hello there.
I would like to know if there is a way to analyze the April cumulative update, or any other cumulative update, in order to know exactly what files or which registry entries are being updated, or changed, before installing it?
Thanks.
a. All updated files have the new build number in them. Presumably you could search for that.
b. Registry- whilst there are utilities that can compare 'before and after' and list differences, I've never done that when restarts have been used. I can't see that being useful.
To do that BEFOREHAND you would need to update a separate copy of Windows running in a VM - separate from your installation.
The TenForums News article on each Cumulative update has a link to the MS article on the update.
The MS article on the Cumulative update provides a list of files included in the update.
I don't think that Registry changes are documented anywhere.
Why do you ask?
Denis
Example:
KB5036892 Windows 10 Cumulative Update build 19045.4291 (22H2)
- from the News section
Realistically no.
It amounts to thousands of updates. If you download the Spreadsheet with the details that alone contains ~60,000 lines. No way is anyone going to plough through that lot and understand the implications of each.
If you want that spreadsheet you can get it from the update KB links, scroll down the MS page to File information click on the link to download the spreadsheet.
About the only reason I can think of - apart from simple curiosity- for anyone wanting to know this- is to see if particular tweaks or resource hacks might be affected.
I could use Spy-The-Spy to get a list and log them but don't bother these days.
EDIT: Forget that. It only logs downloaded files during an update.
Hi.
This is purely for curiosity. I like to know the minor detail of what files are altered. Preferably, I'm looking for a snapshot style program, so that I can take a before and after snapshot, and then see a report as to what was changed or added.
I have mentioned that in the context of the registry.
E.g. Regshot, free.
As for files- search appropriately by date, or perhaps by build number if there's a way of doing that.
Or find a utility that can snapshot folder states and compare before and after a restart. The restart is the problem for such snapshots.
Random example: Free Folder Monitor - Free File Monitor Software to Record the Changes in System, Files and Folders
- no idea whether that can help through a restart.
I struggle to see what you will learn, though.
Because I'm just curious and I like to know what's happening on my own computer. A lot of those files in the CSV linked to in the Microsoft KB article aren't being updated. some of them still have the timestamp of May 2023, the others have the timestamp of November 2023, the date I installed windows 10 on my system.
Can you tell me what file snapshot program you recommend which can work over restarts?
Thanks.
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