Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft 'Stealth Update' Proving Problematic
DaMan writes "According to the site WindowsSecrets, the stealth Update that Microsoft released back in August isn't quite as harmless as the company claims. The site's research has shown that when users try to do a repair to XP subsequent to the update, bad things happen. 'After using the repair option from an XP CD-ROM, Windows Update now downloads and installs the new 7.0.600.381 executable files. Some WU executables aren't registered with the operating system, preventing Windows Update from working as intended. This, in turn, prevents Microsoft's 80 latest patches from installing -- even if the patches successfully downloaded to the PC.' ZDNet's Hardware 2.0 has independently confirmed that this update adversely affects repaired XP installations: 'This issue highlights why it is vitally important that Microsoft doesn't release undocumented updates on the sly. Even the best tested update can have unpleasant side-effects, but if patches are documented properly and released in such a way that users (especially IT professionals) know they exist, it offers a necessary starting point for troubleshooting.'"
Duh. Undocumented updates cause problems. In related news, failure to check for a buffer overflow causes software bugs.
My blog
"I will gladly patch you Tuesday for something I broke today."
Kwisatz Haderach
Sell the spice to CHOAM
This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
"Nice PC you have here. Shame if something were to happen to it..."
Slashdot Burying Stories About Slashdot Media Owned
Oh good and thanks. I'll call up my mom and tell her to do just that to her machine.
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
Maybe they forgot to rinse.
The lather-repeat caused a buffer overflow.
My first Journal Entry ever, in 8 years! http://slashdot.org/journal/365947/aphelion-scifi-fantasy-horror-poetry-webzine
"But at least Windows doesn't require you to go to the terminal and type cryptic and scary commands just to fix little problems..."
- oft-heard criticism of Linux
How fucking dare anyone out there make fun of Microsoft after all it has been through?
Its stock price has stagnated. Google made Steve Ballmer mad. He threw two fucking chairs.
Ray Ozzie turned out to be a blogger, and now he's posting a bunch of comments. All you people care about is readers and making money off of them.
It's a corporation! What you don't realize is that Microsoft is making you all this money and all you do is write a bunch of crap about it.
It hasn't made a good OS in years. Its spreadsheet is called "excel" for a reason because all you people want is EXCELLENCE! EXCELLENCE! EXCELLENCE!
LEAVE IT ALONE! You are lucky it even makes products for you bastards! LEAVE MICROSOFT ALONE!
Please!
CmdrTaco talked about professionalism and said if Steve Ballmer was a professional he would've monkey danced no matter what.
Speaking of professionalism, when is it professional to publicly bash a company who is going through a hard time?
Leave Microsoft alone, please.
LEAVE MICROSOFT ALONE RIGHT NOW. I MEAN IT.
Anyone that has a problem with it you deal with me, because it is not well right now.
LEAVE IT ALONE!
wow, what a great idea. I think I am going to find a way to create list of commands that can be run instead of having users type the commands themselves. I will call this scripting. You windows people think of everything.
Then wouldn't it be in Microsoft's best interest to ship all installable releases with deliberately deficient code?
Are you saying they aren't?
Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
You do realize you're running Windows, right?
from here: http://bash.org/?464385
It was a "joke". I can't think of much worse than Win98...
If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
It seems like there's an obvious way of doing this, already organized with Windows distribution: Windows Beginner, Windows Home Edition, Windows Water Wings And Training Wheels edition, Windows For Dummies, and Windows-Cheapo-Walmart-Box come with updates enabled; Windows Ultimate, Windows Business, Windows Corporate, and Windows Damn I Paid A Lot For This License come with updates disabled but a little pop-up informs users that new updates are available, and Windows Yes I Do Actually Know What I'm Doing lets users update the patches themselves.
Nostalgia's not what it used to be.