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Sleepless with Windows updates

I dont (DONT) run windows. I have Jaunty installed on my wife's new Dell 1545. My old desktop, which I rarely use has windows XP. On the 1545, I installed a vista guest operating system on virtual box. (I am still loyal to linux, I need windoooze to access vpn at one consulting op). So I am there.

But last night was awefule' at its best. I am not sure if I got on the wagon late, but the vista took a whooping 4 hours updating a lot of stuff. This included IE8 update, SP2 update (and all of the regular crap), restarting after each one of them. Involving a user input too, so I cant just sleep. After the whole thing I got a 8GB *bulge* on the partition it was installed. To put that in a perspective - A clean vista install takes 6.4 - 7GB and installs in 45 mins(approx). All the while, I dont know when and what it is downloading, installing, or phasing (what the heck is stage 1 of 3, anyway - after it says *Installed updates, restart now*).

LOOP THIS FOR 4 HRS :D

restartjpg

install

stage

For regular windows users, who just have to live with it, let me compare what it is to have linux updates. An update in linux takes 5-10 mins. Not more than 700mb (New OS version) and you will be informed of it anyway. Requires only ONE click. Restarts never. It will prompt you to restart after a kernel update, but it is YOUR choice to do it. Totally. Not just *remind me after 10 mins*.

Gosh, when will Windows learn.
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