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unsolicited windows update



 
 
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  #1  
Old March 21st 17, 04:12 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
John Jones[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 27
Default unsolicited windows update

Win 7 HomePremium 64 bit

After updating skype it said
your computer needs to be rebooted to finish installing windows updates

Puzzled, since the Win 10 fiasco I have windows updates firmly switched
off.
So long ago that I cant recall how.

How do I find out what update it is talking about?
Can I stop it?
If I do is that the end of skype as I know it?

Cheers
JJ

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  #2  
Old March 21st 17, 04:29 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
Paul[_32_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 11,873
Default unsolicited windows update

John Jones wrote:
Win 7 HomePremium 64 bit

After updating skype it said
your computer needs to be rebooted to finish installing windows updates

Puzzled, since the Win 10 fiasco I have windows updates firmly switched
off.
So long ago that I cant recall how.

How do I find out what update it is talking about?
Can I stop it?
If I do is that the end of skype as I know it?

Cheers
JJ


Program installers can chain-load dependencies.

As an example, If you install an advanced version
of Internet Explorer, it uses hardware acceleration.
You download a (so-called) standalone installer,
yet it still needs to be connected to the Internet.
It may want to download a DirectX update which gives
it access to hardware acceleration. On an unpatched
system, an installation of Internet Explorer could
download 500MB of stuff (and I have no logs of
what-all would be included).

Now, why would Skype be any different ? I'm sure there's
some excuse for additional collateral materials.

Even third-party tools can do this, but they tend to
be more public about what they're doing. For example,
an ATI video driver, may note the fact it needs .NET
for the control panel. And install it. Some other programs
need Visual Studio DLLs (both 32 bit and 64 bit, even though
the package itself might only use one of those).

The worst part of the Microsoft practice, is adding such
content "silently". Hiding it. They should be public, even
have a log file, telling you exactly what was added.

Now, on top of that, if you *uninstall* a program,
I know of no reason for the collateral materials to be
removed.

And you could well be stuck applying security patches
to the cruft, forever after. The collaterial materials
are "gifts that keep on giving".

*******

How could you stop the silent additions ? Well, if
you defeat a number of subsystems, you'll stop them,
but you'll also prevent msiexec from running and
allowing programs to install. It may not be possible
to surgically defend the system against "joy riders"
in a package.

Paul
  #3  
Old March 21st 17, 04:50 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
John Jones[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 27
Default unsolicited windows update

On Tue, 21 Mar 2017 11:29:59 -0400, "Paul" wrote
in article ...

John Jones wrote:
Win 7 HomePremium 64 bit

After updating skype it said
your computer needs to be rebooted to finish installing windows updates

Puzzled, since the Win 10 fiasco I have windows updates firmly switched
off.
So long ago that I cant recall how.

How do I find out what update it is talking about?
Can I stop it?
If I do is that the end of skype as I know it?

Cheers
JJ


Program installers can chain-load dependencies.

As an example, If you install an advanced version
of Internet Explorer, it uses hardware acceleration.
You download a (so-called) standalone installer,
yet it still needs to be connected to the Internet.
It may want to download a DirectX update which gives
it access to hardware acceleration. On an unpatched
system, an installation of Internet Explorer could
download 500MB of stuff (and I have no logs of
what-all would be included).

Now, why would Skype be any different ? I'm sure there's
some excuse for additional collateral materials.

Even third-party tools can do this, but they tend to
be more public about what they're doing. For example,
an ATI video driver, may note the fact it needs .NET
for the control panel. And install it. Some other programs
need Visual Studio DLLs (both 32 bit and 64 bit, even though
the package itself might only use one of those).

The worst part of the Microsoft practice, is adding such
content "silently". Hiding it. They should be public, even
have a log file, telling you exactly what was added.

Now, on top of that, if you *uninstall* a program,
I know of no reason for the collateral materials to be
removed.

And you could well be stuck applying security patches


OK thanks Paul

After some digging it seems to be KB2999226 which was last installed two
years ago. Something to do with Windows 10 Universal CRT running on
previous o/s. Guess Skype is now aimed at win 10.

It is now set "pending" and there doesnt seem to be any facility for
removal/hiding/ telling it to *-off etc.
Hope it's not too problematic.

But this looks like the thin end of a long wedge on the road to windows
10 dom.
Cheers
JJ
  #4  
Old March 21st 17, 10:35 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
VanguardLH[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,881
Default unsolicited windows update

John Jones wrote:

Win 7 HomePremium 64 bit

After updating skype it said
your computer needs to be rebooted to finish installing windows updates

Puzzled, since the Win 10 fiasco I have windows updates firmly
switched off. So long ago that I cant recall how.


Do you have the BITS (Background Intelligent Transfer Service) and WU
(Windows Updates) services disabled? Go into services.msc to check.

Simply configuring the WU client to "notify only" or not download will
not prevent updates. Users have discovered for a long time that they
still get updates with the WU client configured off, usually detecting
the update when they try to shutdown and see the message about the
updating.

How do I find out what update it is talking about?


- Go to Control Panel - Programs and Features.
- Click on View Installed Updates (left pane). Wait for the list to
populate. Takes awhile. Watch green progress bar in address bar.
- Scroll to the right to see the Installed On column.
- Make sure to use the Details view. Alas this also groups the updates
by publisher.
- Look for the one with the recent datestamp, or one with a date for
whenever you updated Skype (since you did not say it was today).

Can I stop it?


The update(s) has(have) already been applied. Too late. You can
right-click on an update to uninstall it *if* it is uninstallable (not
all of them are; i.e., once applied, they are permanent).

However, if the update requires a reboot to get its fileset in sync (to
replace inuse or locked files), then an uninstall of the update may not
be successful because it is in an interim state. You will have to
shutdown, reboot, and then decide whether or not to uninstall the
update(s).

If I do is that the end of skype as I know it?


Security fixes do not stop the operation of the program. It was running
before. It still runs but perhaps (not guaranteed) more securely. Bug
fixes do not stop the old version of a program from running (but the bug
fix may stop the new version or cause unwanted behavior: new code = new
bugs).

Was Skype inoperable before you updated it? Have you tried using Skype
after applying the update (it already said it got applied)? Once you
determine the mysterious update, and if you decide to uninstall the
update (if it can be uninstalled), check if Skype still works.
  #5  
Old March 21st 17, 11:36 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
J. P. Gilliver (John)[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,679
Default unsolicited windows update

In message , Wolf K
writes:
[]
In addition: Skype is now Windows product.

Microsoft, I think you mean, though there's little difference in
practice.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

A good pun is its own reword.
  #6  
Old March 22nd 17, 12:24 AM posted to alt.windows7.general
Ken Blake[_5_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,221
Default unsolicited windows update

On Tue, 21 Mar 2017 22:36:16 +0000, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"
wrote:

In message , Wolf K
writes:
[]
In addition: Skype is now Windows product.

Microsoft, I think you mean, though there's little difference in
practice.



Except for phone calls you get from scammers. If they tell you they
are from Windows, you know that they are scammers.
  #7  
Old March 22nd 17, 03:12 AM posted to alt.windows7.general
VanguardLH[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,881
Default unsolicited windows update

Ken Blake wrote:

"J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote:

Wolf K writes:

In addition: Skype is now Windows product.


Microsoft, I think you mean, though there's little difference in
practice.


Except for phone calls you get from scammers. If they tell you they
are from Windows, you know that they are scammers.


If they tell you they are from Microsoft, you know they are scammers.
  #8  
Old March 22nd 17, 03:32 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
John Jones[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 27
Default unsolicited windows update

On Tue, 21 Mar 2017 16:35:52 -0500, "VanguardLH" wrote in
article ...

John Jones wrote:

Win 7 HomePremium 64 bit

After updating skype it said
your computer needs to be rebooted to finish installing windows updates

Puzzled, since the Win 10 fiasco I have windows updates firmly
switched off. So long ago that I cant recall how.


Do you have the BITS (Background Intelligent Transfer Service) and WU
(Windows Updates) services disabled? Go into services.msc to check.

Simply configuring the WU client to "notify only" or not download will
not prevent updates. Users have discovered for a long time that they
still get updates with the WU client configured off, usually detecting
the update when they try to shutdown and see the message about the
updating.

How do I find out what update it is talking about?


- Go to Control Panel - Programs and Features.
- Click on View Installed Updates (left pane). Wait for the list to
populate. Takes awhile. Watch green progress bar in address bar.
- Scroll to the right to see the Installed On column.
- Make sure to use the Details view. Alas this also groups the updates
by publisher.
- Look for the one with the recent datestamp, or one with a date for
whenever you updated Skype (since you did not say it was today).

Can I stop it?


The update(s) has(have) already been applied. Too late. You can
right-click on an update to uninstall it *if* it is uninstallable (not
all of them are; i.e., once applied, they are permanent).

However, if the update requires a reboot to get its fileset in sync (to
replace inuse or locked files), then an uninstall of the update may not
be successful because it is in an interim state. You will have to
shutdown, reboot, and then decide whether or not to uninstall the
update(s).

If I do is that the end of skype as I know it?


Security fixes do not stop the operation of the program. It was running
before. It still runs but perhaps (not guaranteed) more securely. Bug
fixes do not stop the old version of a program from running (but the bug
fix may stop the new version or cause unwanted behavior: new code = new
bugs).


Thank you for this comprehensive response.

Overnight, windows re-booted my pc (does p stand for personal or
proprietory to MS?) and completed the installation of KB2999226.
It is in fact uninstallable, but seems not to cause problems, as far as
I can see so far. I will continue to review the situation (twang).

Cheers
JJ
  #9  
Old March 22nd 17, 05:02 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
Ken Blake[_5_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,221
Default unsolicited windows update

On Tue, 21 Mar 2017 21:12:44 -0500, VanguardLH wrote:

Ken Blake wrote:

"J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote:

Wolf K writes:

In addition: Skype is now Windows product.

Microsoft, I think you mean, though there's little difference in
practice.


Except for phone calls you get from scammers. If they tell you they
are from Windows, you know that they are scammers.


If they tell you they are from Microsoft, you know they are scammers.



Yes, true.

  #10  
Old March 22nd 17, 07:47 PM posted to alt.windows7.general
VanguardLH[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,881
Default unsolicited windows update

John Jones wrote:

Overnight, windows re-booted my pc (does p stand for personal or
proprietory to MS?)


Don't know where is this "p" you are asking about. You didn't say where
it appears.

and completed the installation of KB2999226.


https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...ime-in-windows

That's a runtime (a library of files to support function calls from
programs to perform functions for them). The CRT (C RunTime) in Windows
10 was made available to earlier versions of Windows so program authors
could write code for their Windows 10 app but have them also supported
in previous versions of Windows. In Microsoft's arrogance, they added
the term "Universal" to call it their Universal C RunTime.

C, VB, and other runtimes have been supplied in Windows for a along
time. That is so programmers don't have to start from scratch building
their own functions, many of them to interoperate with the operating
system, resulting in a mashup of everyone doing it differently. It's
the same reason DirectX is included in Windows so graphics authors don't
have to develop new code for the same functions for their video games.
Unless an author goes rogue or uses assembly, they are using a runtime
in their program whether it be from Microsoft or someone else's library
of functions.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Univer..._Platform_apps

It is in fact uninstallable, but seems not to cause problems, as far as
I can see so far. I will continue to review the situation (twang).


It was an update. That means you already had the Universal C RunTime
installed in your computer and this was an update to that already
existing installation.

It is not an update to Skype. Don't know why you thought so. Maybe you
got offered an update to Skype and for UCRT.
 




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