Well there is a third way and that is to use the auto check for updates
and download. This process if configured to do so will ask you if you
want to install or not and gives the option to view/read the M$
description of the download. I follow Woody's Watch to know what
downloads are coming and also PC World will after a few days tell me
what is going on too.

I am in know way endorsing M$ for some of the same reason you have
posted (ie M$) and after using their products since Office 95 and
Windows 1.0 I am not impressed with their progress.

I want to add to some of the things you said because my experence with
updates is not the same. Oh, I am using XP Home. 98 worked very much the
same for me.

For me using the Catalog way does allow for adding downloads to be done
all at once and then gives a chance for review but after that one must
click install. As far a the pick and choose way I have not used it.

I can't say more than this. Thanks for the vent! :-)


Ian wrote:

>As far as I'm aware, there are only two ways to get Windows updates.
>
>The first way involves visiting the M$ update site, then selecting and downloading files for immediate use.  This is probably the way that most of us do it.
>
>The second way involves using the website's 'Catalog' routine (already covered here in detail by several contributors, so I won't describe it again), which involves downloading updates for future use, and not installing them at that particular time.
>
>I've tried this once or twice, as it's convenient to have the updates 'onhand', and it makes updating customer's machines easier, as one doesn't need an internet connection, or have to wait ages for the M$ updates to download.
>
>However, the method does have it's drawbacks.  Firstly, it's hard to determine which updates are which, and it seems to me that updates are often presented for download that have already been downloaded and installed.
>
>Secondly, I've never been quite sure how effective it is to install such previously archived updates, as each one seems to require an install and reboot, whereas the update site routinely delivers the selected updates in one bulk file.
>
>To me, the ideal method would be an M$ site, where the various update files would be clearly described and could be selected for bulk download.  An ftp site would be ideal.  Then, following the download, some small piece of software could enable the user to select a group of the archived files, and install the group in one hit.
>
>Does anyone know of such a refinement, or any better way of doing what I've described above?
>
>TX
>
>Ian Porter
>Computer Guys Inc.
>Arrowtown
>New Zealand
>[log in to unmask]
>
>             PCSOFT maintains many useful files for download
>                     visit our download web page at:
>                  http://freepctech.com/downloads.shtml
>
>
>

             PCSOFT maintains many useful files for download
                     visit our download web page at:
                  http://freepctech.com/downloads.shtml