Microsoft Killed AutoPatcher – No More Third Party Windows Updates

[Third Eye]

The AutoPatcher project is dead, courtesy of Microsoft. Antonis Kaladis, AutoPatcher Project Manager broke the news on August 29, revealing that Microsoft killed the initiative designed to supply offline Windows updates. AutoPatcher debuted back in 2003, and functioned with no issues or legal hassles from the Redmond company for four years. Now, Microsoft has changed its tune in relation to the project and issued a response involving a cease and decease letter. Subsequently, although the official AutoPatcher website is still up and running, the download page returns a 404 error. Additionally, Microsoft is also focusing
on alternative online locations distributing AutoPatcher.

"Today we received an e-mail from Microsoft, requesting the immediate take-down of the download page, which of course means that AutoPatcher is probably history. As much as we disagree, we can do very little, and although the download page is merely a collection of mirrors, we took the download page down. We would like to thank you for your support. For the past 4 years, it has been a blast. Unfortunately, it seems like it's the end of AutoPatcher as we know it", Kaladis revealed.

Before it was shut down, AutoPatcher was offering updates for Windows 2000, Windows XP and even Windows Vista. The package had an immense advantage over Microsoft's official Windows Update infrastructure allowing users to get their hands on a large collection of updates via a single download and deploy it offline. "AutoPatcher combines the advantage of both Windows Update (presentation and description of updates and automated installation), and the special administrative updates (portability and installation without the need of an Internet connection)," reads a fragment from the description of the now defunct project.

Microsoft is very sensitive on the issue of the redistribution of its software. The Redmond company aims to be the only online source for updates, and taking AutoPatcher down is an illustrative example of Microsoft's policy concerning independent distributors and its proprietary software. Until the time of this article Microsoft failed to offer an official explanation related to the faith it decided for AutoPatcher.

Bad for dialup users.

 

[chinmay]

Really sad indeed. Autopatcher made the mammoth task of updating Windows XP so much easier for me on my slow EGPRS connection. Download all the updates at once and that too using a download manager.

No more autopatcher means :-

*People who format their HDDs or reinstall their OS frequently will have to go through the whole download process again.

*Sys admins won't be able to install updates quickly on multiple PCs (There is an offline download option, but autopatcher was really convenient)

*People who do not want to connect to internet before installing mandatory updates won't be able to do so.

*Autopatcher had many other common addons in a bunch which will no longer be available.

This is what Neowin's Steven Parker posted on Neowin (the site where the official autopatcher support forums existed) about this :-

I had a call from Microsoft Legal this morning and they have told me that we are no longer allowed to endorse AutoPatcher on Neowin.

Microsoft will only allow updates to be downloaded from its own servers.

AutoPatcher started in 2003 and has been redistributed in some of the worlds best computer magazine cover CD/DVD's. I have no explanation for why Microsoft allowed it to continue unchecked for 4 years before making this decision.

I asked the representative if Windows Genuine Advantage had anything to do with it and he categorically told me this was not the case, he added that Windows Update for pre-Vista versions of Windows can now be accessed using Firefox and that the concern at Microsoft had more to do with the possible malicious code that could be redistributed with certified Microsoft updates.

We have no grounds to challenge the decision by Microsoft.

I'd like to thank the whole AutoPatcher team for their continued work, unfortunately none of the team is online, but they have been contacted via the AutoPatcher.com website by Microsoft Legal.

The AutoPatcher forums on Neowin have been disabled for guests and members.

Update: A Microsoft representative has told Neowin that he is looking into the matter and will try to get some answers. More to follow.

Microsoft SUCKS.

 

[aryayush]

Of course they do. I'm surprised it took you so long...

 

[The Outsider]

too bad

 

[rockthegod]

this actually doesn't matter.. !!! Autopatcher may be officially dead but it will be *unofficially* kept alive and its modules updated by several *fans*. As you know it is very easy to update and edit autopatcher modules.... and as of Q1 2008, SP3 for XP will be available, then make a slipstreamed CD (or DVD this time as this SP3 is goin to be a behemoth) .... and then I hope the number of updates after SP3 is goin to be very small in number.... [] But hell ya, i loved autopatcher..... !!!!! []

 

[Gigacore]

sad news

 

[kalpik]

this actually doesn't matter.. !!! Autopatcher may be officially dead but it will be *unofficially* kept alive and its modules updated by several *fans*. As you know it is very easy to update and edit autopatcher modules.... and as of Q1 2008, SP3 for XP will be available, then make a slipstreamed CD (or DVD this time as this SP3 is goin to be a behemoth) .... and then I hope the number of updates after SP3 is goin to be very small in number.... [] But hell ya, i loved autopatcher..... !!!!! []

But you can never trust the "unofficial" autopatchers

 

[solomon_paulraj]

i agree with the above post...

 

[utsav]

yeh to naainsaafi hai.

 

[infra_red_dude]

parallel thread on the same topic running here: *www.thinkdigit.com/forum/showthread.php?t=66807

Request the mods to merge the threads....

.... and then I hope the number of updates after SP3 is goin to be very small in number....

i haf NO hopes as such wid Windows! i think next time i reinstall i won't be applying any patches. to hell wid it!