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Posted by Shenan Stanley on October 8, 2008, 11:06 pm
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AliceZ wrote:
> I went to the Windows Critical Update page to see if there were any
> Critical Updates. There was a pop-up asking if I wanted to download
> "Windows Component." I didn't know what to do; so I clicked no.
> Then I tried to get into the Critical Update page again and I got
> the same pop-up. I then clicked on the Install button, and in a
> second or two I was allowed into the Critical Update screen.
>
> Was it okay to allow that to install?
>
> I never saw something like this before before.
>
> Why did it ask if you wanted to install or if you did not want it
> to install if you couldn't go any further unless you clicked on the
> "install."
>
> I have WinXP sp3.
Shenan Stanley wrote:
> Fine and expected if you do not go there often.
<responses inline>
AliceZ wrote:
> I am sorry, but I do not know what you mean by "> Fine and expected
> if you do not go there often."
Not sure if I can expand on that - but let me give it a shot...
You asked, "Was it okay to allow that to install?" in reference to what you
were told you needed to download and install when you went (I assume) to
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/. I told you that it was "Fine and
expected if you do not go there often."
Meaning - what you got was likely a normal update for a Windows Update
component that allowed you to properly scan for and receive further updates
unrelated to the Windows Update system itself.
You did nothing wrong, you must've done it right if after installing you
were offered further updates and were not offered said updates prior to that
and those new updates downloaded and installed successfully.
> Was it okay that I downloaded it?
Yes.
> And, just what is the 'Windows Compoment Publisher" and why must it
> be downloaded/installed?
I believe it is an ActiveX component used between your browser (Internet
Explorer) and the Microsoft Updates web page to aid in the proper scanning
and retrieval of available updates.
As for why it must be downloaded and installed... Just like anything else -
the web page, the update engine, etc - all of it gets updated, patched, etc.
If it was perfect out of the box - you wouldn't even need a patching system.
;-)
> I manually check for Critical Updates every week.
Okay - so the 'often' thing might have confused you. I did not realize (do
now) that WGAN and some other Windows Update components have had
patches/updates released for them in the past two weeks - outside of the
normal 'every second tuesday of each month' schedule.
> I am not that familiar with computers, updates, etc.
Yet - you manually update your computer? *grin*
So - to shorten it and fully put your mind at ease... There was an update
you obviously needed to properly connect and scan for updates. You *should*
have installed it and you did no harm in installing it and are actually
better off for having installed it.
--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
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