Windows Update, Defender, Internet Access etc.

[dr.mike]

I just started my CA journey and am impressed how superior it delivers beyond CD!

 

Current Setup is a dedicated Laptop, Win8.1 minimum Install, Fidelizer, JRiver and JRemote. Alternatively Daphile from USB. Wired LAN connection via a dedicated Airport Express.

 

I plan on continuing with a dual boot either with a CAD recommended Win8 or r2 2012 / audiophile optimizer installation.

 

Currently I still love the JRiver Theater View getting background info on the playing titles from the web.

 

Here's my questions, as in neither documentation anything about updates / antivir etc. was mentioned:

 

1/ Do you recommend keeping Windows Updated enabled?

2/ Do you recommend to keep Defender running?

3/ If not: How do you configure your network to stay 'hands off' the internet and potential vulnerability?

 

Looking forward to your experiences.

[ecwl]

1) No

2) No

3) First, to hack your system, someone will have to get to your home network router, somehow find your airport express, and then connect to your dedicated laptop with nothing but music on it. And presumably, it's only on when you're listening to music. And if they hacked your machine, you can just reformat the hard drive, reinstall the OS and software and put the music back on and you're good to go. So I wouldn't worry about it.

 

At least that's my take on it.

I guess if you're worried that hackers are going to take over your machine to hack other machines...

[Skeptic]

1/ Do you recommend keeping Windows Updated enabled?

2/ Do you recommend to keep Defender running?

3/ If not: How do you configure your network to stay 'hands off' the internet and potential vulnerability?

If you are connected to the internet, you should absolutely have Windows Update and Defender running.

 

Disabling processes should not affect anything audio related whatsoever - the only thing it may have an effect on is latency.

For music listening, latency does not matter one bit. Use the largest buffers you can to prevent underrun from occurring.

 

I would disable Windows Update's automatic driver installation though.

Just recently it pushed a new Intel network driver to my system that caused a number of problems, such as DPC latency spikes of 6000µs.

 

1. Control Panel
   
2. System
   
3. Advanced System Settings
   
4. Hardware
   
5. Device Installation Settings
   
6. Never install driver software from Windows Update
   

This does not prevent you from getting drivers from WU, it means that you have to manually run it to download and install new drivers.

[tranz]

Agree with ecwl. The fewer processes running, the lower electrical noise and interference with audio playback, the better. Especially something as invasive as virus scanner.

 

Check out the win server and AO threads for details on OS optimization.

[sandyk]

Agree with ecwl. The fewer processes running, the lower electrical noise and interference with audio playback, the better. Especially something as invasive as virus scanner.

 

DITTO.

The same applies to Virus Scanner when ripping CDs or recording too, as the Security program may see it as Inactivity (no keyboard or mouse activity) and decide to do some background scans after a predetermined time, which can often be extended to a longer period, but usually not long enough for serious recording.

 

It's a waste of time mentioning the other threads to Sceptic though.

[jriver]

I just started my CA journey and am impressed how superior it delivers beyond CD!

Currently I still love the JRiver Theater View getting background info on the playing titles from the web.

 

Here's my questions, as in neither documentation anything about updates / antivir etc. was mentioned:

 

1/ Do you recommend keeping Windows Updated enabled?

2/ Do you recommend to keep Defender running?

3/ If not: How do you configure your network to stay 'hands off' the internet and potential vulnerability?

 

1. Yes. Updates are critical for security.

2. Yes. It's well behaved.

[jriver]

Agree with ecwl. The fewer processes running, the lower electrical noise and interference with audio playback, the better. Especially something as invasive as virus scanner.

 

Check out the win server and AO threads for details on OS optimization.

JRiver does not recommend running Windows Server. Stock Win7 or Win8 are fine.

 

Processes don't cause electrical noise or interference.

 

Antivirus programs can cause problems, but usually don't.

[sandyk]

Processes don't cause electrical noise or interference.

 

 

Neither does it matter whether the music is played from System Memory or not either. At least, according to your company !

[jriver]

That's correct.

[tranz]

That's correct.

 

Please let us know the details of your audio listening computer.

 

How do you connect to the DAC? USB? LAN? HDMI?

 

What DAC and audio rig are you using?

 

Am very curious to know.

 

Thanks

[dr.mike]

I guess if you're worried that hackers are going to take over your machine to hack other machines...

 

that is absolutely correct, my fear is that the music PC is becoming an open door for others on the network or that it gets abused for whatever kind of gateway, relay or spam.

[dr.mike]

I would disable Windows Update's automatic driver installation though.

Just recently it pushed a new Intel network driver to my system that caused a number of problems, such as DPC latency spikes of 6000µs.

 

1. Control Panel
   
2. System
   
3. Advanced System Settings
   
4. Hardware
   
5. Device Installation Settings
   
6. Never install driver software from Windows Update
   

This does not prevent you from getting drivers from WU, it means that you have to manually run it to download and install new drivers.

 

Very good one! Never touch the fundamentals of a running system. I had not known the possibility to selectively disable driver updates. Especially with an ATI card, this saves lots of system reshuffling and driver cache pollution.

[dr.mike]

Thanks for sharing your insights - you're not making it easy for me, we're getting quite diametrical views so far

 

What I can definitely confirm, independent of my original question: a naked and dedicated setup a described in my op is WORLDS apart from a fully loaded day to day machine. It's beyond my solid understanding to reason why, assumption is that it makes a difference if there's 200 or only 20 processes running.

 

What I can also definitely confirm is that JRiver is WORLDS apart from iTunes and unparalleled for configurability and usability with JRemote. Took me to another dimension.

 

The very varying opinions between standard Win8-does-just-fine to WinServer-AO-JPlay make me curious to find out, weren't there the decision to invest significantly in three programs with the first hurting most...

[AudioPhil]

JRiver does not recommend running Windows Server. Stock Win7 or Win8 are fine.

 

Processes don't cause electrical noise or interference.

 

Antivirus programs can cause problems, but usually don't.

 

Hi Jriver

 

You should really try Windows Server 2012 and AudiophileOptimizer. Most of my customers use JRiver since i recommend it the most. There are absolutey no problems using Windows Server 2012 and JRiver (besides no video functionalities in core mode)

 

-> Highend-AudioPC | Reviews

 

Best,

AudioPhil

[jriver]

Thanks.

[fmak]

I just started my CA journey and am impressed how superior it delivers beyond CD!

 

Current Setup is a dedicated Laptop, Win8.1 minimum Install, Fidelizer, JRiver and JRemote. Alternatively Daphile from USB. Wired LAN connection via a dedicated Airport Express.

 

I plan on continuing with a dual boot either with a CAD recommended Win8 or r2 2012 / audiophile optimizer installation.

 

Currently I still love the JRiver Theater View getting background info on the playing titles from the web.

 

Here's my questions, as in neither documentation anything about updates / antivir etc. was mentioned:

 

1/ Do you recommend keeping Windows Updated enabled?

2/ Do you recommend to keep Defender running?

3/ If not: How do you configure your network to stay 'hands off' the internet and potential vulnerability?

 

If you are running Windows, you can configure the desktop with a Network icon which allows you to turn internet on/off. This works with Gigabyte and Asus boards but not on some Intel boards. In that case you can fit a slider onto your LAN cable and manually switch then power on/off.

 

You should also configure software to not auto update.

 

I find Windows Defender rather intrusive on SQ. Firewall too but less.

[Allan F]

1/ Do you recommend keeping Windows Updated enabled?

2/ Do you recommend to keep Defender running?

3/ If not: How do you configure your network to stay 'hands off' the internet and potential vulnerability?

 

FWIW, I normally keep the Windows Update Service disabled on my music server PC - CAPS v3 Carbon - for music playback. When I know from my separate desktop PC that there are Windows Updates, I then enable WU on the music server, selectively download and install updates, and then disable WU again.

 

I don't run Windows Defender as it can be a resource hog and, frankly, I don't think it is a particularly good program. On my desktop, I regularly run Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and SUPERAntiSpyware free editions.

 

I run a cascading router to router setup. My ISP supplies a router/modem which I use essentially as a modem for internet access. The internet port of a Syslink router is connected to one of the LAN ports on the ISP router. My network devices are all connected to the Syslink router. I run the Syslink router in stealth mode (no pinging).

 

I also backup my music server PC image to a USB stick using Macrium Reflect (free) for easy recovery should some type of catastrophic event occur.

[dr.mike]

FWIW, I normally keep the Windows Update Service disabled on my music server PC - CAPS v3 Carbon - for music playback. When I know from my separate desktop PC that there are Windows Updates, I then enable WU on the music server, selectively download and install updates, and then disable WU again.

 

That's probably the best and easy solution:

As you say, get WU to check every once in a while manually, assuming no big danger/harm coming from the outside if Windows Updates are done only periodically, say ever month or two.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Allan F]

That's probably the best and easy solution:

As you say, get WU to check every once in a while manually, assuming no big danger/harm coming from the outside if Windows Updates are done only periodically, say ever month or two.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Microsoft issues Windows Updates on the second Tuesday of every month. If there are very critical issues, they may put out an update in addition to the regular schedule, but that is a rare occurrence.

[PewterTA]

I got bored and after I backed up my Win2k12 + AO machine I decided to make some changes to my Foobar2000 installation (purely playlist based), so I went back into gui mode and decided to do the windows updates... I then put things back into core mode and set all the same settings I always use.

 

I'll be amazed, but every track I've listened to sound better. It's an "easy to hear" difference....not a night and day difference where everything is clearly better...but something in the sound is "more life-like." The most prominent thing I'm noticing is that there's a ton of "recorded space" effect to the music. I have a live recording of Melody Gardot at AVO Session in Paris and it's my go-to as far as having a great sound stage and it's like the stage is much more prominent with where instruments are at. That and the second thing I'm noticing is instruments having a sense of energy to them that I wasn't getting before.

 

Only thing I can attribute it to is either taking things out of core mode and back again....or windows updates. If anyone has their machine backed up... I'd say try doing the updates...!?!