Windows Update Failure

[Petrushka]

I am persistently getting the message 'Failure configuring Windows Updates' and it's doing my head in! I've tried the Windows Update Troubleshooter and that hasn't solved the problem. Other options look too daunting for a technical ignoramus like me.

Do I have to call an expert in to sort this out?

I'm on Windows 8.

Thanks.

[Sydney Grew]

It may not be what you are looking for, but my advice - having little faith in the efforts of the multitude of young programmers at Micro-soft - is simply to turn off "windows update." Go to Control Panel, then to System and Security, then to Windows Update, then to Change Settings, and then select "Never Check for Updates (not recommended)" and then go to "OK".

I always - for many years - have had Windows Update turned off, and have never suffered any harm.

[remdataram]

I am persistently getting the message 'Failure configuring Windows Updates' and it's doing my head in! I've tried the Windows Update Troubleshooter and that hasn't solved the problem. Other options look too daunting for a technical ignoramus like me.

Do I have to call an expert in to sort this out?

I'm on Windows 8.

Thanks.

Windows is the only Operating system we have to pay for, and the only one that still has never ending updates - perhaps Microsoft believe they're providing value for money.

Try 'Googling' each failure reference or go onto Windows forums and search for others with your problem together with their solutions. Alternatively, buy a Mac.

[Bryn]

When did OSX become freeware?

[french frank]

When did OSX become freeware?

I thought you had to pay for Windows upgrades too?

[Lento]

You may want to try a refresh, which basically reinstalls windows without affecting your other files, although you would have to reinstall any programs that you have installed yourself. This option can be accessed via Settings Charm then "Change PC settings" then "Updates and recovery" then "refresh your PC without affecting your files".

[remdataram]

When did OSX become freeware?

Free from Apple as below:

http://www.apple.com/uk/osx/

Arguably we all 'buy' the OS when we buy the computer but Apple, Linux, Google and Amazon provide free updates, Microsoft sell their updates (Windows 8 to 8.1 excepted).

[french frank]

Free from Apple as below:

Thanks for filling in the details, rem - I knew Mavericks was a free upgrade, but wasn't sure about Windows. Useful, as I buy secondhand computers from my local specialist who can download the latest version without payment.

[Petrushka]

It may not be what you are looking for, but my advice - having little faith in the efforts of the multitude of young programmers at Micro-soft - is simply to turn off "windows update." Go to Control Panel, then to System and Security, then to Windows Update, then to Change Settings, and then select "Never Check for Updates (not recommended)" and then go to "OK".

I always - for many years - have had Windows Update turned off, and have never suffered any harm.

I like it. Is there actually any harm in taking this approach?

[remdataram]

I like it. Is there actually any harm in taking this approach?

Perhaps you might suggest the approach to Microsoft; it would save them £ millions!

I do agree with your sentiments, the monthly level of updates has become so tedious; I really do wish I'd bought a Mac.

[Beresford]

Switching off Windows Updates

I like it. Is there actually any harm in taking this approach?

The man who set up my last three computers - it's his job - recommends switching off updates on everything except virus definitions. Any software will soon tell you if it needs (rather than suggests) some component. And if you want you can spend a happy day after Christmas updating everything for the next year, but there is no real need, unless you open dodgy email attachments and need protecting from their nefarious contents.
And if you type msconfig in the search box, and run the program, it will tell you most of the startup things that you don't need either, apart from the antivirus.

[Don Petter]

And if you type msconfig in the search box, and run the program, it will tell you most of the startup things that you don't need either, apart from the antivirus.

I think you mean the 'Run' box?

[Petrushka]

The man who set up my last three computers - it's his job - recommends switching off updates on everything except virus definitions. Any software will soon tell you if it needs (rather than suggests) some component. And if you want you can spend a happy day after Christmas updating everything for the next year, but there is no real need, unless you open dodgy email attachments and need protecting from their nefarious contents.
And if you type msconfig in the search box, and run the program, it will tell you most of the startup things that you don't need either, apart from the antivirus.

Thanks to Sidney Grew and Beresford I've done as suggested and switched off updates.

[johnb]

I might be totally wrong in what I am about to post. If so, please shoot me down.

The man who set up my last three computers - it's his job - recommends switching off updates on everything except virus definitions. Any software will soon tell you if it needs (rather than suggests) some component. And if you want you can spend a happy day after Christmas updating everything for the next year, but there is no real need, unless you open dodgy email attachments and need protecting from their nefarious contents.

From what I can glean there are different categories of software updates:

Windows updates, Java updates, Flash updates
I always understood that it is important to install the current updates for these as the updates include patches for security vulnerabilities.

General software updates
These are quite different and unless they address known problems whether you apply the updates is optional.

And if you type msconfig in the search box, and run the program, it will tell you most of the startup things that you don't need either, apart from the antivirus.

I do use msconfig to stop certain things loading at startup but (and it is a bl**dy big but) messing around with msconfig needs to be done with great care otherwise you can very easily disable software you need. It isn't always obvious what is what in msconfig.

[Dave2002]

From time to time I foolishly switch on a Windows machine. I've done this a few times this week - once on an underpowered netbook with too small a disk drive, another laptop, and an older desktop machine which is now running very slowly, though it still has plenty of space - allegedly. Trying to sort out these machines is a total nightmare - and not very rewarding.

I think some updates cause problems, for example by scrambling the file system, so that it becomes necessary to do file system defragmentation frequently. My suspicion is that some anti-virus scanners also cause major problems - they may prevent viruses from activating, but they can put the system into conditions of almost total grid-lock.

I wish Windows had never been developed, but what I can't understand is why people still put up with it.