service pack

Microsoft may be planning to change the way it issues updates for Windows 10. It could help break the cycle of updates fixing previous problems and introducing new ones. Windows 10 represents a shift in the way that Windows Updates are applied. In ... addition to frequent updates to fix bugs and add features, the biggest changes are saved for two major updates each year. The idea is that Windows 10 will be updated indefinitely, rather than introducing a totally new edition. This replaced the previous model of each edition of Windows getting a "Service Pack" of updates every year or two and then ... (view more)

Microsoft is going back to its old policy of letting users choose what Windows updates they get and when they get them, albeit with some restrictions. It's also going to put updates through more testing before rolling them out. One of the biggest ... change (and perhaps most controversial) with Windows 10 was the abandonment of the old policy by which users could take a case-by-case approach to downloading updates . The default in Windows 10 for home users has been that everything downloads and installs automatically, though exactly when this happens varies from device to device. That's partly ... (view more)

The next major Windows 10 update is only a few weeks away and will be officially named the "October 2018 Update." The update is a new series of twice-yearly updates, which replaces the old system of small monthly updates, followed by a completely ... new version of Windows every few years. Security fixes remain on a monthly schedule, except for emergency patches. The October 2018 Update follows on from the April 2018 Update, both in contrast to last years Fall Creators Update and Creators Update that told you something about Microsoft's focus with new features. Small Set of New Features ... (view more)

Microsoft has confirmed it will support Windows 10 for at least ten years. The statement answers some questions, but raises other queries. The confirmation comes via a change to Microsoft's Windows lifecycle fact sheet . That's the page that ... explains exactly when it plans to stop offer support for each of its operating systems. The listed dates for Windows 10 are October 13, 2020 for the end of mainstream support and October 14, 2025 for the end of extended support. (Source: microsoft.com ) Although XP's support was extended several times (owing largely to the reluctance of many ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader 'Mike' writes: " Dear Dennis, Thanks for your helpful site. I enjoy reading your advice and keeping up with the news. My question relates to the KB3000850 patch , which is a major update for Windows 8.1 for x64-based systems. It ... is a whopping 775 MB download; it first appeared as an 'optional' download, and then later as 'important'. I've tried installing KB3000850, but it has failed to install on 4 separate occasions. Googling KB3000850 gets into stuff way beyond my understanding, but one page by Woody Leonhard said not to install it . I ... (view more)

As expected and according to Microsoft's Windows lifecycle page, Windows 7 mainstream support officially ended on January 13, 2015. It means there will be no more significant updates to the Windows 7 operating system, other than security updates. ... The end of mainstream support is in line with Microsoft's general policy of offering support for its operating systems five years after being released, followed by extended support for a further five years. The only exception to this policy was Windows XP, where the total support period lasted for 13 years. That was largely because the system ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader 'rseal54' writes: " Dear Dennis, I have a 6 year old Gateway computer with Windows Vista operating system and Service Pack 2 installed. I have a question regarding reinstalling Windows; I want to save all my data and installed ... programs to an external hard drive, then do a clean reinstall of the operating system. Is it possible to reinstall Vista with all the latest updates [automatically applied during the reinstall without using Windows Update]? Also, how do I get back all the items that were saved on the external hard drive? " My Response: That's an ... (view more)