After several hours searching, I cannot gain an understanding of how
Automatic Updates functions. Everyone seems to have a different idea.
We are trying to setup our non profit agency of 150 Win 2K Pro & XP
Pro PCs... and understanding would help us a lot.

Of the three methods we are interested in method 2 or 3. Method 2
seems to download patches automatically and ask then ask for
permission to install. No where can I find the schedule, i.e. is it at
boot or randomly say once a week. I use this method on my PC which
remains running so I am sort of used to it.

Method 3 lets us set the schedule. However is the schedule for
downloads (I think not as a critical update is out there, but when I
set for 10 this morning it did not download), or is it for
installation (and the downloads happen in some unspecified fashion as
in method 2). Then does it ask for permission before installing, is
there a 5 minute timeout, does it reboot before installing, and will
it reboot without permission after installing?

These are very important things to know... and no one including
Microsoft seems to have it documented. There are a variety of web
sites all explaining it differently.

In a perfect world for us: it would download and install automatically
without question, and then the only question would be about reboot. In
our case the reboot would be unnecessary as it happens every night
anyway.

What I really want is to be pointed to good documentation!

Thanks, Alan

And those methods are where ? You'll have to point someone to what
you're referring to ...
In your case, this would be the most efficient method :

Software Update Services
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000...us/default.asp

" What is Microsoft Software Update Services (SUS)?

A. Microsoft Software Update Services is a no-charge add-in component
for Windows 2000 and Windows Server™ 2003 that is designed to greatly
simplify the process of keeping computers in your organization up to
date with the latest critical updates, security updates, and service
packs. SUS installs a web-based application that enables administrators
to quickly and reliably deploy updates to desktop and server machines
running Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003. The updates
can be synchronized from the live Windows Update servers and saved on
the SUS server. Then, after approving only the updates you have tested
and want to distribute, they can be downloaded from the SUS server by
the Automatic Updates component on client machines. "

Steve W. MS-MVP (Windows Servers)
(aka MowGreen
*-343-*
Never Forgotten)


R. Alan McFarland wrote:

The three methods I ask about for Automatic Update are accessed on XP
via MyComputer/Properties/AutomaticUpdates. I would still like to
understand percisely (or even vaguely how they work.

Thanks for the alternative information on SUS. I had thought it was
quite expensive, rather than free. That may be what we are looking
for.

Thanks, Alan