How to View Update Package Details in Essentials
Applies To: System Center Essentials 2010
In System Center Essentials 2010, you can view the details about downloaded software and update packages, such as release dates, related Knowledge Base (KB) articles, classifications (critical, security, and updates), supported languages, dependencies, and more. Essentials 2010 also provides details on the contents of bundled packages, updates that have been superseded by new updates, and updates that replace a selected update. You can use the following procedure to view the details about packages that have been downloaded so that you can decide which ones to approve.
To view the details of an update package
In the Essentials console, click Updates. In the Updates pane, expand Updates, and then click All Updates.
To view the details of an update, select a package from the list. The Details pane opens below the list of update packages with the Summary contents displayed first. The summary details are listed below.
Tip
To view general update details and revisions to an update package, right-click a package in the list, and then click Properties. When the Properties dialog box opens for the selected update, you can view general update package details, view the status of deployment for the update, and view changes made to the update over its lifetime. Click the Revisions tab to view changes made to the package over its lifetime.
Release date—The date the package was released by Microsoft.
KB Article—The related KB article number with a hyperlink to the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.
Classification—The type of update: critical, security, service pack, and other updates.
Deployment Status—The number of computers that have evaluated the update, the installation state, and a link to a detailed deployment status report. For more information about deployment status reports, see How to View the Status of a Deployed Update in Essentials and How to View Microsoft Critical and Security Update Status Reports in Essentials.
Important
If you uninstall an update, the deployment status for the update is shown in the Details pane. However, if you uninstall an update, and then right-click the update to select and view the deployment status, the Approved for uninstall status is not shown.
Description—A brief description of the update package. This description might contain an alert about related updates, which you can view by clicking the Related Updates tab.
Groups approved for install—The computer groups that have been approved to install the update; for example, the All Windows Clients group.
Groups approved for uninstall—The computer groups that have been approved to uninstall the update.
Important
At least one synchronization with Microsoft Update must first have occurred and some updates been created or downloaded for you to view update package details.
Click the Update Details tab to view more details about the update package. The details in this view are shown below.
General details:
Classification—The type of update: critical, security, service pack, and other updates.
Release Date—The date this update package was released by Microsoft.
MSRC Number—The Microsoft Security Response Center number, if available, with a hyperlink to the corresponding Microsoft Security Bulletin.
MSRC Rating—The Microsoft Security Response Center rating, if available.
Update ID—The update identification number.
Products: The Microsoft product to which this update applies.
Installation Information:
Removable—Whether the update can be uninstalled.
May request user input—Whether user input is required during update installation.
Restart behavior—Whether the update requires a computer restart.
Update Status—Whether the update has been approved, unapproved, or declined for installation.
Languages: The available languages for this update.
Click the Related Updates tab to view information about bundled updates, dependencies, superseded updates, and updates that replace the selected update, as shown below.
This update is replaced by—Lists newer updates that supersede this update.
This update replaces—Lists older updates that this update supersedes.
This update depends on—Lists other updates that are required before this update can be installed.
This update bundles—Lists multiple updates that are contained in one package, in the order that they will be installed.
See Also
Tasks
How to View the Status of a Deployed Update in Essentials
How to View Microsoft Critical and Security Update Status Reports in Essentials
How to View Synchronization Status in Essentials
How to Manually Synchronize Updates with Microsoft Update in Essentials
How to Configure Synchronization Frequency with Microsoft Update in Essentials