The number and size of Windows Updates is getting insane!


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My last windows update (8.1) was Feb 25th (not counting Windows Defender definition updates) though after seeing this thread I decided to check updates right now...

 

32 updates.....143.5 MB.

 

Not really bothered by having to download 144MB of updates after two weeks....that's only 300MB in a month.

 

I don't really see what problem you are experiencing though....1.1GB of updates....when was the last time you got an update on your computer? Also, that's counting Windows + Office so that's not really fair to blame Windows directly as it's not 1.1GB of Windows update.

 

 

It seems like you want them to bundle more updates together? Seems to me like that's exactly what they did, and that's why they released (for you) 52 updates today. Instead of throwing out 5, 10, 15 updates every couple days over the past few weeks, they waited until they got a bunch done then released them all at once. You did not get 1.1GB of updates in one day, you got 1.1GB on one day (that is, updates were done and ready to go days/weeks ago, but they didn't push them out until today).

 

You either download the updates little by little every few days, or download them all at one time every few weeks. I personally prefer to update every few weeks because I don't reboot my computer often. Updates spaced out by weeks means I get to go longer periods of time between reboots.

 

Saying MS pushed out 1.1GB of updates in a single day would be like saying you wrote a book in a week because that was how long it took you to finish the last chapter and publish it.

 

I quote Defcon post as my answer, seems better written than I did so far :)

 

Defcon, on 11 Mar 2015 - 02:44, said:snapback.png

There most definitely is. A lot of these updates are cumulative, if they wanted they could easily combine all the needed updates into a single one on the server, remove all redundancies, and send that back to the client. This is what they do everytime there's a new Windows build, SP etc, the pdates get combined.

 

It makes using Windows for those not on broadband, which is billions of people, a nightmare.

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I remember having to install a fresh copy of Win 7 on my parent's pc, they don't have broadband, and then immediately afterward you need to get 600-700MB in updates, which is totally negligient on MS's part since a lot of people simply won't be able to do that. I'd guess that easily 70% of that code being downloaded is redundant, because Windows updates aren't binary patches but redownloads of the entire file. So e.g. if a dll has 3 vulnerabilites, you'll get 3 copies of it, and not just that, WinSxX and DriverStore will also store 3 copies of it, and keep growing. Its a horribly inneficient design that everyone glosses over because who cares about wasted disk space and bandwidth, right?

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I remember having to install a fresh copy of Win 7 on my parent's pc, they don't have broadband, and then immediately afterward you need to get 600-700MB in updates, which is totally negligient on MS's part since a lot of people simply won't be able to do that. I'd guess that easily 70% of that code being downloaded is redundant, because Windows updates aren't binary patches but redownloads of the entire file. So e.g. if a dll has 3 vulnerabilites, you'll get 3 copies of it, and not just that, WinSxX and DriverStore will also store 3 copies of it, and keep growing. Its a horribly inneficient design that everyone glosses over because who cares about wasted disk space and bandwidth, right?

 

Agreed :)

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10 seconds, wow... mind sharing the specs on your machine and your ISP and speed, I want it. 28 updates downloaded and applied in 10 seconds, wow just wow...

 

Come on, could you at-least be respectable? :o

 

Yes that's mostly my point, thank your for your post!

 

I have a quantum computer, and a dark fiber connection ;)

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I have 51 updates as well but it seems that the major sizewise is office 2013 64-bit updates. as for the updating part, when i saw the first post, i opened up to see my update list and clicked on the install button(i guess it had already downloaded the updates). Just browsed through the posts on this thread for a few minutes and I am already down through 30+ updates and I assuming by the time i press post to this reply, I will most likely be done updating. there is no reason to complain about updates. its not like they hijack your computer and wont let you do anything else. let them run in the background (as they are made to do) and go on with your daily routine.

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I have 51 updates as well but it seems that the major sizewise is office 2013 64-bit updates. as for the updating part, when i saw the first post, i opened up to see my update list and clicked on the install button(i guess it had already downloaded the updates). Just browsed through the posts on this thread for a few minutes and I am already down through 30+ updates and I assuming by the time i press post to this reply, I will most likely be done updating. there is no reason to complain about updates. its not like they hijack your computer and wont let you do anything else. let them run in the background (as they are made to do) and go on with your daily routine.

 

Hi :)

 

I am not complaining about having updates, It's about the number and size. :)

 

I'm thinking my topic title is too Windows offensive and people start by posting on the defensive side without reading anything else or think little about what is being described. :/

 

So the conclusion one might take is that if Microsoft starts pushing 2, 3 or 4 GB of updates each second Tuesday, that's fine for most of you. :huh:

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I don't mind the huge update and if it takes me the whole day to do it so be it. Can't wait for the next Windows Update to come. The only thing i hate about Windows Update is when things fail to install and i can't do anything to fix it which happen to be today.

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It would be less frustrating if the Windows Update app weren't so horrible. It doesn't give enough definition of updates, specific reasons why updates fail, etc. In the urge to "streamline" things, it becomes clunky and hard to troubleshoot (I have 2 updates for IE that refuse to install after months and 3 rounds with MS customer support and cleaning out everything).

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There most definitely is. A lot of these updates are cumulative, if they wanted they could easily combine all the needed updates into a single one on the server, remove all redundancies, and send that back to the client. This is what they do everytime there's a new Windows build, SP etc, the pdates get combined.

 

It makes using Windows for those not on broadband, which is billions of people, a nightmare.

The update process works on a delta model that builds on that patch before it. I am not sure about efficiency of the reduction in size of cumulative updates. Is there a statistic you could provide?

 

 

Also, I agree that Windows' update model is archaic and needs to be made more like Linux package managers, and also the fact that the size does matter, and I agree that it sucks, I do not have broadband either due to the new FCC ruling. It would be nice if these updates were reduced but I am unsure about how much can be reduced.

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That's all a bit involved for end users, Itd be nice to have the ability to crap the windows updates out into a wsus like folder structure creating an update mirror and let the end user feed that into the gui on a new pc.

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I have a quantum computer, and a dark fiber connection ;)

 

Nice :)

 

So now everytime someone complains about something - they get chastised for it ?

DigitalFox - you go and complain all you want - dont listen to that person

 

 

Thanks T3X4S :)

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"I do not have broadband either due to the new FCC ruling."

 

What??  So after the ruling they came and took your broadband away?  Come on dude really...

 

As to number and size of updates.. Not sure how you can fix that?  Sure there is a better way to package them for size, but I don't really think ms gives 2 ###### to be honest if the patch is 1MB or 10MB, not a big deal if 1 patch - but multiple by all of them it gets to be a large number for people on slower connections.

 

I do wish they would have more rollups or deploy new install images that have the patches to a specific date, this would make it easier for people doing clean installs, etc.  Not like you can expect home users to run a repository for updates to pull from..  Do they even have free option any more, wsus was free for example.

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"I do not have broadband either due to the new FCC ruling."

 

What??  So after the ruling they came and took your broadband away?  Come on dude really...

No, I mean that the new broadband definitions make my Internet speed too slow to be called broadband. Also I noticed my speed in my signature is wrong, let me fix that.

?

?

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And what is your speed?  I don't have signatures on anyway ;)

 

Sorry but what 4Mbps was never broadband no matter what somebody called it..  I wouldn't call 25 fast either..  I have 60, which sucks - should be 100 for sure min..  If you have 100 or over that should be what broadband is, and it should be available in every home for a reasonable price..

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And what is your speed?  I don't have signatures on anyway ;)

 

Sorry but what 4Mbps was never broadband no matter what somebody called it..  I wouldn't call 25 fast either..  I have 60, which sucks - should be 100 for sure min..  If you have 100 or over that should be what broadband is, and it should be available in every home for a reasonable price..

5Mbps down, 1Mbps up. Sometimes down speed shoots up to 12Mbps, and I have never seen upload go over 2Mbps. ISP (ATT) promises me 30 down, 5 up. Paying $70 for it. Entire bundle is $200. It sucks so much.

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So you pay for 30 and only see 5.. Yeah that I would be screaming about!!  For sure..

 

I pay for 50/10 at $54/month currently with comcast but get 60/12 without any issues.  I would love to go to 100 but having hard time justify 90$ a month ;)  If it was gig I would gladly pay that kind of money.  Come on google fiber come to schaumburg!!

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I have Comcast available in my area and I had them before in 2006, and I was dissatisfied so I switched to AT&T in 2010. I really want to get something new but those are the only 2 providers, besides hotspotting mobile, and I want to use my own router, port forward, and all of that stuff. Has Comcast changed at all, enough for me to switch back?

?

?Unfortunately, I live very close to Atlanta but not close enough for Fiber :(

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So you pay for 30 and only see 5.. Yeah that I would be screaming about!!  For sure..

 

I pay for 50/10 at $54/month currently with comcast but get 60/12 without any issues.  I would love to go to 100 but having hard time justify 90$ a month ;)  If it was gig I would gladly pay that kind of money.  Come on google fiber come to schaumburg!!

They still haven't bumped your are up to 105 yet like the rest of us that were at 50 before? sheesh Budman I'd think you'd be the one pounding on their doors screaming upgrade my darn area already :laugh:

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I am on blast, which no all areas depending on package you have has been updated to 100.  I do need to look into this more though.  A email a buddy sent me in the area when he got moved to 100 only list specific plans that got updated to 100.  If you look on their website.

 

I will have to call them and ask about it.

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