Installing Windows 7... what's the fastest route to a fully updated system?

[KaoDome]

So here's some insight, I have to install Windows 7 in an old machine since that's what my friend prefers. Given the myriad of updates there are for that OS right now I was wondering what would be the quickest route to a fully updated system, in essence, installing the less updates possible.

 

So far, starting from the refreshed image of SP1 I've done the following:

- KB3004394: For the updated root certificates.

- KB3020369: April 2015 Servicing Stack updated (+ the current version of the Windows Update agent).

- KB2729094, KB2731771, KB2533623, KB2670838, KB2786081, KB2834140, KB2639308, KB2888049 & KB2882822: Pre-requisites for IE 11.

- IE 11.

- KB2685811 & KB2685813: For the 1.11 model drivers, not that it would matter for this system I think.

- KB3125574: The convenience roll-up, brings things up to April 2016.

- .NET 4.7.1.

 

After that Windows Update is still showing my some 41 updates, some of which I think supersede others? (look at the top of the list of the capture I attached); so I'm thinking maybe installing one of those roll-ups would do the trick.

 

I remember reading about Windows 7 going the way of cumulative updates of some sort and since there are some sysadmins among the members (although hopefully not making W7 large scale deployments already) I was wondering if there was a way of cutting the list down to less updates, or a best practices approach so to speak. There may already be some redundancy on what I did for now, but the default state was horrendous (150+ updates) and it's a 5400k RPM hard drive...

 

Anyway, thanks for the read, any input is well received and appreciated. I'll edit the post tomorrow (6:42am here :S) with download links over those KBs in case somebody comes across this post and finds it useful.

[JaredFrost]

Generally I just do the latest roll-up pack for Windows 7, in this case: https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB4088881 and let Windows update handle the rest. unless you're reinstalling Windows 7 several times a week, I don't really see much of a point in wasting too much time on something that will sort itself out by the next day.

 

Hopefully that's helpful.

 

Cheers,

 

[ThaCrip]

Basically I agree with JaredFrost as it's not really worth putting too much thought into things

 

p.s. but unless Windows 10 is not supported by that computers hardware etc, there is really no reason not to use it at this point given Win7 will no longer be supported past Jan 2020 which is less than 2 years away. so if that person is planning on using that computer with Windows much beyond Jan 2020, it would be wise to install Windows 10 to it if possible. so if Windows 10 likes that persons hardware, it makes no sense not to use Windows 10 overall especially if he's planning on using that for at least a few years or more. this whole anti-Win10 mindset makes no sense as it's not like Windows 8 upon release where the interface was a shot stopper as if you generally like the way Windows 7 functions, which pretty much everyone does, then Windows 10 is similar enough to that but just better in it's overall function. but even if we assume Windows 10 is out of the question and he still insists on Windows 7.... depending on what he does on that computer, something like Mint Linux would be good alternative if he's just mainly using it for a basic internet machine (since you mentioned it was a old machine). just some thoughts

[Corvid19]

I recently did a couple of Windows 7 installs recently and the delay in offering the updates seems to have gone and they now show up almost straight away after install. My strategy was to deselect all of the 250 updates and then select about 20-25 at a time. It will still take a few hours but it will be quicker than letting it try and install the 250 updates in one go, fail and roll back.

[KaoDome]

Thanks for the replies everyone!

10 hours ago, JaredFrost said:

Generally I just do the latest roll-up pack for Windows 7, in this case: https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB4088881 and let Windows update handle the rest.

 

I ended up doing that more or less, but with the current stable roll-up instead, KB4088875. Plus the malicious removal tool one, those two roll-ups for .NET (which doesn't seem to supersede each other) and the 2 marked 2018-03.

 

The rest was for WU which were still some 30 updates. I wonder how come the convenience update or any of those roll-ups don't include them, I mean, most were from 2014-2015 but there was at least one from 2012. And that's plain Windows, no Office or other programs that update through WU as well... Sometimes I wish I were in meetings regarding all this at Microsoft, if there are any.

9 hours ago, ThaCrip said:

p.s. but unless Windows 10 is not supported by that computers hardware etc, there is really no reason not to use it at this point given Win7 will no longer be supported past Jan 2020 which is less than 2 years away. so if that person is planning on using that computer with Windows much beyond Jan 2020, it would be wise to install Windows 10 to it if possible. so if Windows 10 likes that persons hardware, it makes no sense not to use Windows 10 overall especially if he's planning on using that for at least a few years or more. this whole anti-Win10 mindset makes no sense as it's not like Windows 8 upon release where the interface was a shot stopper as if you generally like the way Windows 7 functions, which pretty much everyone does, then Windows 10 is similar enough to that but just better in it's overall function. but even if we assume Windows 10 is out of the question and he still insists on Windows 7.... depending on what he does on that computer, something like Mint Linux would be good alternative if he's just mainly using it for a basic internet machine (since you mentioned it was a old machine). just some thoughts

I feel you, going through this I realized how used I am to Win+X... But Windows 7 it is, at least for now. I think the machine should be able to handle Windows 10 without much problem, maybe some lag here and there with UWP or hardware accelerated stuff but otherwise it should be fine. I think an LTSB (LTSC now) version would make him happy but those licenses are for enterprises and not for personal consumption, there's no real way for me to get one.

9 hours ago, jimmy_jazz said:

I recently did a couple of Windows 7 installs recently and the delay in offering the updates seems to have gone and they now show up almost straight away after install. My strategy was to deselect all of the 250 updates and then select about 20-25 at a time. It will still take a few hours but it will be quicker than letting it try and install the 250 updates in one go, fail and roll back.

It's nuts, I remember leaving it all to Windows Update back in the day and not only some updates failed but it ended up stating that some weren't necessary after all. My experience this time has been quite positive, I don't know if it is because of how I approached it or because Window Update on Windows 7 got better at its job. And thank god for how Windows 10 handles things now, specially since this big update about to be released with UUP and all.

 

Anyway... I don't know if it was the quickest way but thanks for all the help, it's up and running fully updated and imaged. If anything bad were to happen he has a base he can come back to in a couple of minutes instead of hours .

[Max Norris]

I rarely do 7 installs anymore, but I typically went with the Simplix Update Pack route myself.  Frequently updated and the updates that people typically skip and hide aren't included.   Fairly painless and haven't personally ever run into any issues, system still updated just fine after the fact.

[+Warwagon MVC]

IE 11 https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/internet-explorer-11-for-windows-7-details.aspx

Dotnet Framework 4.7.1 https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=56116

April 2015 Servicing update http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=5fc4e80d-e1e6-4ea3-9677-5a5f7907d143

Convenient Rollup 2016 https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/search.aspx?q=kb3125574

March 2018 Rollup http://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=security+monthly+quality+rollup

 

Now check for updates you won't have that many to install

[techbeck]

I work mostly with systems with SSDs these days so I typically just get lazy and let Windows Update take care of things.  250 or so updates do not take long to DL and to install and I normally have a few things I am working on anyway.  Or, I tend to use a slip steamed install.  I update it every so often.