Glad I don't have Vista. The whole thing about testing is very telling. As a frequent contributer to Apple Discussions, I can tell you how much every security update and software update has people who say "this update" killed my first born! Microsoft at least should not update systems that haven't had the Backup software run on them. Because if an update fails or a third party application hasn't been tested with the update, you could have a non-functioning system. Having Microsoft apply updates automatically without warning, leaves the user no time to backup before their updates to avoid problems. This is a recipe for a huge disaster!

... is surprised by this behaviour on MS's part. After, they constantly claim that they know better than you what you need.

M$ new motto: <i>All your base are belong to us.</i>

Moreover, what if a malicious or disgruntled MS employee wanted to cause havoc. Computers flying planes would turn off, bots nets would ravage the internet at the automatic download of a bad program or update.

Yes Armageddon is coming, so don't forget to "save" your computer.

Quote

chicknfood wrote:
Moreover, what if a malicious or disgruntled MS employee wanted to cause havoc. (snip)

This happened to me last week. After booting into Windows, the machine restarted itself and, after reboot, told me an update had forced the restart. "Hmm,' I thought, 'how typically Microsoft, the bastards'.

Then the fun started. The update had corrupted or removed the driver for the Mac's optical drive. XP's help system advised me of this and then suggested I insert an installer disc to fix the problem. If the irony hasn't struck you yet, sink another coffee and read that last sentence again.

Ah well, no big deal, I was kinda ready for this. I only boot into Windows to play games. No important work would be lost. Except, of course, I'd have a good reason to play the C&C3 campaign again. Again.

So I used Boot Camp to delete the Windows partition. Then I tried creating a new partition - except I couldn't, because my Mac's drive had files that "couldn't be moved" to make way for a partition.

Which meant that I needed to defrag my Mac's drive. As it turns out, this was the only good thing to come out of this exercise. But this required the purchase of iDefrag.

So, that stealth upgrade knocked out my (Windows) optical drive driver, caused a day of downtime and cost me US$20, not to mention a truckload of frustration.

So, thankyou Redmond. Perhaps you could reveal the name of the person who authorised the execution of the stealth upgrade. I have a blunt weapon with his/her name on it.

All U h8rs out there with ur sweet Macs don't know how lucky we R that Microsoft still exists. What would IT departments do all day if Windows worked as advertised?
U think not having an optical drive is funny, how about this, the update put my computer 2 sleep and I couldn't wake it up, from the reboot, straight to sleep. It said please hit any key or move mouse. My keyboard doesn't have an "any" key!

That's funny. LOL

Quote

Guest wrote:
All U h8rs out there with ur sweet Macs don't know how lucky we R that Microsoft still exists. What would IT departments do all day if Windows worked as advertised?
U think not having an optical drive is funny, how about this, the update put my computer 2 sleep and I couldn't wake it up, from the reboot, straight to sleep. It said please hit any key or move mouse. My keyboard doesn't have an &quot;any&quot; key!

Would this explain why, despite the years it has been out on the market, XP continues to have a procession of 'security holes' being patched?

Is this why virii will always and forever be a problem on Windows?

Because Microsoft themselves maintain what looks to me like a de-facto 'backdoor'?

Sounds veddy veddy Orvvelian. Hmmm.

I had XP running in Parallels, in the background. It had a few documents open, but I was working on something else in OS X.
When I switched back over to XP there was a window saying "A security update required your computer to be restarted" or something like that. No prompts or warnings saying the update was ready. I have auto-update turned off also. My XP docs had been closed, but I'm not sure if they were saved. All I could say was "Freakin' typical".

I once worked for the US government--well, I BELONGED to the US government, as I was on active duty with the US Air Force for 22 years. This would cause a Department of Defense (DoD) IT manager to have a stroke, followed by a heart attack. If she/he survived, she/he might decide that the old "gentleman's" way out would be preferable to facing the wrath of senior leaders: "You let the computers do WHAT?"

what i want to know is, how does microsoft do it? do they probe your machine, or does your machine constantly dial home? i know vista does, but i didn't think XP did after inital activation. what ports do they use, and can it be blocked by a conventional firewall?

one of Apple's firmware updates may have killed my Superdrive (since sent to Apple and repaired), at least I had the OPTION of whether to install it or not (I'd think Apple wouldn't give me wrong advice on that, but oh well).

If it were M$, it would've been installed whether or not I agreed... at least now when Software Update tells me I have a firmware update, I'm going to look very carefully before clicking Accept.

it may have been done without their explicit consent, but it was not done "without consent" either. The Microsoft EULA specifically says that Microsoft retains the right to change your software at any time without notice. When they clicked on "I Agree", they gave "consent".

Is to turn off any and all networking in your Windows VM.

I will be getting a new MacBook Pro this winter, and a copy of Fusion so I can run MATLAB and SPSS which I will need for a class in data analysis I will be teaching at my university.

When I set up Winblows in Fusion so I can run those apps, I am specifically going to neuter XP so that it can't access any networking functions at all.

The legality of any EULA is suspect at best. I know ... lets the lawyers and courts decide... but that is expensive.

However, if a company or organization lost millions of $$$ (or even say $500,000) they may find its cheaper to go to court for some sort of remidy.

When a software company sells software the buy is now the owner. He, she or it has the right to use that software as they see fit. I would even say the owner can modify the software as the owner sees fit. The owner has a few rights, but it seems nobody ever remembers this...

Certainly the software vendor has an obligation to correct errors in their software's operation .. or update new features, security, etc.. as needed, but

maybe its time people started thinging about rights of ownership?

Electronics manufacturers have a right to change/improve/modify their products as needed.. but they dont come to your home and change things already in place - unannouced and without consent.

So, no they do not have the right. And you have the right to modify your purchased software to preven this questionable (and potentially harmful) activity.

Maybe property rights would be a good tactic in this little war. It seems a sort of trespass on Microsoft's part. So, what we end-users need is an electronic trespass law. If we can't get the bureaucrats to generate one - then we need someone to make a software program that notifies anyone invading/accessing our cyberspace/computer properties that they will be subject to trespass and will be tried in a local court of law (the jurisdiction of our choosing) if they continue to further trespass. Perhaps we need to start seeing cyberspace as being governed by similar property law. Cybersphere property laws. Adios.