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Windows 10's Automatic Updates For NVidia Drivers Causing Trouble
Mark Wilson writes: One of the features that has been removed from Windows 10 — at least for home users — is the ability to pick and choose when updates are installed. Microsoft has taken Windows Update out of the hands of users so the process is, for the most part, completely automated. In theory, this sounds great — no more worrying about having the latest patches installed, no more concerns that a machine that hasn't been updated will cause problems for others — but an issue with NVidia drivers shows that there is potential for things to go wrong. Irate owners of NVidia graphics cards have taken to support forums to complain that automatically-installed drivers installed have broken their computers.
This is exactly the sort of thing everyone predicted would happen with enforced automatic updating. It is exactly the sort of reason people argued against taking control out of users hands. I just didn't expect we'd see an example of it before Windows 10 was actually released though. For once Microsoft has proven itself to be ahead of the curve. Yay?
While Microsoft Update has generally been something good for Windows (and the Internet) by reducing the number of vulnerable machines, it has not been without its share of programs. There are countless stories of Update pushing bad patches and drivers, and quality-control at Microsoft has apparently taken a turn for the worse in the last couple of years. Nobody is arguing that Microsoft should stop pushing patches or even that the default - especially for home users - should be to automatically download and install the patches. But by removing the user's ability to ultimately accept or decline these patches benefits nobody.
But I guess Microsoft wasn't satisfied with just having a reputation for producing shoddy products that don't work as intended; now they seem to be working towards earning the reputation for creating a product that intentionally goes out of its way to break itself.
uhh, MICROSOFT is the one that is vetting the windows update-released drivers through WHQL program, so THEY are just as much 'at fault' as nvidia is.
the problem IS the forced automatic updates. until that is reverted back to previous scheme (automatic/download-then-notify/notify-then-download/off) this problem WILL REMAIN, and not just for nvidia drivers, but ANY driver, and ANY update for windows itself.
If you want to defer your updates, get the Pro version.
But defer is the word, and they're still forced on you within a few months if you want to keep security updates, even if they are potentially hostile, non-security updates.
I'm not going to say I told everyone so. Oh, no, wait, I did. And so did a lot of other people. Shifting to Windows 10 is a one-way trip to losing control of your own computer, possibly unless you're on Enterprise, because presumably the people with real money won't let Microsoft get away with this.
If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
If you're a pro, get a pro version and run your own WSUS server on a VM.
Or stick with an OS that works without needing to develop a whole new set of sysadmins skills, like... any previous version of Windows, say.
If you're unhappy that NVidea didn't do it right the first time, complain to them or get a different video card.
And what shall we do when AMD drivers have a problem at the same time?
Perhaps you'd like businesses that paying their staff thousands per week to do CAD work or design game assets to just shut down for a few days until the drivers get sorted out? As far as I'm aware, no-one has yet developed a business model where complaining at a big business that screwed up is an effective strategy for recovering lost revenues from downtime, but if they ever do, it looks like it will be very lucrative in a Windows 10 world.
If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
Yup. The current "preview" build, 10240, is the RTM build. For all intents and purposes, Windows 10 is in its final release form.
In any case, given the history of these things, it's inevitable that Microsoft is going to push out an automatic update that massively screws up millions of machines. At the point, the very next update they're going to push out is an update that disables automatic updates.
Does it make you happy you're so strange?
Microsoft has had some really bad track records with patches as of late. They've trashed Outlook 2010 no less than four times this year, it's gotten so bad we've had to disable updates company wide. I actually had one use request a downgrade to Office 2007 since Microsoft didn't seem to break that one. After the third mass break this year it's gotten to the point that I outright ban any patch labeled Outlook when I update a system with 2010 on it.
Come on Microsoft, I didn't have a huge amount of trust in you to begin with. Publicly address this chain of fail and promise you'll cut it out to restore some faith.
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