fresh install of o/s. dealing with microsoft updates

BillScarab

If you want to experiment with virtulization you can use VMware Player, it's free.

http://www.vmware.com/products/player/

If you do a google search there are lots of prebuilt virtualimages you can use (you need a windows license for the windows ones).

Bikertov

Firstly, I would download a copy of SP3 - http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/bb794714.aspx and copy it to CD / memory stick / d: partition on your hard drive.

Install your OS, add SP3, then go to Windows Update and select Critical Updates. Look for 'Roll Up' security updates, which will include previous updates.

Once all the critical ones are in place, you an go for the remaining non-critial ones.

computershack

mr_fishbulb wrote: »

Virtual machine. Virtual machine. Virtual machine!

For all the time you are spending doing this, VMWare workstation is a great investment. It's about £150.Create snapshots of your virtual machines and roll back whenever you want.

I agree that for BETA testing, virtual machines are the way to go.

I'm going to really upset you now. In the true tradition of Moneysaving, Virtualbox is free and works just as well as VMWare with the same features....

computershack

BillScarab wrote: »

If you want to experiment with virtulization you can use VMware Player, it's free.

Or use Virtualbox which is a full virtual machine application and works as well as VMware full version, not the stripped out Player and is free...

mr_fishbulb

computershack wrote: »

I'm going to really upset you now. In the true tradition of Moneysaving, Virtualbox is free and works just as well as VMWare with the same features....

I didn't know about Virtualbox - does it let you connect all your USB devices like VMWare does?

BillScarab

Must admit I havent tried virtualbox. We use VMware at work for all our new servers and it is a superb bit of software. Mine you it can get confusing when you use it with a SAN and DRS and it's moving your virtual machines around for you so you don't knwo what physical box they're on.

computershack

mr_fishbulb wrote: »

I didn't know about Virtualbox - does it let you connect all your USB devices like VMWare does?

Yes...direct access just the same. Also supports sharing network connections the same in so much as sharing the host IP, having a seperate one assigned by DHCP etc. In addition, it also has drivers for the sound, video and network as well for pretty much any guest OS you can install which get automounted as a CDROM when you select the install option for them.