Vista - Question Regarding .NET Framework Updates

Hey guys,

After installing these two updates:

.NET Framework 3.5 Family Update (KB959209) x64

Update to .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 for the .NET Framework Assistant x64 (KB963707)

The performance of my PC drastically slowed down during start-up and running of other processes and programs.
I decided to uninstall them; and the performance seemed to be back to normal.

My question is:

Are these updates really necessary for my PC; do I absolutely need them?

Thanks,

Americano

More and more apps rely on the .Net framework, and without those updates you may experience problems or outright failures at some point.

I don't doubt what you're saying regarding your observations of the speed of your machine with and without those updates, but that situation is not normal. Literally millions of PCs sport those same updates and they certainly don't experience user-perceptible performance degredation. In your case, it may be related to problems in one or more (.Net) apps which you use all the time, or perhaps the underlying OS installation is subtly broken... not enough info for useful guesses just yet.

If you're keen to troubleshoot, you may want to reapply the updates so that you can pinpoint something specific which is then far slower. Once you've got a specific problem in your sights, it becomes easier to test possible solutions.

Thanks for the response.

I had first noticed that my anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall applications were taking a very long time to start. Also, I tried to click the Start button, but it would not bring up the menu...

I will re-install the updates to see if the problem occurs again.

BTW, would re-starting multiple times after the update help?

You shouldn't have to restart multiple times, but then by rights this shouldn't be happening to you at all.

If the "slow" fails to go away after you reinstall the .Net updates and reboot several times, please describe in detail one particular action which is then far slower and somebody may be able to suggest specific troubleshooting steps.

I forgot that I also installed SP2 at the same time.

When my problem occurred I did a system restore; so my computer does not have SP2 at the moment. I re-installed the .NET Framework updates and there seems to be no problem... Do you think it is possible that SP2 cause the performance issue?

A Service Pack updates many of the most important parts of the operating system. SP application is a massive operation - far bigger than updating the .Net framework - and it's entirely possible that there are going to be apps which don't respond well. However, the fault is almost always with the apps in question, rather than the new SP.

If the reboot-a-few-times strategy fails to sort out your app performance problems after SP2 is reapplied, I'd suggest you seek to update the apps in question, or even reinstall them if no significant updates are available.

I'd recommend avoiding any temptation to stay on SP1. It's not a viable strategy in the longer term.

Well, I re-installed SP2. After the initial reboot, windows took longer than normal to start. But I re-started two more times, and everything seems to be running good now.
I guess I must had forgot to re-start more than once the first time. Hopefully that was the case; and if so, sorry for inconvenience. I did learn something from your replies though!

Do you still recommend that I update my applications?

Thank you very much for your help. I really appreciate it.

That's standard fare for an SP application. Many of the update actions cannot be completed until the box is rebooted, so you almost never get back your normal boot performance until at least the second reboot.

No problem at all. It's a help forum and nobody was inconvenienced.

I don't see any huge reason for you to spend lots of time seeking updates for your apps now that everything is functioning smoothly. Having said that, it's a good idea to keep all software relatively up-to-date because it (usually) costs you nothing and the improvements in newer versions can be considerable. Imagine if car manufacturers kept on releasing "new and improved" parts for cars, plus they were willing to install them for free