Microsoft Update: A Windows 8 challenge

mikeymikec

Lifer
May 19, 2011
21,007
16,259
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Someone running Windows 8, please try to enable Microsoft Update (note: not Windows Update) on Windows 8.

I don't know if Win 8.1 has this issue, but when I click on the link on Win8 that (on previous versions of Windows) brings up a Microsoft web page and a button that is labelled 'enable Microsoft Update', on Win8 today it 'helpfully' guided me through PC Settings to the Windows Update section which provides even less options than the Control Panel > Windows Update UI.
 

smakme7757

Golden Member
Nov 20, 2010
1,487
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As far as I know the browser system has been depreciated for a long time.

PC settings is usually enough for most people, I guess Microsoft presumes that people wanting more control will just know to go through the control panel.
 

mikeymikec

Lifer
May 19, 2011
21,007
16,259
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I don't mean that the whole process is done via web page, just the initial enabling bit.

The problem I pointed out is that Win8 doesn't appear to have a setting for enabling MS Update.
 

babcom

Member
Nov 25, 2004
59
1
81
No, Windows 8.1 doesn't have this problem. On 8.1 it is:
Control Panel>Windows Update>Change Settings then put a tick under Microsoft Update "Give me updates for other Microsoft products when I update Windows". There is no link bringing you to another Microsoft web page. Is there not the equivalent check box in 8.0? I have never used Windows 8.0
 
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Mushkins

Golden Member
Feb 11, 2013
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Sounds like they depreciated "Microsoft Update" as its own setting in Win8, then brought it back in 8.1.

FYI you can always open any other Microsoft Update supported product (Word, Outlook, Visio, etc) and enable "check for updates via microsoft update" from the software itself. They also all prompt you if you want to turn it on upon first run after installation.