Why aren't Windows updates better?

[Uhtred]

It's not often I have to deal with Windows updates these days, they are built into VM templates which are kept fairly up to date.

Recently though I've had the 'joy' of installing a Windows 2008 R2 server from a pre SP1 ISO.

No problem I thought, I'll kick off the patch installs before I leave and then it will be finished when I come in tomorrow.

I came back to it the next morning only to find I could no longer RDP to the box. Upon viewing the console it was stuck on the windows loading screen on update 31/110

Whatever, hit the reset switch and it booted into windows with 100 updates to go. 2 hours later I logon to check, reboot and then it has 1 update available. Installed. Reboot. Check. 1 update available.

That update happens to be SP1. SP1??? Why didn't it do that first?! 2 hours later it's still installing SP1 and I'm reasonably certain there will be many more updates to install once this has finished.

Why are they so bad? With ESXi and linux, for example, you simply install (quick), reboot and it's done. No faffing around, it's just done.

Windows 8/2012 aren't much better so will the process ever be easier than it is now?

 

[Uhtred]

It was a slip on my part but I don't see any reason that the built in process shouldn't know to install a service pack first. That's just silly!

My other gripe is that the install process is so slow, a windows 7 laptop took 2 hours to install SP1 from a flat file the other day. It's a lot less painless with an SSD but I can't help feeling there are ways the process could be improved if Microsoft really put their minds to it.