Any way to set DOWNLOAD time for Windows Update?

[ScaryBinary]

Hello,

Is there anyway to tell Windows Update / Automatic Updates to download the updates within a certain timeframe?

I have satellite internet, and I'm limited to 200MB a day...which is fine for normal use, but downloading service packs or lots up updates pushes me over the limit. However, this limit is lifted between 3AM and 6AM...so I'd like to download the updates then.

<rant>As far as I can tell, the text in the Windows Update dialog is a little misleading. It states for automatic updates: "Automatically download recommended updates for my computer and install them at <select time>"....but as far as I can tell it really means, "Automatically download recommended updates whenever, and install them at <select time>"...</rant>

Thanks!

[t34b4g5]

Greetings.

If you are using XP then click start :> all programs :> Accesories :> System tools :> scheduled tasks.







Hope that helps..

[Rocketmech]

You don't need to go thru all that. Automatic Update scheduling is available from Control Panel > Automatic Updates (for XP) Windows Update (for Vista) . Use the Classic view to find it. Automatic must be enabled to set the date and time you want.

example: XP Howto

[t34b4g5]

You don't need to go thru all that. Automatic Update scheduling is available from Control Panel > Automatic Updates (for XP) Windows Update (for Vista) . Use the Classic view to find it. Automatic must be enabled to set the date and time you want.

example: XP Howto

The only problem with that is that you have to leave the PC turned on and logged into the user account.

Were as the way i suggested it will automagically turn the computer on, log in to the specified user account and do the update, and turn itself back off again...

[Steve R Jones]

The only problem with that is that you have to leave the PC turned on and logged into the user account.

Were as the way i suggested it will automagically turn the computer on, log in to the specified user account and do the update, and turn itself back off again...

Which step turns the pc on? Me thinks that if Windows isn't running - it can't turn itself on and login

[Sterling_Aug]

Which step turns the pc on? Me thinks that if Windows isn't running - it can't turn itself on and login

The only way to turn the PC on is if Wake on LAN is enabled and you are running a server pushing out scripts for the updates.

I'm with SteveR on this one!

[t34b4g5]

Which step turns the pc on? Me thinks that if Windows isn't running - it can't turn itself on and login

This one,


as you enter in the user name, password etc and you set the day and time that you wish for the schedule to be ran...



It automagically turns the pc on, logs in with the provided user credentials, does the scheduled task.
And once it's done it turns the machine back off..

And you don't need the wake by lan setting enable via the BIOS either....

[ScaryBinary]

OK...I hope I'm not just being really sT0op1d here, but I already have automatic updates enabled just as Rocketmech noted (I have it set for "Every day" at "3:00 AM"). But it seems that the 3:00 AM (or whatever time) only applies to when the updates are installed. Windows still seems to download them whenever it feels like it.

So...I'll give t34b4g5's approach a go. My PC is on all the time anyway, so I won't have to deal with the mystery of how a PC that isn't on boots itself up and launches Windows.

Oh, I am using XP Pro, by the way. Stupid me for forgetting to note that in my first post.

[t34b4g5]

OK...I hope I'm not just being really sT0op1d here, but I already have automatic updates enabled just as Rocketmech noted (I have it set for "Every day" at "3:00 AM"). But it seems that the 3:00 AM (or whatever time) only applies to when the updates are installed. Windows still seems to download them whenever it feels like it.

So...I'll give t34b4g5's approach a go. My PC is on all the time anyway, so I won't have to deal with the mystery of how a PC that isn't on boots itself up and launches Windows.

Oh, I am using XP Pro, by the way. Stupid me for forgetting to note that in my first post.

Any updates on this?

[Sterling_Aug]

OK...I hope I'm not just being really sT0op1d here, but I already have automatic updates enabled just as Rocketmech noted (I have it set for "Every day" at "3:00 AM"). But it seems that the 3:00 AM (or whatever time) only applies to when the updates are installed. Windows still seems to download them whenever it feels like it.

So...I'll give t34b4g5's approach a go. My PC is on all the time anyway, so I won't have to deal with the mystery of how a PC that isn't on boots itself up and launches Windows.

Oh, I am using XP Pro, by the way. Stupid me for forgetting to note that in my first post.

So what is the difference between downloading the updates and installing them if you have automatic updates enabled? We should be talking minutes here, not hours or do you have it set to download and prompt you when to install them?

[Imperion1]

Since when can an OS, on a hard drive thats not getting any power, being that the computer is turned off, turn on the computer to do a scheduled task.
Scheduled tasking doesn't work that way. The computer has to be on, whether its in Sleep Mode, Hibernate Mode, or ON.

[ScaryBinary]

UPDATE: This didn't quite work as planned...Windows update launched at 3:00 AM as I intended, but it just launched the Microsoft Update website, and didn't do anything else automatically...when I checked my computer this morning, it was still waiting for me to click "Custom" or "Express" for the update check/install.

I looked at my scheduled task, and the program that is scheduled to run is "wupdmgr.exe". Should I select a different program -- one of the ones that runs in the background as part of Automatic Update monitor? ("wuauclt.exe"?) Or maybe there's a way to specify the Express install automatically?

So what is the difference between downloading the updates and installing them if you have automatic updates enabled? We should be talking minutes here, not hours or do you have it set to download and prompt you when to install them?

I believe the issue is that even when you specify a time for downloading and installing updates in the Automatic Updates window (e.g., "Every day at 3:00 AM"), Windows only uses that time for the installation of the updates - it downloads the updates whenever it feels like it. Most the time this isn't an issue, but I have a 200MB-a-day download limit, so if a bunch of udpates or a big service pack need to be downloaded (and I have three computers all doing this), I'm pushed over my limit. Which sucks because basically, in the name of "fairness", my service is cut for the next 24 hours. But the restriction is lifted between 3AM and 6AM, so I need to force my downloads to occur then.

[Ol'Tunzafun]

Since when can an OS, on a hard drive thats not getting any power, being that the computer is turned off, turn on the computer to do a scheduled task.
Scheduled tasking doesn't work that way. The computer has to be on, whether its in Sleep Mode, Hibernate Mode, or ON.

Quite right, though on many machines it is possible to schedule a "power on" for a machine which has been completely shut down, but this has to be done in the BIOS from a "Power On from Alarm" or similar setting.

Originally posted by ScaryBinary
I believe the issue is that even when you specify a time for downloading and installing updates in the Automatic Updates window (e.g., "Every day at 3:00 AM"), Windows only uses that time for the installation of the updates - it downloads the updates whenever it feels like it.

Exactly, The only thing I can think of to control this, is to block access to Microsoft and Windows Update IPs between certain hours in your router.

64.4.23.188
64.4.23.220
207.46.18.94
207.46.253.92
207.46.134.126
207.46.244.158
207.46.244.222

It might be more effective to just block the two ranges.
If your router only blocks ports, it won't work because it uses common ports 80 and 443.