Microsoft says Automatic Update not misbehaving

Blogs were buzzing this week with reports that Windows users who thought they had automatic updates set to either not install or get permission before installing nonetheless had their machines patched and rebooted.

Friday afternoon, the company posted a response to its Web site saying no changes were made to the automatic update mechanism nor did any recent updates change AU settings. The company is looking into whether customers might have actually had their settings changed by Microsoft Office or Windows OneCare, two programs that do have mechanisms that will change a computer's automatic update preference settings.

"We have received some logs from customers, and have so far been able to determine that their AU settings were not changed by any changes to the AU client itself and also not changed by any updates installed by AU," program manager Nate Clinton said on Microsoft's Web site. "We are still looking into this to see if another application is making this change during setup with user consent, or if this issue is related to something else. We are continuing the investigation, and as I have more information I will update this post."

The company is asking anyone experiencing an issue to contact its customer support so that it can get more information.

Meanwhile, in a separate posting, Clinton acknowledged that some people are having trouble manually installing updates after moving to the latest version of Windows Update.

The issues Friday follow an earlier outcry over the discovery that the Windows Update utility updates itself regardless of whether automatic updates are turned on.

[The_happy_switcher]

surprised?

This further solidifies the notion that the company's philosophy is "user-be-damned." I really appreciate it at work (no choice on using a PC) when I'm told by windows update 'that I may continue to work' while the update takes place-gee thanks, for a minute there I was confused about who had priority and who is boss, etc. Then, it proceeds to nag every 5 minutes about wanting to reboot. The user experience has been hijacked by Microsoft, get it back with a Mac.

[Martin_Arvind]

user-be-less-damned

[http://This further solidifies the notion that the company's philosophy is "user-be-damned."|http://This further solidifies the notion that the company's philosophy is "user-be-damned."]

Ya but way better than (i)brick oops...iphone..

[gsekse]

?? WHY does OFFICE need access??

Why in the world would the Office package need access to the update program.

Linux, use your computer YOUR way.

[Martin_Arvind]

don't shoot yourself

Windows is a OS for the ordinary masses as well as techies, so inorder to prevent non techie guys from shooting themselves, they've come up with an optimal solution. This is a very difficult feat to achieve and we must appreciate msft for doing this.Linux is good but it's good only for Linux fans rather than ordinary guys.

[timber2005]

Microsoft Update, thats Why

Microsoft Office 2003 and 2007, SQL Server 2005, and other apps have a "Microsoft Update" feature, which you may have seen mentioned on Windows Updates. Basically, its a update system that shows you updates for Office, SQL Server, AND Windows, where Windows Update is just... Windows.

Office has the access to allow the user to change without having to download the client (meaning offline capable), and changes by default to automatic (as does a fresh install of WinXP for just Windows Updates, or a manual Microsoft Update client download).

[ethana2]

horrible default policy

My OS updates everything and the kitchensync, then waits patiently in the tray until I choose to restart. If the kernel wasn't patched, it doesn't even have to restart.

Ubuntu FTW.

[abbottpark]

Your on Microsoft's Network

Microsoft treats all computers like they are on there network when you install there operating system. So they know a lot about you and what you have installed.

[timber2005]

Its "Their", get an Education

Its "Their", get an Education in grammer or something.

Computers are connected to a network. Its call the World Wide Web, known as the INTERNET(work).
And since I'd bet all Microsoft employees have more education than you, they'd realize that all internet connected computer are infact, connected to a "network", which is a connection between two or more computers, and an internet is a connection of two or more networks.

You have been educated.

[cohaver]

here the code patch for XP update

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Notify\SensLogn]

"DLLName"="WlNotify.dll"
"Lock"="SensLockEvent"
"Logon"="SensLogonEvent"
"Logoff"="SensLogoffEvent"
"Safe"=dword:00000001
"MaxWait"=dword:00000258
"StartScreenSaver"="SensStartScreenSaverEvent"
"StopScreenSaver"="SensStopScreenSaverEvent"
"Startup"="SensStartupEvent"
"Shutdown"="SensShutdownEvent"
"StartShell"="SensStartShellEvent"
"PostShell"="SensPostShellEvent"
"Disconnect"="SensDisconnectEvent"
"Reconnect"="SensReconnectEvent"
"Unlock"="SensUnlockEvent"
"Impersonate"=dword:00000001
"Asynchronous"=dword:00000001

[mattumanu]

What I do know is...

I've never seen my computer wake up from standby, then restart itself before going back into standby. My OS is windows XP.

What I usually do every night is I have an internet radio program or Mp3 playing on my computer for given amount of time, then after a bit my computer goes into standby. My computer apparently was wakened from standby, downloaded the updates, then restarted itself, then went backinto standby because, when I woke the computer myself in the morning there was this huge balloon over the autoupdates icon in the taskbar that said something like, "your computer has been restarted by autoupdates..."

This had never happened before.

[fredmenace]

So THAT's why...

So that's why my computer (XPSP2) rebooted earlier this week... I thought "it couldn't be Windows Update, since I TURNED IT OFF COMPLETELY after the last shenanigan (when it updated without my consent)..." But unless it was a power outage, that must have been it (seems like too much of a coincidence to be anything else).

What, do I need to do surgery to remove all traces of Windows Update now? (Eventually, I will probably switch to Linux or some other freenix.)

[ev5unleash]

I hate Windows Update and OneCare

Well, I got the Windows Live One care and disabled Windows Updates because they were getting on my nerves. Again somehow they got changed back to automatic without my consent which I don't like and when it got done updating it asked me to restart. I kept click later because I was doing something important on the internet. Then Windows Onecare refused to protect my computer anymore without restarting. The message clearly stated that Until I restarted I would not be giving protection. Then it had a 3 hour countdown to restart. Ever since Microsoft has being controlling my computer I'm using Ubuntu Linux. At least I have control over how things work and when I should or not have certain things. I really don't want to be mean by Microsoft with there operating system is getting on my last nerve.

[frussel]

AUTO UPDATE

The answer to this and other Microsoft problems is very easy to
correct!

"SWITCH TO A MAC"

I fire-up my Macbook Pro and go. It's a joy! I stopped using a PC
over a year ago and have not looked back since.

[jscott418]

Problems with Web pages opening

I have have problems with IE 7. I get the old IE cannot open
webpage. But if I keep refreshing the page finally opens.
I have checked my network and it seems ok. I also have a Mac and
Safari does not have this problem using the same network.
I am thinking one of the updates has caused some issues with IE?
I am starting to see some other complaints on forums about the
same problem.

[Andrew Wolfe]

It's happening

Happened to me this week. MS needs to stop denying it and figure out why.

[Xenu7-214951314497503184010868]

The patch was installing OS X

Microsoft finally threw in the towel and is ceding all their market share to Apple.

[richto]

God, so 5 times as many security patches next week then!

God, so 5 times as many security patches next week then!

http://blogs.technet.com/security/archive/2007/08/16/july-2007-operating-system-vulnerability-scorecard.aspx

[bernardfeltzer]

read the fine print when installing some programs

My automatic update setting was changed when I installed the latest Windows Live instant messenger. Of course I had some other "Live" programs installed at the same time, but I didn't know what they where for. I like the new indexing desktop search, but I removed it from the start up. I like the "Live Photo Gallery" program, but I didn't like the way it made it's self the default photo program and changed icons. The "Live Mail" program I was careful not to make default, I need to study that one for feature use, but it's a little too fancy for me. There is a "Live Writer" program, but I didn't even open that yet.

[gi0zgb]

Auto Update

I have absolutly no problems with auto update, working fine with no reboot or auto install problems, fully up to date!

[Phillep_H]

Same

Of course, my home computer runs Win98SE, T-Bird, and Fire Fox.

No worries, Mayte.

[starcannon]

Things Microsoft and Irkle have in common...

Did I do that?

[GGGlen]

Yeah right

And when I installed 'Doze 98 years ago, MS claimed that I'd "Have
More Fun".
B**tards