Leopard Illustrates Another Way To Compete With Free

Windows Update Screws Up Again; Pissed Off Users Discover Desktop Search Auto Installed

from the not-what-the-IT-admin-ordered dept

Fri, Oct 26th 2007 3:45pm — Mike Masnick

A month ago, there was a story that made that rounds about Microsoft Windows' auto-update feature automatically installing stuff, even if people had turned off the auto-install option. This pissed off a lot of people, but we didn't write about it at the time, assuming it was a one-off glitch. Apparently not. Now reports are coming out that plenty of folks who had auto-update turned off are discovering that a recent patch automatically installed and began running Windows Desktop Search. Once installed, the app started indexing everything, chewing up resources. On top of that, if you want to uninstall WDS, you need to reboot your computer, which is quite a nuisance for many people. Needless to say plenty of folks are pissed off. The specific problem appears to be that this patch simply looked at whether or not a person had approved an earlier (from February) patch -- and if that had been installed, then this one was automatically installed as a "revision." It just so happens that it also included WDS -- even if it wasn't wanted. While the article notes that the Windows Server group had admitted it made a mistake, it doesn't read much like an admission or an apology. Rather, it's just an explanation, which doesn't seem to be placating pissed off users everywhere.

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: auto update, desktop search, windows
Companies: microsoft

44 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

Jason, 26 Oct 2007 @ 3:58pm

XP or Vista?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Asian, 26 Oct 2007 @ 4:14pm

M$%#_devi_l$%@#$t can suck my NU$*
Vista Sux .. Vista Sux .. my 6 year old p4 that i got out of a office salvage runs xp2 faster than my 2.0 dual core 2 which is a week old .. i just want a simple machine that does not have the need to take enough time to make me waffles every time i start it ..

Bill whats his name is EVIL..

oh by the way . missed it .. but second
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Mojo, 26 Oct 2007 @ 4:18pm

People who actually care if they have the "first comment" deserve all the wrath brought unto them by all evil computer companies.

May your computers emit blue smoke.

Idiots.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Haw haw, 26 Oct 2007 @ 4:19pm

"Fourth" is the new "first," by the way...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 26 Oct 2007 @ 4:24pm

"my 6 year old p4 that i got out of a office salvage runs xp2 faster than my 2.0 dual core 2 which is a week old "

Your so full of crap, maybe it would help if you were'nt such a cheap ass and get something better then the $300 Emachines
[ link to this | view in thread ]
old security hand, 26 Oct 2007 @ 4:26pm

Re: M$%#_devi_l$%@#$t can suck my NU$*
If you want neat features and transparency, your processor is going to pay cycles for it. If, on the otherhand you want simplicity and better performance, you can configure for that.

For Vista, go into the control panel (I use it in classic mode) click on sidebar, and turn off sidebar. Click on system, go to advanced properties, and click on the "optimize for performance" box. This turns off aeroglass as well as other things.

If you are doing simple things and not installing software all the time, create a machine administrator account and then create your user account as a normal user. Run as a normal user. It is far more secure.

I am running a beta of LongHorn server on my notebook as my OS, running as a normal user with the system in maximal power savings mode. It runs well. It is a bit faster than when I had Vista running on it, but Media player won't install (WinAmp does though).
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 26 Oct 2007 @ 4:49pm

Re: M$%#_devi_l$%@#$t can suck my NU$*
use ubuntu dude
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 26 Oct 2007 @ 5:01pm

There is a perfect solution to Microsoft; it is called ...Linux!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Vincent Clement, 26 Oct 2007 @ 5:02pm

Staying on topic...
Mike: Microsoft, MS-MVPs and MS-Supporters will never admit anything or apologize for anything.

Take the new TCP/IP stack for example. Any issues about the stack mention how older routers are incompatible with Vista. Well, since the routers predated Vista, it is Vista that is incompatible with the routers.

I was told that semantics is not important. I said in this case they are completely important. The former lays the blame on the routers and implies that it is up to the manufacturers to fix the problem. The later lays the blame with MS and implies that it is up to MS to resolve the issues.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 26 Oct 2007 @ 5:50pm

Wait a minute, people are unhappy that they have to reboot in order to uninstall? Boo-freaking-hoo! It's really such an inconvenience to reboot. Come on people, complain about something real for once, isn't that why you bought a Windows box in the first place, so you could be BFF with reboot?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Robert Dodson, 26 Oct 2007 @ 5:56pm

The "Malicious Software Removal" tool is a trojan
I noticed at its introduction that the "tool" MS offered to "protect" you by removing software that did unrequested things to your system such as virus, worm and other nefarious software varieties actually did remove some things, but also did stuff like reset your home page and default search to MS offerings...prove it by doing system scan before and after first run on a system. I tested on XP but would not be surprised if Vista has same monopoly booster technology...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
glitch, 26 Oct 2007 @ 6:18pm

linux is not a solution..just a shifting of aggrav
m$ doesnt keep me in winblows

software/hardware people doi am not interested in wasting time doing things i gave up 15 years ago

i tried ubuntu & kubuntu in august....7.04, i believe
lasted almost 10 days

i predate winblows and apple, actually even atari and commodore

i would have stayed with ?buntu, i'm just not in to reinventing the wheel

I mostly do mp3 stuff, but the software i use mostly isnt linux friendly,or even vista

my flatbed scanner just wouldnt accept linux, again, nor vista

i blew the entire install when i changed the screen res and flubbed up everything [xwindows was the prob, i was told]

i made a lot of money building and "fixing" computers, and i decided i was tired of the constant circles of the comp tech world, winblows or otherwise

i am sitting in front of what may be my last build: an AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+, gig of PC2 6400, 256 meg vid card pci/e

the subject line says it all pretty much
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Windows update nightmares, 26 Oct 2007 @ 6:51pm

Windows Update Screws Up Again
I had similar nightmares many months ago and finally decided to turn the update off. Since then, I have had some peace of mind.

I have also stopped using Explorer and so I am finally having a blast surfing the net as that has been a major headache too.

Firefox is a big improvement and I highly recommend it.

If Microsoft refuses to wake up and stop screwing up, someday soon, they would get up only to see they have screwed themselves out of existence.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Hopeless Charm, 26 Oct 2007 @ 8:05pm

You Bunch of Girls
All you complainers are just a bunch wussy girls! You people just like to hear yourselves complain. I'm using Vista Home Premium natively on a sweet HP Touchsmart PC and it's great. Auto updates has never let me down, in fact, it's very convenient and nice to know I'm constantly updated with the latest code and spy/virus sigs for Windows Defender. UAC doesn't bother me either, just turn it off when you're installing a bunch of stuff, then turn it back on when you're done. Stop whining people and grow up! Vista is cool, deal with it.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
WRONG YOU ARE., 26 Oct 2007 @ 9:06pm

Re: You Bunch of Girls
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 26 Oct 2007 @ 9:07pm

WRONG YOU ARE YOU MICORSOFT EMPLOYEE.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Johnathan, 26 Oct 2007 @ 9:09pm

Re: You Bunch of Girls
You are stupid and Vista SUCKS
[ link to this | view in thread ]
ob1, 26 Oct 2007 @ 9:12pm

Who paid for the OS me or them
Funny I think I paid for the software, so why should Microsoft have the right to install software that I do not want?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
mike allen, 26 Oct 2007 @ 11:25pm

I have said vista sucks before but having got it on a laptop and so far no real probs i may warm to it. I am keeping a copy of Ubunto on standby jus in case i get probs then its out.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
John Hell, 27 Oct 2007 @ 3:09am

Windows update
I guess that's why Windows has installed the same update almost every day this week. I have disabled Windows Desktop Search.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
memorbilia, 27 Oct 2007 @ 7:33am

I'll never convert to vista. It's nothing but a DRM laden system that limits a users actual rights. M$ cowtowed to to the **AA and developed an OS that assumes all users are thieves.

I'll not reward m$ when they insult me. I've yet to hear one honest to goodness benefit from using vista.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Medic, 27 Oct 2007 @ 10:03am

Re: Who paid for the OS me or them
You paid for the LICENSE to run MS. You don't own the software, MS does.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Medic, 27 Oct 2007 @ 10:03am

Re: Who paid for the OS me or them
You paid for the LICENSE to run MS. You don't own the software, MS does.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 27 Oct 2007 @ 10:09am

Re:
You obviously do not have a clue about how much of a problem it is to reboot computers on a corporate network...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Max Powers at http://ConsumerFight.com, 27 Oct 2007 @ 10:29am

Auto Update
I have auto update turned on for my XP computer and never have had a problem.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Vaximily, 27 Oct 2007 @ 1:38pm

Re:
I had this happen on my XP Pro Machine at work. Auto Updates was turned off, next day I came in and it had rebooted, installed Windows Desktop Search, and auto updates was on.

I also maintain a few hundred Windows Server 2003 systems, some of them had auto-installed, some had it listed as recommended but hadn't auto-installed, and others didn't even list it as an available update.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
4-80-sicks, 27 Oct 2007 @ 3:06pm

Re: #24
If you have a corporate network you should also have an update server which only pushes out updates if they have been approved, and this should be done outside of business hours when all workstations are logged out. Microsoft does have a history of occasionally breaking things with updates, but a _properly configured_ network will not be affected by those.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
John (profile), 27 Oct 2007 @ 4:26pm

XP
I
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Paul`, 27 Oct 2007 @ 10:36pm

Re: M$%#_devi_l$%@#$t can suck my NU$*
He isn't evil. Jobes is a asshole who just bags out others who are more successful then him. Gates has donated something like 55% of anything he has earned to charity, started his own charity and is set so that when he dies pretty much his whole estate goes to charity.

People are just jealous that he has been so successful.

But on the topic of this windows update thinger, that sucks. I had the same issue with a nero thingy (I probably just didn't un-check the box on the installer but :P) It would auto run two things at startup that chewed up lots of resources and took me a while to figure out to stop it (I wasnt on the suto startup list :)
[ link to this | view in thread ]
chris, 29 Oct 2007 @ 3:55am

automatically removing it
well, the first time I noticed it was there.. it sucked simply because it took up so much taskbar space and I couldn't figure out how to turn it off from the taskbar over the network... the GPO file was no help at all.

so: to my network login script:

MsiExec.exe /X{E72019B8-1287-4093-BE9B-1CFA7BA1A8D2} /quiet /norestart

"C:WINDOWS$NtUninstallKB917013$spuninstspuninst.exe" /quiet /norestart
[ link to this | view in thread ]
chris, 29 Oct 2007 @ 3:56am

Re: automatically removing it
oh yeah.. if you're using wsus you need to turn it off from there too.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Reprobate, 29 Oct 2007 @ 7:18am

Re: Re: M$%#_devi_l$%@#$t can suck my NU$*
"Gates has donated something like 55% of anything he has earned to charity, started his own charity and is set so that when he dies pretty much his whole estate goes to charity. People are just jealous that he has been so successful."

Pardon? What version of reality do you inhabit?
The man only has started to donate to charity in the odd chance he may buy his way out of the stixx and into the the pearly gates. (bad pun, I know)

He and his company has systematically pulled off every Machiavellian tactic in every industry they could get a toehold into.

Jealousy has never even entered the equation when it comes to his benchmark business practises. I.E. How to get richer and do the Robber Barons of the last era proud.

If you need examples then you have not been paying attention thse past few decades have you?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 29 Oct 2007 @ 9:35am

Why are people complaining about Ms
There are so many alternatives to MS that if you use them and you do not like them you are the problem. I recently bought a laptop ACER brand, upgraded the ram and love Vista. It is far more intuitive and looks better. I have had no problems using my four year old wireless b router and have installed all my old software with no problems. If you haven't even tried Vista please refrain from bashing it. you sound as bad as the people who complained about windows 3.0.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
4-80-sicks, 29 Oct 2007 @ 10:07am

Re: automatically removing it
This is the correct answer. Find a way around it. If you can't, and you think Gates is some great big monstrosity, hit him where it hurts by switching to a different operating system.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 29 Oct 2007 @ 5:26pm

Re:
Linux perfect? HAHAHAHA! That is a laugh. The only reason you don't hear about the bugs and security issues with it is because few people use it.

Just remember, you always get what you pay for. Pay nothing and you get nothing in the end.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 30 Oct 2007 @ 12:18am

You Linux and Microsoft faggots are so juvenile.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 31 Oct 2007 @ 4:07am

oh noes i have to reboot my computer

I've lost 30 seconds from my life :(
[ link to this | view in thread ]
1ace, 31 Oct 2007 @ 12:28pm

"Just remember, you always get what you pay for. Pay nothing and you get nothing in the end." Very funny...
never heard about "Open Source", "Free Software Foundation", "Linux Community" ?
all these can exist because most people are not like you ;)
[ link to this | view in thread ]
1ace, 31 Oct 2007 @ 12:28pm

"Just remember, you always get what you pay for. Pay nothing and you get nothing in the end." Very funny...
never heard about "Open Source", "Free Software Foundation", "Linux Community" ?
all these can exist because most people are not like you ;)
[ link to this | view in thread ]
scott wilson, 5 May 2008 @ 12:35am

you people need girlfriends. dont bother replying, ill never be back here.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Josh, 14 Sep 2008 @ 12:27am

Fuck you,scott. let's see if you come back, fucker.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
nut smasher, 13 Feb 2009 @ 10:31am

windows 7
use at your own risk it cost me $1500 bucks ,,

thx microshit ,,, ill be going to a MAC now .............
[ link to this | view in thread ]
weirddude62, 2 Jun 2013 @ 7:21am

Turn Off Windows Automatic Suckdates
To turn off windows updates/suckdates, use the key combination WIN + R to open a Run prompt. In the run prompt, tpye "services.msc". Once the services show up, scroll down until you see Windows Update, click on it, click Stop.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
weirddude62, 2 Jun 2013 @ 7:25am

Re: M$%#_devi_l$%@#$t can suck my NU$*
Vista is terrible, matched only by Millennium Edition.
It's too slow, no matter what specs you have, it's SLOW.
Millennium Edition just crashed all the time.
[ link to this | view in thread ]