An open letter to Microsoft management re: Windows updating

[Chiefcrowe]

With all the MS Patching problems lately I thought this was very appropriate to what many people have been experiencing over the last 2-3 years while trying to deploy Win10. The survey results here are interesting to look through.

"Enterprise patching veteran Susan Bradley summarizes her Windows update survey results, asking Microsoft management to rethink the breakneck pace of frequently destructive patches."

https://www.computerworld.com/artic...microsoft-management-re-windows-updating.html

 

[PliotronX]

Mui dumb that security patches are only within cumulative updates so you cant just apply a critical patch without possibly breaking (or should I say bricking?) something else. I would say updates are the only glaring issue of the otherwise okay OS. Actually that and breaking bootrec completely since 1709.

 

[Chiefcrowe]

How did they break bootrec? I wasn't aware....

Mui dumb that security patches are only within cumulative updates so you cant just apply a critical patch without possibly breaking (or should I say bricking?) something else. I would say updates are the only glaring issue of the otherwise okay OS. Actually that and breaking bootrec completely since 1709.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

If you're talking about "breaking" bootrec.exe, I wouldn't know. If you're talking about damage occurring to the MBR or boot sector, I can say that these problems occurred for me with a dual Win7/win10 system since #1703. It's routinely repairable.

But I'm not all goo-gah eager every time a major feature update is released. I'm still running #1709.

 

[bruceb]

So am I ... No need to change it just for the sake of changing. If it is working and doing what I want or need it to do, leave it be. I have turned updates OFF(thanks to gpedit)

 

[Ketchup]

The rate of new build releases in 10 is indeed ridiculous. I can only imagine what it must be like for Enterprise. Even with the time to "prep" beforehand and push back the update, you still have to make adjustments, as this semi-anual OS redo will be on your future. I have one computer that has had an issue with just about every OS update. Generally it's been a piece of software that either needs an update that is coming later, or the software needs to be removed before the update/ added back after the update. I don't envy people having to go through situation like that for an entire enterprise.

 

[PliotronX]

How did they break bootrec? I wasn't aware....

If you run the commands from a 1709 or 1803 disc, it just responds access is denied. It's only when a 1607 disc is used that you can successfully repair boot config with it even with an 1803 installation.

 

[bruceb]

Are you trying to run that command with an Elevated Command Prompt (run as administrator) ? If not it may not work.

 

[mikeymikec]

I love Microsoft's "you're holding it wrong" response.

https://it.slashdot.org/story/18/08...-simple-regular-and-consistent-says-microsoft

 

[BonzaiDuck]

The rate of new build releases in 10 is indeed ridiculous. I can only imagine what it must be like for Enterprise. Even with the time to "prep" beforehand and push back the update, you still have to make adjustments, as this semi-anual OS redo will be on your future. I have one computer that has had an issue with just about every OS update. Generally it's been a piece of software that either needs an update that is coming later, or the software needs to be removed before the update/ added back after the update. I don't envy people having to go through situation like that for an entire enterprise.

I say it all the time: I just turned 70. And I've long realized that I've spent a great deal of time in hours or weekends with the installation hassles of new OS versions or anything similar. There are a lot of "features" that I don't even use with what I know to be the Windows 10 I started with. I fix and improve things slowly and deliberately, and I don't . . . . tolerate . . . change . . . as much as I did in the past.

So like I said, I defer these updates; I don't relish them much except just after I've successfully installed another one. I allow all the security updates on a near-automatic basis, but I defer the feature updates like Creators' under a 365-day threshold. Somehow I got 1709 as an accident under this regime, and I only had to run Macrium repair to fix the boot record for dual boot after that -- which shows so far to be an expected routine having been twice required.

 

[Chiefcrowe]

This is sad. They better fix this ASAP. I don't think I have a 1607 disc anymore...I'd have to track it down somewhere.

If you run the commands from a 1709 or 1803 disc, it just responds access is denied. It's only when a 1607 disc is used that you can successfully repair boot config with it even with an 1803 installation.