Microsoft Looks to Overhaul Windows Update

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Your Windows Update is getting updated.

An update will be coming soon for, appropriately enough, Windows Update and Microsoft Update. The update will appear in late August, and it will take a couple of months to complete the rollout.

Microsoft wrote in the TechNet blog, "This update will not change your current Windows Update or Automatic Updates settings. It will improve the user interface for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 computers running Windows Update, adding a more visible and detailed description of updates as well as improvements in how users are notified about service packs. This update will not change the look and feel of Automatic Updates."

The update is mandatory for those who wish to stay up to date with the latest patches and fixes. Grabbing the update is easy as it will come as a part of Windows Update. Keep an eye out for it starting next month. Read more about it here.

Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam served as Tom's Hardware News Director during 2008-2014. He entered tech media in the late 90s and fondly remembers the days when an overclocked Celeron 300A and Voodoo2 SLI comprised a gaming rig with the ultimate street cred.
21 Comments Comment from the forums
  • jacobdrj
    If it makes XP like Vista/7, great! Vista/7 do a good job on WU. Big improvement over XP/2k/98.
    Reply
  • dafin0
    jacobdrjIf it makes XP like Vista/7, great! Vista/7 do a good job on WU. Big improvement over XP/2k/98.
    this isn't for win XP
    Reply
  • apache_lives
    hang on, it will "will improve the user interface for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008" yet it will not "change the look and feel of Automatic Updates" ???

    WTF?
    Reply
  • chookman
    "It will improve the user interface for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 computers running Windows Update"

    Doesn't sound like it will change XP at all, I would welcome a more detailed explanation of patches on the machine though :)
    Reply
  • doomtomb
    apache_liveshang on, it will "will improve the user interface for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008" yet it will not "change the look and feel of Automatic Updates" ???WTF?Ya, I'm a little confused here. So what exactly is being changed about this?
    Reply
  • acecombat
    doomtombYa, I'm a little confused here. So what exactly is being changed about this?So manual updates will give more information, however if you choose Automatic Updates it just runs in the background like it normally would!
    Reply
  • matt87_50
    heheh, i was installing windows live the other day, i gave up waiting when it got to the bit where it said "Installing installer..."
    Reply
  • kato128
    My understanding of this is the description gets a bit longer and possibly the box gets a bit bigger. Big whoop, must be a slow news day.
    Reply
  • rdawise
    Did anyone else just get the feeling that Windows Updates are just going to take longer from this article.
    Reply
  • computabug
    It's not really going to benefit the user much, Microshit just prolly wants an excuse to update WGA to crack down on piraters...
    Reply