
  #7  
Old February 16th 15, 09:54 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
ps56k[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 51
Default display Win7 Updates status while downloading


"VanguardLH" wrote in message
...
You should ask before lambasting someone else for your ignorance.


let me know how you can monitor the downloading and installing progress
with the icon - when the Updates are selected for Automatic ?



  #8  
Old February 17th 15, 12:03 AM posted to alt.windows7.general
VanguardLH[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,881
Default display Win7 Updates status while downloading

ps56k wrote:

let me know how you can monitor the downloading and installing progress
with the icon - when the Updates are selected for Automatic ?


Not a criteria in your original inquiry. I had assumed you were a smart
Windows user who had long ago learned that automatic updates are
dangerous to the operation and reliability of the OS. Apparently you
want someone else to determine when and how to change the state of your
computer. Okay, that's a choice, too.

Automatic = no prompting. If there were prompts, automatic updates
would not be automatic. If you want the updates to be automatic then
that means they are not to get shoved in your face. Automatic means
[mostly] hidden.

How long have you been using Windows? After a short time, most users
find out that they do NOT want Windows Update set to automatic. Partial
updates that require a reboot to complete can lead to misbehavior in the
OS or apps, or installing updates and not doing a reboot can lead to the
same misbehavior. New updates means new code which means different bugs
and vulnerabilities. You are the admin of your computer so it is your
responsibility to review the updates before applying them. If you
absolve the chore to someone else then you elected to let someone else
admin your computer. That means someone else can change the state of
your computer anytime they like with code they think is fixed or changes
features or do anything at anytime they want. Windows users that get
informed about the various operational modes of WU often elect to NOT
use automatic updates.

Automatic mode causes way too many problems. Even configuring WU to
download but not install can run into problems. Myself and others have
discovered that sometimes the downloaded updates do get installed,
sometimes on Windows shutdown (and to finish on the next boot up). The
only safe operational mode for WU is to NOT download and only notify you
of updates. Then, when YOU are ready (not doing critical work, can
afford interruptions, and have saved a backup), you then manually
instigate a download and install of updates.

You get to see how many updates (in size and count) when you manually
choose to perform Windows updates. Automatic means just that: you're
not involved. If you want to see what updates were applied between now
and some date in the past (because you are likely not to know when
automatic updates were performed), you could go into the Add/Remove
Programs equivalent applet, view installed updates, and sort in the
"Installed On" column. The updates will still be grouped by product so
you need to scroll down to the "Microsoft Windows" group to see the list
of updates for that product sorted in installation order.

I have never use automatic updating in any product. Most times I don't
even want me to notify me of new updates. I will decide at points of
time when it is appropriate to change the state of my computer. At
most, I may configure a program to notify me of new updates but I will
still decide when to download and install them. As such, I do not have
personal experience with the WU applet when using the hidden automatic
update mode. I suspect during an update that loading the WU applet will
show you what is happening at the time of an automatic update; however,
I don't know that you will get some popup or other interferrence telling
you when an automatic update is in progress. When an automatic update
is occurring, is there no tray icon present (to quickly load the WU
applet instead of having to navigate the Start menu to load it)?

If a tray icon does not appear during an automatic update, you can add a
shortcut (on your desktop or in a toolbar in the Windows taskbar) that
runs "C:\Windows\System32\control.exe /name Microsoft.WindowsUpdate"
(sans quotes). If there is no visable tray icon during an automatic
update then maybe the system tray notification area (systray) is
configured to hide that icon. In that case, you will have to configure
the systray to change the icon for WU from "only show notifications" to
"show icon and notifications". Alas, the WU entry may not be listed in
the systray config unless the WU is actually running. So you could try
doing a manual update and check if its tray icon is visible.

As I recall, I would get the popup or balloon telling me new updates
were available (because I configured to notify, not to download and
automatically install) but the WU tray icon was hidden. I had to go
into the systray config to change the WU icon to "show icon and
notifications"; else, it was hidden as "only show notifications".
  #9  
Old February 17th 15, 08:37 AM posted to alt.windows7.general
ps56k[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 51
Default display Win7 Updates status while downloading

"VanguardLH" wrote in message
...
-- As such, I do not have personal experience with the WU applet
when using the hidden automatic update mode.
--------------

tnx for the pages of editorial comments without actually answering the Q&A
that indeed let us all know how smart you are...
and yeah - I have been using Windows since before 3.1 -




  #10  
Old February 17th 15, 12:04 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
Paul
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 18,275
Default display Win7 Updates status while downloading

ps56k wrote:
"VanguardLH" wrote in message
...
-- As such, I do not have personal experience with the WU applet
when using the hidden automatic update mode.
--------------

tnx for the pages of editorial comments without actually answering the Q&A
that indeed let us all know how smart you are...
and yeah - I have been using Windows since before 3.1 -


There should be a control panel for Windows Update,
in each OS version.

There is also a windowsupdate.log file, at least on
my current OS. Even if for some reason, it was
"totally automated", the log file should have the
transactions. For example, when I look in mine right
now, I can see it's been busy generating nuisance entries
in the log, which help flush the more useful entries
that might have been in there. I think when the
log gets big enough, the old entries are flushed.
And unlike setupapi.log, the files don't roll over
and old files get kept.

As with many Microsoft logs, the log information isn't
all that useful.

Windows Update control panel also keeps a "history", and
there should be a separate menu item to take you to
the history. An update can have a status of "failed" for
example, and if Windows Update has a real problem, you
can see large quantities of "failed" in the log. And perhaps
the one at the beginning of the swath of "failed", is the
one that is "blocking" progress. Then, you need to find
a recipe for resetting Windows Update. An easy way to do
that, is to look for a Microsoft Fixit, which may be able
to clear out the appropriate cache folder and set things
straight. Otherwise, if you know the mechanics of it a bit,
there's likely a manual recipe you can try out.

Paul

  #11  
Old February 17th 15, 07:44 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
VanguardLH[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,881
Default display Win7 Updates status while downloading

ps56k wrote:

"VanguardLH" wrote in message
...
-- As such, I do not have personal experience with the WU applet
when using the hidden automatic update mode.
--------------

tnx for the pages of editorial comments without actually answering the Q&A
that indeed let us all know how smart you are...


Or how dumb it is to use automatic update mode.

Ah, too bad, you don't get to mandate the content of responses, like
folks describing why they think automatic update mode is for ignorant
users. I said why automatic was a bad choice. I also offerred
suggestions on how to ensure you could see the WU tray icon, how to see
what updates were last installed, or how to view the automatic updates
as they occurred - which really means the updates are not automatic but
monitored, just like they would be for a manual update.

and yeah - I have been using Windows since before 3.1 -


Oh, I see. You want someone to change your diaper. I mentioned to
check if the WU tray icon is configured to be hidden or not and how to
change it so that it is always visible. You can load the WU applet to
watch an automatic update in progress but that requires you know when
the automatic update was in progress. You don't like the answer that
automatic means hidden and that you have to do something to unhide.

So, back in your favorite Windows XP, and when an automatic update was
currently in progress, you actually got interrupted with a popup,
balloon, or the WU applet's window appeared telling you about the
automatic update and showing you its progress? If so, that's a rather
obnoxious automatic mode to push it in your face.
 




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