Microsoft updates Windows without users' consent

[gxsaurav]

Hmm I think news says -

Microsoft has begun patching files on Windows XP and Vista without users' knowledge, even when the users have turned off auto-updates.

So evenif I disable it, it auto updates

No, people disabled Windows Update via the control panel, not the service. If u disable the service Windows update will not even start & work.

& what is MS updating here? An update to update windows.

 

[Who]

well no offense but i think people haven't read the information given by Nate Clinton clearly. anyway here is paragraph

Before closing, I would like to address another misconception that I have seen publically reported. WU does not automatically update itself when Automatic Updates is turned off, this only happens when the customer is using WU to automatically install upgrades or to be notified of updates.

so if disabled the automatic updates in the service manager or even in the control panel this should stop bothering people who have privacy concerns, Have a nice day.

 

[entrana]

whats the point of disabling it?

 

[din]

Well, I think I will stop ...

@smit

The news said -

"In recent days, Windows Update (WU) started altering files on users' systems without displaying any dialog box to request permission. The only files that have been reportedly altered to date are nine small executables on XP and nine on Vista that are used by WU itself. Microsoft is patching these files silently, even if auto-updates have been disabled on a particular PC."

So, I think you are wrong.

 

[Zeeshan Quireshi]

Well, I think I will stop ...

@smit

The news said -

"In recent days, Windows Update (WU) started altering files on users' systems without displaying any dialog box to request permission. The only files that have been reportedly altered to date are nine small executables on XP and nine on Vista that are used by WU itself. Microsoft is patching these files silently, even if auto-updates have been disabled on a particular PC."

So, I think you are wrong.

Well it doesn't mater to me if MS Updates Windows without my permission coz as it is i have enabled Automatic Updates and i trust Microsoft .

And trust is the very base on which a product sells . if you don't trust a company you won't buy it's product , simple . i trust MS and thus i believe that it will not modify the software in a way that could be potentially hazardous to me

 

[din]

sorry, had to came back to post !!

@Zeeshan Quireshi

This is different case. Those who set auto updates enabled, trust MS

But the news was

Microsoft is patching these files silently, even if auto-updates have been disabled on a particular PC

 

[Who]

din @

of course i read the news , but the news in false , the update manager of micrsoft Mr. Nate Clinton himself said " WU does not automatically update itself when Automatic Updates is turned off, this only happens when the customer is using WU to automatically install upgrades or to be notified of updates."

news can be rumors , news aren't always true , i mean common you trust some news given by some people on the net but not the update manager of microsoft that ampilies that you don't trust microsoft one bit..& if that's the case its best to switch to linux or mac as they very good are OSes.

 

[sakumar79]

@din, when they said that "even if auto-updates have been disabled on a particular PC", it seems they meant that option where you say to give notice before install... But if you disable the update service, this will not occur... This info was taken from *blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/microsoft/archives/121750.asp?from=blog_last3

Excerpt:

The use of the phrase "turned off" might suggest that Microsoft was downloading and installing these updates even when people had chosen No. 4, "never check for updates."

However, I spoke with Dunn on the phone, and he said that's not what he meant to imply. Instead, he was referring to option Nos. 2 and 3.

On the one hand, I can understand MS need to update the update system. Even if you have at some point require manual update, this comes in handy... However, I feel that MS could have avoided a lot of embarrasment by making this known by themselves rather than having it come out this way... I am sure people would have made minimal fuss (there will always be a set of people who will trash MS at every opportunity; always seeing the black side of anything MS does - but this would have been minimal).

Arun

 

[gxsaurav]

From what I see, home users are not worried about these. Microsoft is not stealing information from the computer. What does a home user have to hide? His porn collection or vacation photos?

On the other hand Power users who are worried about this can simply disable the service.

So whats the problem?

 

[aku]

God... did ya evn get it y i (and previously saurav) brought piracy into the topic ???

Anywayz... on the 1st of this month i got myself vista home premium and have been using it since then. I had turned off the windows update feature and i didnt wanted to download any update during the non happy hours. Day before yesterday i got time and turned it on.

The moment i did this i was informed that i needed to update the windows update app itself before I coulde download any other update.

So, in my case... it didnt update itself automatically.

 

[gxsaurav]

Anywayz... on the 1st of this month i got myself vista home premium and have been using it since then. I had turned off the windows update feature and i didnt wanted to download any update during the non happy hours. Day before yesterday i got time and turned it on.

The moment i did this i was informed that i needed to update the windows update app itself before I coulde download any other update.

So, in my case... it didnt update itself automatically.

Same thing happens in my case. Like I said, if you are extra paranoid about security & privacy then disable the service & it will not update at all.

Start -> Run -> type "Services.msc". Disable "Windows Update" & "Background Intelligent transfer service" in Vista & nor will Windows be able to download updates or even install downloaded updates.

So if u r paranoid that it will automatically download & install even if the service is disabled , rest assured, it won't be able to install any MSU file without Windows Update service running in Vista.

 

[Zeeshan Quireshi]

sorry, had to came back to post !!

@Zeeshan Quireshi

This is different case. Those who set auto updates enabled, trust MS

But the news was

Microsoft is patching these files silently, even if auto-updates have been disabled on a particular PC

Ya i read that .

That's why i said i Trust microsoft , so i trust that they're not stealing any information from my computer that can potentially be hazardous