Windows update, dual booting with Windows 7 - automation?

[fafhrd]

The most annoying feature of dual booting, or indeed, running a different Windows version in a VM, is that Windows updates have to be done for each OS, if I want to keep both OS versions current and secure. On the second OS, which may be used just occasionally, the entire cycle of download, installation and then restart and configuration of the updates can take a long time. This obviously can disrupt work, or the updates have to be manually interrupted, and delayed for another day, when the second OS attempts to finish the updates, giving a further wait before the system can be used.

Windows 8 can schedule the updates to be done out of hours, but forces a restart a day or so later. Windows 7 forces the restart sooner.

Has anyone a script to schedule an update of the other OS following "patch Tuesday", when either one of the OSs has done an automatic update - with either version acting as an updates server for the other OS?

Here's the scenario I'd like: Windows 8 receives automatic update downloads for itself and then for the other OS, and at a scheduled time, installs its own updates, then shuts down, starts the other OS, which installs its own updates, and then restarts and completes the installation. Now, the Windows 8 system restarts, completes the configuration of the updates for itself, and then the system is ready for use the next day.

Now if the active system at the time of update is Windows 7, the same procedure takes place, with Windows 8 as the other OS.

The net result of this would avoid the wasted time situation when the other OS has updates pending, and you just want to use the second OS for a quick operation or to check out something.

 

[Superfly]

Something like this? To fully automate it, one can replace the prompts with SendKeys...

 

[fafhrd]

I can't see that the examples there would do what I want - controlling 2 different Windows versions, getting them to download updates for different versions, then controlling both versions as the updates are automatically installed , but thanks for the link.

The important and critical automatic updates usually are ... automatic - no prompts. They succeed or fail silently, and are retried later if failed. It's the switching of Windows OSs for the install I would like to run seamlessly while the PC is not being used as I outlined in the OP.

 

[Superfly]

Yeah, not sure how one would determine which updates are required and which are superceded whilst the OS is not running...

Anyway here is another link that may be of interest for offline downloads...there are a whole bunch of scripts - will have to see if they can be manipulated for automation.