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Enigma83

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    Windows 7 x64

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  1. Well.....thanks for letting me know. I decided not to integrate the hotfixes yet. But I did integrate some .NET updates in GDR mode, which is the default in WTK. It worked fine in a VM, Windows Update showed only one update for .NET 3.x and 4.x Should I reintegrate them in LDR/QFE mode then use the resulting ISO to reinstall Windows on my machine (not a VM)? Or is it nothing to worry about? Just want to be sure that integrating them in GDR mode wont adversely affect my system. And just to be clear, I *DO* need to use LDR mode for the hotfixes, correct? Thanks!
  2. I'm relatively new to using softwares like WinToolkit for integrating updates into ISOs. I've used it a few times already and it has worked fine. I'm also exclusively using WHDownloader to download updates. But I have noticed that some people take different approaches to integration. Some will try to integrate every update every released for a particular version of Windows (Vista, 7, 8/8.1, etc.), even if they dont really need them all. And in the case of me using WTK to integrate updates into 7 awhile back, that amounted to hundreds of updates. Even after that, checking Windows Update would show updates that I had already integrated. Not many, but a few. Some others take the approach of only integrating enough updates to satisfy Windows Update, and nothing more. In my case I see that as the safest and least confusing and time consuming way. But I'm not sure. I've also heard tell of people using repos and such to get updates, which are basically just vast update collections. I'm new to this site, and install Windows often. The thing I hate most is having to reinstall updates every time I do a clean install. I grew to hate that with a passion back in the Vista days, so many problem and updates that would start to install and then fail, etc. And then a friend told me about WTK and how it potentially can reduce the number of updates needed post-install, so I checked it out. I feel that integrating every update ever released for an particular Windows version is a waste of time and disk space. But it is certainly the most exhaustive and comprehensive approach for those who like to stay updated to the fullest. And it does have its' merits, in a way. With that said, I would like to solicit opinions on the best approach to take in the future. I will form a more informed opinion at a later date, but for now I'd like to stay safe and just integrate the minumum required to satisfy Windows Update, and maybe all available hotfixes and other updates that are applicable to me. As an example, for the better part of yesterday and today I spent time integrating 60 updates obtained from WHDownloader, into an Win8.1 Update 3 MSDN ISO. And then upon deploying my modded ISO in a VM, all seemed well. Installing Windows was a success, running an sfc /scannow in CMD revealed no corrupt files. But after checking Windows Update I noticed that it was still offering updates that I had integrated. 8 to be exact, a few were huge. Like the stuff in the WU.Satisfy category of WHDownloader. Most of those were still being offered. And KB2919355, which I hadnt integrated, and knew it wasnt necessary to do so, since that was released months ago back in the Update 1 days, whereas my ISO is Update 3. I couldnt help but notice the dialog after integrating a few updates, noticing that this KB was already in the image and installed into it by Microsoft, and yet Windows Update in the VM still offered it. It averaged around 800MB. Why does this happen? There were also a few other large ones on offer I had already integrated, but not as big. And so now this has left me confused. When I first tried WTK I figured it would be an integrate and forget it process, that Windows Update would never offer something I had integrated, and was therefore already a part of the OS. And now I realize it's not so simple, that I need to choose a long-term strategy. A strategy that wont waste space unnecessarily with updates that arent really needed, just for the sake of having it all. Something that will help keep my systems reasonably secure and updated. Something that will not be likely to cause problems in the future. I'm of the opinion that people who integrate everything are probably going to run into issues in the future, since maybe an integration was done incorrectly, conflicting files that linger, etc. And the possibility of future updates failing to install as a result of taking that approach. You would have to be very informed and careful when doing so, especially in regards to what you integrate, in what order, etc. And I'm aware that some updates have dependencies on other updates, which entails doing homework to figure out what to integrate and in what order. It's kind of similar to the phenomenon called dependency hell in the Linux world, lol. There is simply too much room for mistakes to be made. I had originally taken the approach of trying to integrate everything, but now realize that approach will result in lots of research, time taken integrating and reintegrating (in the event of failures). etc. I would also like to know what is best for obtaining updates that I plan to integrate. Should I use repos, WHDowloader, WSUS, any other software in particular? I'd really appreciate it if you guys could help a new member out. Thanks in advance!
  3. I used Windows 10 tech preview for about a month, hoping to use it as my daily driver until the product key expires this April (or maybe it's May). I've had enough issues with 8.1 in particular on my laptop, so I was thinking that 10 might be similar to 8.1 and bring some change, but without the problems. And sure enough, it's faster than 8.1, works with my chosen system volume encryption product, plays all my games fine, etc. I couldn't find any major software I use that wouldn't install/run, with the exception that the NVIDIA driver from their website said the OS was unrecognized (driver from Windows Update fixed that). All other drivers installed fine. CPU usage seemed to be slightly less, less RAM usage, very little lag, a smooth experience overall. And the new Start menu/button is a refreshing change. Among other features/enhancements I wont mention. I was impressed. But then.............my wifi network adapter suddenly wasnt recognized by the OS anymore, it just said it couldnt find any networks all the time. Rebooting didnt help. And I had the latest WLAN driver direct from the manufacturer (not the really old version from my OEM). Trying to disable/enable the adapter from Control Panel did nothing, and trying to start the WLAN Service just resulted in an error along the lines of "failed to enumerate network adapters". Uninstalling/reinstalling the driver didnt help. Running an 'sfc /scannow' from CMD revealed that no files were corrupted, all Windows Updates installed too. With no Net access, I had to go back to 8.1. 8.1 will ocassionally give the "no networks are available" ,message, but rebooting has always fixed it. I can only guess this must be a bug in 10, or maybe a problem with my PC's hardware/firmware, or the driver I used. 8.1 works fine for the most part, but I really wish I could have kept 10 as main Windows OS. I know you're not supposed to use a beta as daily driver, but I liked it so much I didnt even care, plus I always image my drives in case I need to restore from backup. On a side note, I think the build 9879 update took a turn for the worse where 10 is concerned. All builds before that were better if you ask me. There was nothing game breaking about 9879, but it particularly irritated me that clicking the WiFi icon would bring up a *FULL SCREEN* dialog...........just to connect to WiFi! I personally prefer the look and functionality of 7's WiFi icon. Totally unnecessary IMO. It's as if MS wants to force the Modern experience and UI off on everyone without giving a choice, I dont use Windows Store apps much myself. I just like 8.1/10 because it runs better than 7 overall. My 2 cents..................
  4. I have a Win 8.1 Update 3 MSDN volume licensing (VL) ISO, which can only be activated via KMS/MAK/MSDN-issued Product Key. I'm pretty sure that adding the Games feature from the Control Panel wont work, if I recall correctly it isn't even present (in "Turn Windows features on or off" in Control Panel). I'm mostly interested in enabling Games Explorer (like what was in Vista/7 in the Start menu), and a few of the Microsoft games. But since I cant enable it directly from with the OS without a tool, then will I be able to do so with MFI? It's kind of similar to Windows Media Center, which is only available in retail versions of Win8 but not the VL versions. So if a tool were available that could add/integrate it, it wouldn't work in my case, since it's not supported in my particular edition. I have no use for WMC, just using it as an example. 2. Would adding the gadgets with MFI be superior to adding them with a 3rd-party program like 8GadgetPack (which is what I currently use, but I want to integrate it into my ISO so they will be present/available immediately after cleanly installing Windows). 3. i would also like to have the Windows Experience Index built-in, since I use my PC for work/development, general use, and gaming. In addition to benchmarking, WEI gives me a good idea of the hardware's capabilities when deploying on a new PC. Thanks in advance! Edit: @OP: What custom Start button do you use? What you have doesn't quite look like anything else I've tried so far. I like the way your pic's Start button is squared off in the corners in the style of Windows 8/8.1, and yet the menus themselves manage to look close enough to 7 to make me want whatever you have. I also like to be able to use an SB (I'm a bit old school) while still having access to the full screen Modern interface for apps launching/searching. I could care less for using Windows Store apps though.
  5. I have a Windows 8.1 Update 3 MSDN ISO, for which I have downloaded 60 updates with WHDownloader. 8 of those updates are hotfixes. I am integrating all the updates and then testing the newly modified resulting ISO in a virtual machine to be sure it works, before installing it on my system. But I see an option in WTK about installing updates in GDR vs LDR/QFE mode, which has a checkbox beside it (unchecked by default). I have a very basic understanding of what these terms mean. I'm sure the other 52 updates should be installed in normal GDR mode, with the box left unchecked. But since hotfixes arent meant for general usage by all, hence the terms LDR and QFE, should I check this box and install the hotfixes in LDR/QFE mode? Or does it not make a difference, if WTK can integrate them successfully without checking the box? Will which mode I choose have any (potential) negative effects/issues on the OS post-installation? Not sure if it really makes a difference, just need a little clarification here. Thanks in advance!
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