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When to run updates?

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5 replies

by sankofa

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When would you suggest to run updates on a newly installed system (server)? Is it better to update after configuring server to your liking or immediately after the new install? Does it matter and if so are there any benefits to updating before vs after? Just wondering....

5 replies

by timwalsh

Update after you get all relevant Windows components installed and configured. Service Packs must be reinstalled after significant hardware OR software changes are made. SPs will only update those files/components that are loaded at the time of update. Critical/security updates are also dependent on what files/ components are loaded.

Although it does make any difference (as far as the process of updating) whether you do it before or after, it doesn't make much sense to apply SPs and critical updates to a fresh OS install and then add components that weren't part of the default install (Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, IIS, IE 6, WINS, etc.) and thus wouldn't get updated unless you did it all again.

by champ

Tim's answer is correct according to everything I have encountered. One addition point to make would be that in some cases (ISA server) a service pack may need to be installed before and after an installation. In the ISA case the service pack mustbe installed before ISA will even install at all. Then once it is installed it insn't a bad idea to reinstall the service pack to make sure all components are up to date.

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