microsoft security updates

So I got them, but that reminds me ...

I never use MS Insufferable Exasperation 6 for anything *except* accessing MS sites. They seem geared to MSIE and hostile to other browsers, and Windows Update works on MSIE alone for me. That everyon'e's experience? If you get WU to work in another (non-MS) browser, which one?

AAAAaaand ... I'm on cable, and in order to get WU to work, I have to open Internet Options, Connection, LAN, and UNcheck Automatically Detect. If I don't do that first, the Scan for Updates function sits at 0% forever. But the *other* MS sites react badly to having that switch off, so I have to REcheck it to use the MSKB.

Any thoughts?
(Changing the switch only takes a sec, and I only have to do it when I'm going to use WU, but I'm curious about whether everybody on a cable connex has to do this.)

 

Halo,
I just got the two "criticals" (823559 and 817606), and everything seems fine. I ignore the accumulating set of "Other Recommended XP Updates" so long as they don't interest me. I have the whole error-reporting (phone-home) system shut down, so getting updates to error-reporting seems unnecessary.

 

update 811493 scares me... that is the one that slowed everything down before....
is this an updated version, is it doing the same thing

 

Whatever that problem was -- and it affected a lot of computers that didn't have any of the software MS claimed was in conflict, mine for instance: it dragged its A*S terribly after that first "fix", but fortunately the uninstall worked -- it appears to have been fixed. I have ALL of the critical updates to date, including that formerly awful one, and everything's fine.

 

Ah heck...I'm a risk taker... I'll set a restore point ande give it a try!!

 

can you download the files individually then?

 

Individually? Sure. When the Review and Install screen comes up, click Remove on all but one, and Install and reboot. Check it all out to your heart's content, then go back to Windows Update and repeat ... until it tells you there's nothing left they can stick you wi ... er, offer you.