Slashdot Log In
Microsoft Installs New Software Without Permission
Posted by
kdawson
on Thu Sep 13, 2007 09:20 AM
from the slipperiest-of-slopes dept.
from the slipperiest-of-slopes dept.
Futurepower(R) writes "Even though I have Automatic Updates turned off, on August 28, 2007, between 3:49 and 3:51 AM PDT, Microsoft installed new files on my Windows XP computer." Nine files are updated on Vista and on XP SP1, a different set of on each, relating to Windows Update itself. Microsoft-watch.com's Joe Wilcox and ZDnet's Adrian Kingsley-Hughes confirm the stealth update.
Related Stories
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
Full
Abbreviated
Hidden
Loading... please wait.
Hmm.... (Score:5, Funny)
Anyone want popcorn?
Can't Win for... (Score:5, Funny)
/.er:Windows is insecure, Microsoft is evil.
/.er:Where are my patches?
/.er:You're evil because you patched my system.
MS:O.k., we'll make a system the user can run and patch them system that way.
/.er:You're evil because most lusers won't set it up properly and the net will be taken over by these luser's machines.
MS:O.k, we'll patch the system involuntarily.
/.er:You're evil for patching my system that way.
MS: You've made a career at being happy with whatever prevails, right?
Parent
You couldn't be more wrong. (Score:5, Insightful)
On a more personal level, I dislike most Microsoft products (with certain notable exceptions), because I think they have a corporate culture that promotes mediocrity and "good enough"-ness. As someone who has always labored to pursue quality and technical correctness as an end in itself, I find the inherent laziness in their products offensive. I understand this is a personal decision; looking at other product arenas, the mass market is usually filled with garbage. This is fine, and consumers should have a choice as to what they want to buy. However, I detest Microsoft for virtually eliminating the consumer's ability to buy better.
Also, they have an apparent contempt for both their competitors, which is understandable if unwarranted, and their customers, which is unacceptable.
I don't hate Microsoft for being on top. I hate them for being on top, while pushing an inferior product than the market would produce in their absence, on all of us.
Parent
To see if you are affected under Cygwin (Score:5, Informative)
strings
If you get back something like:
7.0.6000.381
7.0.6000.381 (winmain(wmbla).070730-1740)
7.0.6000.381
then Microsoft has secretly updated you.
This reveals MS Secret loves (Score:5, Funny)
Boy I need to spend time away from the interweb
Parent
Dear god. (Score:5, Insightful)
If a person who uses vista or xp did not want any updates to their OS, they turn off Automatic updates. It's their choice. Where does Microsoft get off thinking that something like this is acceptable?
If I ran either of those operating systems, I would probably file a lawsuit, as to me that is a huge invasion of privacy. If they can force you to update those few files, they can absolutely view any and every file on your computer.
Although, this should come as no surprise...
What level of 'disabled' (Score:5, Interesting)
Probably a good idea to disable the BITS service too.
Which begs the question... (Score:5, Insightful)
Is it only happening to XP and Vista? (Score:5, Informative)
When I logged in, Windows Update informed me that it had installed updates. That's hard to understand, since I've had Windows Update configured for a long time now to ask me before installing anything. When I saw the item on
So was what happened to my computer (running Win2K) the same thing? Did others with old versions of Windows have the same experience?
No statement from M$? (Score:5, Insightful)
Any word on what the purpose of the patching is?
omg hackers (Score:5, Interesting)
Would be more informative than bitching about it...
Re:omg hackers (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:omg hackers (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Policy violation (Score:5, Interesting)
What if the one of the computers was monitoring a critical system and the stealth upgrade crashed the system?
Isn't this a violation of Sarbanes-Oxley computer auditing requirements?
Food for thought.
Enjoy,
Why? Re:Block it (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re:Why? Re:Block it (Score:5, Insightful)
We have a right (and I'd say responsibility) to protect ourselves from threats.
Parent
Re:That's the last thing you want! (Score:5, Informative)
Parent
Why is this a troll? (Score:5, Insightful)
Those are exactly the kinds of things you agree to with EULA's, and it's not just Microsoft. Software licenses get more bizarre and dickish by the day.
Parent
Re:and the surprise is? (Score:5, Insightful)
Hmm, care to prove me wrong? How many open source projects enforce monitoring or hidden updates about which there is no choice on users?
Parent
Re: Ubuntu monitoring (Score:5, Informative)
Parent
Re:I expect this from M$ (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re:I expect this from M$ (Score:5, Insightful)
Many companies will not install patches - even the automatic Windows Update ones - until they have a chance to test it themselves and make sire that the patch doesn't inadvertently break mission critical applications.
Sometimes, even with known issues, the devil you know is better than the devil you don't...
I happen to like the fact that all three OS's I use (Ubuntu, OSX and Windows) patch themselves automatically for critical updates. I don't get butthurt about any of the three keeping themselves updated.
Wait until you get a call at 4:30 AM from an irate boss complaining that [Killer App A] is no longer working because a patch overwrote a DLL and it's now *your* problem.
If Automatic Update works for you - that's great for you. But for a lot of companies, automatic updates is like playing Russian roulette with a Glock 9mm...
Parent
Re:I expect this from M$ (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
My Windows XP SP2 computer was updated... (Score:5, Informative)
This was definitely without my permission, and raises the question about who has control over my computer, me or Microsoft. If Microsoft can put files on my computer without my knowledge, then it is really Microsoft's computer, which is control that I find extremely objectionable.
Parent
Re:Why does no one every read the license (Score:5, Informative)
It's just as accurate to say you own a copy of Linux as it is to say you own a copy of a book.
In neither case do you own the copyright for the item in question, but you do own the copy you have.
You own books, don't you?
Parent