Microsoft force-installs Firefox extension!! !

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If you read the articles you would see that Microsoft are now rolling this out to everyone who installs service pack one to Network Framework 3.5. So basically everyone with Vista with automatic update will have their FireFox configuration changed by Microsoft without permission.

At least other software vendors give people a chance to decline. Microsoft are being very underhand in this matter. Patches should not be for meddling with third party software installations, no matter how *wonderful* Microsoft think their add-on is.

Microsoft should simply have made this available via the normal Mozilla add-on site. Interestingly it is there also but because of the way Microsoft have behaved the add-on has been roundly slated, some even calling it spyware. At the very least it is another clumsy PR disaster for Microsoft.

I'm using Google Chrome, so I'm not affected.

I'm assuming this patch is installed via Windows Update? In which case the user is asked beforehand if they want to install it, unless they choose the 'express' option, which I never do.

My system never installs DotNet components (I assume that's what you're talking about) automatically. DotNet always comes up as an optional component. The only things installed automatically are high-priority (usually security) fixes.



Disaster? Over-dramatize much?

/why I don't use any Micro$oft ****.

I'll stick to OS X and Linux, thanks.

I like how everyone in this thread makes it out to be something evil, when really it is them that does not know how to use update!! !! ! Windows update does not force anything onto your system. Learn how to use it first

Also, didnt I just explain this in your other thread? about blocking a update

This is a six week old thread that has just resurfaced again.

Okay, I see now, sorry

Now that you bring this up [again], my curiosity in Windows Update has been piqued. Now, I imagine that in a set of updates, theoretically the entire set is "required" to synchronize "the entire OS" -- i.e. nominally the entire set of updates "goes together". However, I also imagine that any updates that come down the pipe are divided into "logical units", e.g. one update "blob" for making some icon less obscure, a different "blob" for... oh, I dunno... updated layout for one of those custom-formed gaming keyboards -- the keyboard is "irrelevant" to the icon, but they go together as an "update kit-and-kaboodle", so to speak.

Now, I get the distinct impression that Windows Update can be configured to be all-or-nothing. What I wonder, though, is if it offers a "line-item veto" option; for example, letting the icon come through, but for some reason the older keyboard layout is preferred. IOW, I'm wondering if you can check off on each "update blob" individually, instead of the whole mass in an all-or-nothing choice... something like what Cygwin's installer/updater provides, a checklist of updated components that are available for install, an idea of what the component's update is, and please select what you want.

So, does Windows Update offer some sort of "line-item veto", install-some-but-not-all, option?



I actually do not agree to the Windows EULA. I think I actually read it through once, but this was long ago (and my summary judgment was "nah..."). My most recent run-in with the Windows EULA was on accident, as my Knoppix CD wasn't in the drive in time at boot (WXP era).

Here's a funny thing with a factory-installed Windows XP first-time boot (in my case, a laptop). Accept the EULA? No, I don't, so I click No. Oh, I have to accept the EULA to do anything, so the same dialog box comes back up. Well, I still refuse to. Oh, dang, that dialog box is back. No progress here, so let's turn off the computer. Can I shutdown the computer? No, because I have to accept the EULA first to get to the Start menu to Shut Down. Ctrl-Alt-Del? Nope, I have to accept the EULA first to unlock that. Soft power button? Nope, I have to accept the EULA first for the ACPI driver to handle the power button. Ah, **** it, hard power off. BTW, that doesn't count as a safe shut down. I wonder if ScanDisk will refuse to run before you accept the EULA. I never did find out.

D'oh. Now I understand some people's vindictive streak against thread resurrections.

Yes, a list of updates comes up, with a discription of each of them. One update usually only does one thing. You check the updates you want to install, and ignore the rest. If a update comes up that you never want to install, and it bothers you that you see it every time, all you do is right click and hide it. It really is that simple, and I dont understand why people seem to have all this trouble with it. I dont let it install anything I dont want it to. Usually I only istall the security updates, and get my driver updates other places. If people dont believe me I will post some screen shots of it? I use ubuntu, and I dont think the update system with that is any better. I really dont see how it could be improved anymore, you can set it so you can do everything manual if you like, you can set it however you like, the user has full control over it.

These people make it seem that it updates itself and you cant stop it from installing what it want, that just is NOT true, and showes a lack of experience.

I see. That makes sense. Is the default setting (i.e. OEM install) to automatically install everything? I get the impression that actually applying an update can be done automatically ("forced"), but can be configured to run manually (at user leisure). If the latter applies, I also get the impression that configuring Windows Update is not exactly "intuitive"; more significantly, the average user may not even be aware that it could be. Hope I'm wrong here, but I've seen Microsoft's software displaying a tendency to be strangely obfuscating at times. While Windows Update is active, does it provide any indication that its behavior can be changed (I'm thinking a button or hyperlink with "Change Behavior", or obvious menu labeled like "Options" or some such)?

The linux updates are much more forward about what they do. I was quite pleased to see that when i migrated from windows.

Linux also does not nag you more than once about restarting, and they tend to require less restarts. Common between the two is that a restart is required for security updates. This is reasonable.

However, windows xp will actually start a count down timer and force a restart. You can delay this, but it will bug you again in five minutes or so with a pop up in the center of the screen. You can not step away from your machine in this case. It will restart on you. If I was in the middle of an install or registry edit, a restart could be a disaster for the health of the install. You cant just save and quit. And you cant walk away.

I am unable to ascertain if windows will try to install updates for things that are not installed. I believe in some cases it will. For certain, a service pack will try to install things like msn, media player.. or upgrade internet explorer.

I normally let windows install whatever the hell it wants. Just to shut it up.

say you get a new computer, and dont change any settings. Windows by default is set to automaticly download all the security updates. When they are downloading there is a icon in the system tray telling you this, then when they are downloaded and ready to install a box pops up telling you there are updates to be installed. Each update has a check mark to include it or not. There is a button there to change settings, nothing is hidden, it is all in plain view. This is not rocket science, this is set up for the person with very little computer experince, and they can figure it out very easy. The problem comes from people who hate windows to start with, then they see it updating and say evil MS, I hate vista, ect. without ever looking at the options infront of them. There are many things wrong with vista that people may not be able to figure out, like how to turn off user accont controls, but I just think the whole update thing is pretty simple. I have my set so when I want to update, I click the button and it shows the updates to chose from, I pick what ones I want to download and install, and it only takes a few clicks to set it up like this from the defualt setup.
PhaethonH, I dont want to beat this to death
I also get the idea that you are trying to find any little thing that may be wrong so you can justify your hatred toward ms?

I am going to make a how to on this, being that no one seems to understand how to use it. I wonder if that would help anyone?

I understand perfectly well how to use windows updates. I place my trust in MS when they say "download this" beacause I know from experience that somewhere down the line, maybe in a year or 2, what I blocked out could become a dependency for a future snippet of code. Its happened in the past.

As I clearly stated, my beef is with the intrusiveness and distraction of the forced restart. It is especially galling to an aspie(like me) that has to start things all over at the beginning when interrupted. If my computer survived x months with a security hole, windows can damn well wait a few hours until I shut down. I'm a big boy. I'll take the risk.

Can you write a "how to" on how to fix that?

Yes, I will do step by step for vista, as that is what I am sitting infront of currently, but it is similar for XP,
1 - start menu / programs / open "Windows Update"
2 - click "change settings"
3 - check ether "download updates but let me choose whether to install them"
or the next one to choose whether to download them, or the last one to "never check for updates"
I would recomend the last one "never check for updates"

Pick a day, once a week or so when you are ready to update and able to restart and everything, then go to the start menu, open "Windows Update" / serch for updates / pick what updates you find sutable / download and install.

If you chose "never check for updates", you might get a security warning in the system tray, if this happens go to control panel / security center / "change the way security center alerts me" and chose the last option.

EDIT - I just looked on xp, a easy way to do this on xp is go to control panel / system / automatic updates tab / then continue like I said above