Microsoft Updates; What The Hey?

Posted by Mitch Mitchell on Feb 25, 2010

Have you ever taken a look at the Microsoft updates that come to your computer at least once a week? I always take a quick look, although I’m not sure why since, with Vista, it came with the Genuine Advantage thing, so maybe I shouldn’t care what’s being put onto my computer.

But I do look, and most of the time I have absolutely no idea what they’re talking about. For instance, last night, there were 5 updates awaiting me when I got home:

“Install this update to resolve issues caused by revised daylight saving time and time zone laws in several countries. This update enables your computer to automatically adjust the computer clock on the correct date in 2010.”

Okay, that one I easy understood, since last year they changed the dates for daylight savings time.

“Install this update to improve Internet Explorer 8′s JSON interoperability in conformance with the new ECMAScript, fifth edition standard.”

What the heck does that mean?

“Install this update to resolve issues with non-compatible applications for Windows Vista.”

I’m thinking it would have been nice if they’d told me which issues those were more specifically. Actually, to be fair, they did give a Knowledge Base article number, and if you follow that you see there’s over 200 programs it’s affecting, so maybe I should be glad they didn’t try telling me all of those.

“Both the Meiryo UI font and the Meiryo UI Bold font are included in this update. These new fonts let an application optimally display Kana characters in the Ribbon UI component and in other parts of the user interface, especially in areas where text area is limited.”

Part of me realizes I have a new font; not sure if I’m supposed to use it or not. The rest of it; no clue.

“Install this update to resolve issues caused by manifest expiration in AD RMS enabled applications. This update will fix any existing issues in addition to addressing any future application manifest expirations.”

Once again, huh? Even my spell check freaked out on that one.

Part of me gets it; these tekkie guys are trying to tell us something. They might have well written most of it in Sanskrit if you ask me. Maybe they should just say “download this update; you don’t want to know”, and being the sheep we are, we’ll just accept it and move on. It’s about as clear to us if they do that as what they’re telling us now.

I’m just feeling so stupid and inadequate now; I need cake.

Tags: daylight savings time, IE 8, knowledge base articles, Microsoft updates

18 Comments »

Klaus @ TechPatio:

Funny post Mitch I imagine that you’re above the average computer user when it comes to being computer savvy, so imagine how everybody else is feeling about those updates.

Sometimes I think that Microsoft lists “being able to write stuff that nobody understand”-as job requirement.
.-= Klaus @ TechPatio´s last blog ..“EgoTweeting”: An eBook On Ego- And Business Marketing Using Twitter =-.

Mitch Reply:
February 26th, 2010 at 12:02 AM

That’s my thought as well, Klaus. I could have looked it all up, but man, my head was already hurting from reading this stuff. lol

February 25th, 2010 | 4:47 PM

Todd Morrris:

lol, I miss those days (not). I’ve had a Mac for over 2 years now. I turn it on, and it just works. Updates are one click.

That being said, I’m all for a bit of cake
.-= Todd Morrris´s last blog ..I Miss Having A Cell Phone =-.

Mitch Reply:
February 26th, 2010 at 12:05 AM

Yeah, cake! From what I hear, every time Apple updates their operating system there’s a learning curve as well. If they ever get even 40% of the marketplace, I predict that they’ll start to suffer the same sort of thing Microsoft does, then that conversation will be really interesting to see.

February 25th, 2010 | 7:21 PM

Rose:

ECMAScript is a scripting language Mitch. Javascript uses it. Microsoft don’t care if you don’t know what those updates mean. They just want you to do them. lol

Mitch Reply:
February 26th, 2010 at 12:06 AM

Rose, one of these days I just might have to learn how to use javascript, especially since I like creating stuff on my own here and there. For now, though, I’ll just have to slough through in my ignorance I guess.

Ching Ya Reply:
March 1st, 2010 at 9:46 AM

LOL, same here Mitch. Overwhelming with all the tasks at hand I just update whatever that comes in. I do read them, requested a few explanations from my husband but then decided to stop bugging him anyway. ;P It’s better that way for both of us. lol..

@wchingya
Social/Blogging Tracker
.-= Ching Ya´s last blog ..Art Of Communicating in Social Networks =-.

Mitch Reply:
March 1st, 2010 at 9:47 AM

I did that for my wife, Ching Ya, because on this front she was getting on my nerves. lol

February 25th, 2010 | 10:44 PM

Rummuser:

Mitch, after many years of struggle with MS Windows, I finally gathered enough courage and switched to Apple! http://rummuser.com/?p=2828

I am sleeping better now a days.

Scott Thomas Reply:
February 26th, 2010 at 9:49 AM

Another person who gets it. It really is not a hard thing to do.
.-= Scott Thomas´s last blog ..GPOYW =-.

Mitch Reply:
February 26th, 2010 at 11:32 AM

I just can’t bring myself to do it, Rummuser. Maybe some year, but not now.

February 26th, 2010 | 2:43 AM

Scott Thomas:

Let’s see…are you feeling lucky or do you trust Microsoft? If you skip the updates, you can not then go back to MS and complain. They will just tell you to install ALL the latest updates, re-boot and see if that fixes your problems. Of which you have complained about many in the past. Maybe some are fixed now?
.-= Scott Thomas´s last blog ..GPOYW =-.

Mitch Reply:
February 26th, 2010 at 11:35 AM

Heck, I don’t know what’s fixed and what’s not fixed. I just move on and do my thing.

February 26th, 2010 | 9:48 AM

Glen:

I’m having a similar problem understanding Windows updates.

I have been using a Mac for a little over a year now and just got another Windows computer.

Using Windows is like having to learn a whole new language.

On the Mac updates only happen occasionally and it’s just a quick, easy update.

On Windows it feels like a daily occurrence,ha,ha..

Mitch Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 1:05 AM

Sometimes it does feel like a daily occurrence, Glen. Yet, I have to admit that I’m enough of a technophobe that I really like working with computers that I can open up and get inside at will. I’m betting one can’t readily do that with a Mac.

Glen Reply:
February 28th, 2010 at 10:40 AM

That’s true.
After using a Mac for over a year I’d forgotten pretty much everything I knew about “fixing” my own computer problems.

Macs are pretty boring that way.

And I do like messing with things. Like computers and themes..

Mitch Reply:
February 28th, 2010 at 2:15 PM

I will offer this, Glen. Last week my wife tried to load a program onto her new PC that was XP, and her new PC is Win 7. It messed up her computer, so much so that customer service recommended I wipe the drive & start over. I first decided to back up some of her stuff so that I could just move it back when all was said and done. Only problem is that Win 7 moved files from the place they were in either XP or Vista, but still had the same directories, so it turns out I didn’t copy what she needed or wanted, though I thought I did. That was irritating as anything, I must say. Not sure how Apple deals with that when it changes versions and you want to keep stuff from your old computer, but it has to be a mess either way.

February 26th, 2010 | 8:36 PM

Dennis Edell:

With important and critical I just click to install, the optional ones I’ll research if I have time.

I was oh so close to going Apple when I recently got some disability cash.
.-= Dennis Edell´s last blog ..DEDC Updates – What the (Near) Future Holds for You and I! =-.

March 2nd, 2010 | 2:13 PM

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