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Vance Hunt has provided home-user help desk style support for his consulting company for over 6 years. Making his home in beautiful Southern California, Vance provides general computer Q&A for users via his weekly column.

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Icon of Vance HuntFriday, January 25, 2008
Do I really need the three 100MB downloads Windows Updates thinks I do?
By Vance Hunt
 
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Q: Windows Update always prompts me to include the .NET framework, and apparently all versions of the .NET framework.   One, do I need the .NET framework or is it included in Vista already, and if I do, do I really need all versions of it?
 
A: .NET is Microsoft's Java-esque product, first hitting the scene around 2001.  They make additions and modifications quite frequently (relatively speaking), and for the most part, applications developed on specific versions are neither forwards or backwards compatible with the other .NET Framework versions.  

Do you need all the versions?  No.  In fact, you don't need a single one of them unless you have an application written on the .NET platform.  If the application does require it, most installations will either install the needed version for you, or prompt you to download and install the version yourself.    Once you have a version installed, you should keep up with the service packs for that .NET version that Microsoft puts out.

Microsoft has also included the .NET Framework (in one version or another) on different iterations of the OS.  Because of this, you will always see the Windows Update suggesting service packs for the applicable framework.  You can look at the list of pre-installed frameworks here.



Q: I have an internet connection that has a monthly "data cap".  This limits the amount of data I can download/upload per month.  If I exceed the allowance my the internet provider reduces my bandwidth. I want to track the amount (not content) of the data flowing through my Ethernet adapter. Can I do this thru scripting?
 
A: You have my full sympathies.  Those like myself that live in areas where bandwidth is literally given away often forget that many areas are still "limited".  I, myself, have relatives that remind me (quite often) that they are still on dial-up and did I remember that before I sent them a link to a large download.

No - you can't do it thru scripting.  Well, theoretically, my guess is that thru a very complicated PowerShell script you *might* be able to accomplish the task, but there is little need to do so.  Why?  Because there are countless freeware applications out there that are designed to do exactly what you are looking to do - and for the exact reasons you want to monitor throughput.

Here are a few link.  Personally, I have never used such a utility, so you may need to find the "right fit":

Don't like these, Google "Bandwidth Meter Windows" for a good listing.




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