More MS EULA Fun

gray code writes: "The Register is reporting that Microsoft has placed an interesting wrinkle in the EULA of WinXP SP1 and Win2k SP3 that asks for the same remote admin rights as the Windows Media Player patch that raised such an uproar. I think I'll be leaving my Win2k box at SP2, thank you very much." Update: 08/04 15:05 GMT by T : Helix150 writes that a separate EULA for W2K's SP3 "contains this nasty bit: 'You may not disclose the results of any benchmark test of the .NET Framework component of the OS Components to any third party without Microsoft's prior written approval.' Hmmm..."

Comments

Re:And if they didn't?

[19Buck]

Yes, it DOES have to do with the Windows Automatic Updates.

I checked the Automatic Updates Control Panel Applet, It was clearly unchecked, as in "Don't check for updates".

Yes, when I checked my system services, there was Automatic updates set to Start automatically and currently started and running even though It was clearly disabled in Control Panel.

Set to manual, stop the service, that should do it.

Nowhere did I see the Eula state "with or without your consent" either. Stop making stuff up.

But it makes the firewall illegal, no?

[Gorimek]

It seems to me that the EULA means that you're not allowed to block out their requests. You'll have the FBI breaking down your door to uninstall your firewall if they really want to "upgrade" you.

Re:And if they didn't?

[ostiguy]

set to disable, not manual. manual doesn't really mean manual. trust me, I am a mcse ;-)

ostiguy

Re:And if they didn't?

[Verteiron]

Interestingly enough, I did this as well, several weeks ago. Imagine my surprise when last night, after a reboot, I suddenly noticed the Messenger icon in my systray again! I have auto-updating disabled, and I'm blocking all requests to microsoft.com at my router. So how did it suddenly pop back after being gone for weeks?

Re:And if they didn't?

[WCMI92]

"Interestingly enough, I did this as well, several weeks ago. Imagine my surprise when last night, after a reboot, I suddenly noticed the Messenger icon in my systray again! I have auto-updating disabled, and I'm blocking all requests to microsoft.com at my router. So how did it suddenly pop back after being gone for weeks?"

Windows Update will put the MS Messenger "trojan" back on your PC.

See this Register article (which has a link to a simple batch file hack that will expunge Messenger for you):

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/247 46 .html

The article on the "trojan" behavior of Windows Update on reinstalling MS Messenger:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/24668.htm l

It's not that I MIND MS Messenger... It's that I DONT USE IT. So why should I have it wasting RAM and running? I use AIM, have for years, and all my IM friends use it, so I have no reason to change or to sign up for a Passport...