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Post by CitroJim »

Xac wrote:Image
Very apt :twisted:

I have a Windows 7 Internet PC on my desk at work. You can guarantee that every time you want to get off quickly on shutting down Windows 7 for the day it'll announce it has a load of updates to install before shutting down.

This afternoon was one such. I wanted to be off punctually...

Shut down the PC...

"Installing update 1 of 17, please do not switch off and so on and so forth.."

Ye gads :twisted: :evil: :roll: :?

10 minutes later I finally escaped...
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Post by myglaren »

I just reinstalled XP for my daughter - my eldest son gave her his laptop.
13 hours of updates :(

If that weren't enough, one of them broke the wireless networking gubbins, couldn't even switch it on.

Wipe and another reload - working this time fortunately but before I handed it over there was another slew of updates.

Now I have her desktop to reinstall :)

Biased admittedly but I much prefer the Linux method of updates and upgrades.

Particularly the way that the old file is deleted and replaced with a complete new one, not bits tacked on to bits tacked onto more bits and each update with it's own installer to clutter the system up even more.

It also seems to be far quicker than the equivalent Windows updates and less intrusive - none of this signing EULAs and restarts and such.
Just gives a list of updates on the menu and you can choose which if any you want and if it pleases you you can watch each file download and install - if you are quick enough.

I do mine with a simple command: sudo apt-get update then sudo apt-get upgrade - it is quicker than farting around with the GUI and does it's own automatic cleanup if required.
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Post by Xaccers »

You know with windows updates it's new files don't you? :)
13 hours though? Ye gads that's slow tinternet you have there!

Normally theres only about an hour of downloads/installs when I do it.
Install SP3 if it's not part of the build, install IE8, then check for further updates.
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Post by myglaren »

Xac wrote:You know with windows updates it's new files don't you? :)
13 hours though? Ye gads that's slow tinternet you have there!

Normally theres only about an hour of downloads/installs when I do it.
Install SP3 if it's not part of the build, install IE8, then check for further updates.
Mainly security updates.
SP3 installed but I generally avoid IE anything like the plague. Hate it!
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Post by Xaccers »

myglaren wrote:
Xac wrote:You know with windows updates it's new files don't you? :)
13 hours though? Ye gads that's slow tinternet you have there!

Normally theres only about an hour of downloads/installs when I do it.
Install SP3 if it's not part of the build, install IE8, then check for further updates.
Mainly security updates.
SP3 installed but I generally avoid IE anything like the plague. Hate it!
Are you deselecting all the IE updates then, or do you just install everything?
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Post by myglaren »

I have been known to roll the damned thing back to IE4 but it is probably up to date with hers as the kids use it and 8 might not be quite as full of holes as the previous offerings.

On my own laptop it is bombed back into the stone age.
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Post by myglaren »

One thing that really gets me is the way Microsoft force a stealth extension into Firefox that installs their .NET garbage and is practically impossible to get rid of.
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Post by CitroJim »

One thing I noticed with XP was that it god slower and slower with each major update. It's almost as if the additional code and changes added has made the whole OS a bit inefficient.

Windows 7, if reinstalled on a PC that formerly had a fully patched XP installation is very noticeably faster. Bu then I recall XP in the early days being very fast on much less powerful hardware.

I guess Win 7 will suffer the same fate as time and service packs go by.

XP has had it's day and Win 7 is a good OS.

I agree with IE. I detest it. I thought IE9 offered a hint of promise but it was empty. It leaks like a seive and still is nowhere near as functional as Opera.

Funny that Microsoft just can't do a decent browser :twisted:

and .NET. Why? What's wrong with Java and PHP? They're both far superior.
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Post by Xaccers »

So far the latest most stable OS I've had to use is Vista, I know, I never thought I'd say that, but my laptop runs it smoothly and quickly, and the PC upstairs runs for months without a reboot without an issue.

The main thing I like about W7, although to be honest it can be added to XP/Vista, are the group policy preferences which make GPOs so much easier.

Still, it's much better than the gad awful unsecure linux which is responsible for the majority of spam/virus propagation on the internet ;)
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Post by myglaren »

XP seems to need reinstalling yearly if it is to remain functional.

Vista is no better.

I have managed to avoid 7 for the most part and it looks like 8 will be upon us soon.
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Post by myglaren »

Xac wrote:
Still, it's much better than the gad awful unsecure linux which is responsible for the majority of spam/virus propagation on the internet ;)
OY! Watchit.


Mine has a rootkit detector/zapper and a virus blitzer solely to avoid propogating Windaz viruses etc. and foisting them on unsuspecting MS drones.
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Post by CitroJim »

So far, W7 is as solid as a rock. That's using it professionally.

It has it's follibles of course but far and away it's the best Windows after the original NT4 that MS have ever produced.

W2K3 is still good and W2K8 is looking very workmanlike on the server side too.

Got to agree on GPOs too Xac :D

Steve, don't avoid 7. It might even wean you away from Linux :wink:
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Post by Xaccers »

Now if only the router was as stable as vista.
Wireless playing up, going to reboot it, outage should be short
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Post by Deanxm »

Ive got xp on my laptop and am really happy with it since i wiped IE off and went with firefox, i think Andmcit recomended it.
I usualy uninstal all updates though, not sure if its the right thing to do, almost all updates seem to be for microsoft office which is strange as i dont have the full version :? or that .net stuff it has never done anything nasty uninstalling them but the machine is just as quick as the day i got it and its about 3 years old now.

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Post by Citroening »

I'm running Windows 7 on my laptop and it runs well - tried most of the browsers but I find Google Chrome the best.

But, I've got the updates icon flashing at me...!
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