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Microsoft Forces Desktop Search On Windows Update

Posted by kdawson on from the what-part-of-no dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The Register is reporting that the blogosphere is alight with accusations of Microsoft forcing Windows Desktop Search on networks via the 'automatic install' feature of Windows Update — even if they had configured their systems not to use the program. Once installed, the search program began diligently indexing C drives and entire networks slowed to a crawl."

4 of 579 comments (clear)

  1. False Alarm - it's an optional update by y2dt · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    I just checked Windows Update. This 'Desktop Search' update is listed under 'Optional Software'.

    It will not be automatically pushed to your desktops

  2. Re:WTF? by hb253 · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    And to that I say bullshit. What we have here is a case of idiot admins. Very,very few people are truly capable of being good network admins. If you set things up correctly, WSUS and PC's WILL NOT update without approval.

    --
    Self awareness - try it!
  3. File Relief. by Erris · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    The default behavior is to index user files in "doc and settings" and then your outlook files after you open that program.

    Gee, thanks. I'll rest assured that it will be efficient at indexing people's 2GB binary Outlook file and personal life. It's so much less evil than indexing calc.exe. Give it time, though, the next update might demand an full index to come into compliance with the Windoze EULA.

    --
    DMCA, Hollings, Palladium. What might have sounded like paranoia is now common sense.
  4. Re:What's worse... by Score+Whore · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Another "defective by design" product. Same as "We can't take Internet Exploder out because its integrated into the OS."


    Don't be ignorant. IE is made up of many components such as HTML parsers, HTML renderers, XML parsers, network protocol handlers, GUI management. Only an absolute idiot would suggest reinventing the wheel every time that functionality was needed. It is absolutely true that "Internet Explorer" (all the code that actually implements the web browser functionality) is integrated into the OS (OS in the sense that the majority of people understand it) and there are very sound and smart reasons for it to be the way it is. From a design perspective it's pretty much in line with best practices for abstraction and code reuse.