post-SP1 update rollup released for Windows 7

[stix]

Microsoft has released a post-SP1 update rollup for Windows 7.

It appeared in May.
They are calling it a "convenience rollup for Windows 7 SP1."
It is available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions.

description, download links and initial comments/discussion can be found at:
https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/windowsitpro/2016/05/17/simplifying-updates-for-windows-7-and-8-1/

[Ian]

Yeah, its about time. It would be nice if they would release a new version of Windows 7 with CR1 already integrated but they really want people to move to Windows 10.

[Dartman]

Well as soon as they fix all the video driver issues maybe more folks will switch over, plus they killed Media Center and many still use it. I only upgraded because we built my new box and my old one could stay in place to run WMC. I put the hacked version of WMC on my 10 box and so far it still runs fine like before so now I have two huge towers side by side just in case all networked together.
Don't know if there's anything in that that my 7 box doesn't already have as it hasn't asked me to update lately.

[stix]

I ran a test, just to see what the "convenience update rollup" for Windows 7 with SP1 actually does, as follows:

System used for the test run: Intel based system with an older Core i5 650 @ 3.2 GHz., standard WD SATA 2 7200 RPM HDD and 4 GB Memory, cable internet connection rated at approximately 6Mbps max.

1. I downloaded and saved the update rollup and prerequisite to an external HDD.
2. did fresh install of Windows 7 Home Premium with SP1. Approximately time: 20 minutes.
3. did some customizing and installed board specific drivers, including restarts: Approx 30 minutes.
4. installed the KB3020369 prerequisite to the update rollup, and the update rollup KB3125574. Approx time for his step, including restart: 25 minutes.
5. at this point I toggled Windows Update settings to "never check for updates", and did a restart, because previously if I had it check for updates at this stage, it installed further updates without giving me any choice in the matter.
6. I now set Windows Update settings to "Download updates but let me choose whether to install them", did a restart, and proceeded to click on "check for updates" in Windows Update.
7. Approximate time before Windows Update responded with lists of available "important" and "optional updates": 2 hours.
8. After a couple more cycles of installing updates and "check for updates," I had installed a grand total of 38 "important" updates, and did not install 30 "optional" updates.

My take on the "update rollup" :
There are better ways to accomplish this, more efficiently, while at the same time knowing exactly what you have installed and what you have not.
Installing the rollup does not result in a list of individual updates included in the installation.
Also, while not critical, the update rollup is obviously installing a large group of updates that were previously considered "optional" in addition to the "important" ones.
On the upside, after installing the rollup, Windows Update does actually work, even though it is awfully slow. This in itself may be progress, as long as it doesn't start to nag me to install Windows 10, which MS claims it will not.

Anybody else tried it yet?

[Ian]

I haven't tried it yet. We're currently in the process of moving to Windows 10 at work so I don't have a lot of time for Windows 7 anymore.

Currently, I can install Windows 10 to a VM, install office and whatever other customizations I want, patch it all and them dump it out to a WIM in less than an hour.