We’ve all been there: You go to shut down your machine, but you see that dreaded Windows Update icon that means your computer might stay powered on, installing updates for the next 20 minutes. If you want to shut it down immediately, you can trick it by going to the lock screen first. More »
Make no mistake — running Windows Update is an essential part of keeping your PC secure. But there’s nothing more annoying than Windows suddenly deciding that it’s going to install an update and shutting everything down in front of your eyes without so much as a dialog box appearing. Here’s how to stop that happening. More »
Windows XP Service Pack 3 has been out since April, but it’s only now being widely pushed out onto Australian desktops via Windows Update, meaning that pretty much everyone is going to have to deal with it regardless of their geek status. For most people, that means a hefty download (60MB or more) and the usual delays and reboots to have a fully-patched PC. But what if the service pack doesn’t install? Read on for our guide to fixing some common SP3 problems. More »
Windows only: We know it’s kind of pathetic to get all excited about something as mundane as a service pack—yet here we are, hearts all a-patter because XP SP3 and Vista SP1 have been unleashed on Windows Update and at the Microsoft Download Center. Get thee to patching your PC! Why should you? Our complete field guide to XP Service Pack 3 holds all the answers.
Windows only: WinUpdatesList, a free utility for Windows, lets you see what updates your system has grabbed during its existence, and provides quick links to Microsoft Knowledge Base articles related to each one. Why would you use this instead of heading to the Windows Update server, you ask? If you’re without internet and want to see which update borked your system, perhaps, or if you want to pre-download and slipstream updates into a custom-made Windows install CD. Since it’s a self-contained app, no real installation is required, so use and discard at your discretion. WinUpdatesList is a free download for Windows systems (except Vista). WinUpdatesList [via gHacks]
As anyone who’s reinstalled Windows XP knows, there have been a lot, and I mean a lot, of updates issued for the operating system, and waiting for them to install (/restart/install/restart) can be laborious, to say the least. Luckily, one helpful soul has done the good work of compiling all the patches made to Windows XP since Service Pack 2 was released and creating a tool to make an XP install CD that contains all those changes. You download the roughly 50 MB file, point a utility at your install CD’s i386 directory, then wait for it to make you a new folder you can burn to disc. We’ve pointed out other offline updaters in the wake of the dearly departed AutoPatcher, but this one seems to grab more than just security updates and could save some serious time. RyanVM’s Windows XP Post-SP2 Update Pack [via Digital Inspiration]
Windows only: Selectively enable or disable the automatic system restart that’s applied after certain Windows Updates with freeware application Auto Reboot Remover. While I’m sure Microsoft had good intentions when they pushed out the automatic update reboot, good intentions don’t make you feel any better when you return to your computer after grabbing a bite to find out Windows decided to reboot and—naturally—did not happen to save the important files you were working on before it did so. We’ve covered this idea in more roundabout ways in the past, but Auto Reboot Remover is the quickest, easiest way to disable the auto reboot process. Auto Reboot Remover is freeware, Windows only. The download page is kind of a pain, but you’ll find the right link about halfway down the freeware section.
Auto Reboot Remover [IntelliAdmin via PC World]
