hi
am about to embark on the arduous task of fixing a friend's computer. without having asked her yet, I suspect that she hasn't been downloading windows updates so is there any point, as your guide suggests, in running MST if it is going to take hours and it will be massively out of date?
Thanks
Hetixo
What do you mean by take hours, with the Microsoft Software Removal Tool..not sure what you mean?
To reduce the amount of time to bring this computer up to date on patches, start by applying the latest service pack for the PC. After that just apply the remaining patches.
If this computer has not been maintained regularly, it would be a good idea to ensure that the anti-malware client's engine and definition files are up to date as well.
because the MST takes hours to do a full scan (I'm told it's an old machine) - and what's the point in running it if it's not up-to-date? Presently she is unable to acess the internet so the correct service pack won't be accessible. Can I download that on another machine?
You can download the service pack on another machine. Search windows web site for the Service Pack Administrative installer. Instead of a web download, you'll get a very large executable that will install the SP.
Just to add:
If you believe her machine is infected with malware, then you should not start with service pack(s) - You need to make sure the machine is free of malware before installing the service packs.
--- You could try to run some of the tools in the* Read Me* Sticky and post the scanlogs, but we really don't have a lot of qualified volunteers to read the logs any more.
Cheers :)
PP
We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.