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Windows Update disaster - recovery help, please!

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cyberdiva:
One more thing.  I don't know of any good disaster recovery book, but I highly recommend frequent backups and setting system restore points.  I know there are some folks on this forum who are less enthusiastic about restore points, but for me they've been a lifesaver many times.  I tend to set a restore point any time I'm going to do anything about which I'm uneasy, whether it's installing a piece of software, messing with the Registry, or even accepting Windows Updates, etc. (yes, I know that Windows supposedly sets restore points when it installs updates, but I want the restore point to return to even before the updates are downloaded).

JavaJones:
Usually if you just wait a few days or a week before installing new updates, the Interwebs will tell you if there are any major problems with it. Personally I think it's ok to wait a few days/week on updates, despite them fixing security vulnerabilities. And it can save you from trouble like this.

- Oshyan

Stoic Joker:
Usually if you just wait a few days or a week before installing new updates, the Interwebs will tell you if there are any major problems with it. Personally I think it's ok to wait a few days/week on updates, despite them fixing security vulnerabilities. And it can save you from trouble like this.-JavaJones (July 18, 2011, 03:24 PM)
--- End quote ---

Generally speaking, yes, I do this also. Primarily as a safety measure for the managed client networks. As pushing a bad patch to hundreds of machines at multiple disparate locations is a level of sucks that I very much wish to avoid experiencing :).

Just don't lag more than a week, especially if the patch is critical or for a hot topic exploit. 3 days is a good safety buffer I think.

J-Mac:
The Windows Secrets Newsletter has a section authored by Susan Bradley on nothing but MS Patches. She reports on all new patch releases and recommends to install, wait, or skip each patch as noted. Her column is also shown as a thread in the Windows Secrets Lounge, which is their forum. The latest patch-watch column thread is here: http://windowssecrets.com/forums/showthread.php/139366-Office-File-Validation-patch-leads-to-problems

I always wait and then read her column, as well as ComputerWorld and a few other sites to see if any patches are causing problems and I only install patches after a time when there doesn’t seem to be any notable issues.

Jim

gonetomorrow:
Full empathy for your nightmare.  I don't know if this works for Vista, perhaps the coder gurus here do, but
http://windowssecrets.com/top-story/win7s-no-reformat-nondestructive-reinstall/
might be worth a read.

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