Sounds like you are referring to the fact that Windows 7 updates are now in concurrent rollups. I am referring to the fact that many systems cannot do updates. A fresh install of Windows 7 will often NOT update and you have to manually find a series of patches to get WU to work again. This started about the time Windows 10 hit the scene and many feel it is a deliberate "poisoning of the well" to push end users over to Windows 10. The patches that I have seen are NOT directly related to Windows update. (It's not a new copy of BITS for example). I've NEVER seen any reference that the windows update system had changed for Windows 7. Really would like to see that link.
I would love to provide it, but I cannot seem to locate it. It was a tech brief on windows update changes. Windows 10 uses a very different update engine, and MS was busy trying to adapt a bucket of stuff to a better model. In theory, Win7 from scratch to current is easier today because all you need to do is apply the latest update rollup, and the most recent windows update client. In practice... not so easy. The same holds true for Win8 now, it's not just 7 that is busted on a fresh install.
Win10 is actually busted on a fresh install too! If you go back to the originally released build, it's a bugger to get going. The "fix" however is the much easier process of getting the update tool and manually updating to the most recent build.
XP did this too... we just had the ability to get service packs back then and slip stream them into media so things would work after the fact. But, even with SP3 integrated disks I do not want to go back to the days of having to manually update IE to get things going again. 2000 had a similar collection of insanity, involving the .net framework to get updates rolling.
In short, it's a thing. It's not "easy" to install a new OS. That is, unless you're on an image based installation OS, which is what Windows 10 is. The new windows update on Windows 10 exists because of these problems. Where the tin foil can come out is where MS is basically telling people if you want this junk fixed you need Win 10. Because honestly, Win7 is done, support is out in Jan 2020. Win10 has an updated driver model that adds support for all sorts of things Win7 just cannot do.
MS really should just release SP2 for Win7 so we can all make updated disks for fresh installs that just work, that would help. But they're too busy calling service packs "releases" now, to get server owners to pay for an R2, and pushing update rollups just means more work for us IT people. On one hand... yay for job security on the other... WTF are they smoking?
But, I get a ton less stressed when I see Win10 sitting there... official media is a google search for Windows 10 Media Creation tool, and updates are just the same, thumb drive and install with minimal issues. I do NOT miss the old days.
Trolling the internet looking for a clean ISO for 2000, XP, Vista, or 7?
How about different disks for each distribution channel?
Nope... I'll take Win10.
