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Microsoft Admits Mistake, Pulls Problematic Windows 10 Driver (betanews.com)
Wayne Williams, writing for BetaNews: Microsoft pushed out a mysterious driver to Windows users on Wednesday that caused big problems for some. The driver, listed as "Microsoft -- WPD -- 2/22/2016 12:00:00 AM -- 5.2.5326.4762," wasn't accompanied by any details, although we knew from the name that it related to Windows Portable Devices and affected users who had phones and tablets connected to the OS. Microsoft today admitted the problem with the driver, saying on the Answers Forum: "An incorrect device driver was released for Windows 10, on March 8, 2017, that affected a small group of users with connected phones or portable devices. After installation, these devices are not detected properly by Windows 10, but are affected in no other way. We removed the driver from Windows Update the same day, but if the driver had already installed, you may still be having this issue." As Williams adds, even though it was an optional update for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users, it was pushed to those on Windows 10.
Let's kill them for this!
Microsoft didn't have permissions to review it.
It's a good thing cautious Windows 10 users are able to decline updates for a while to make sure there's no issues that arise before committing their machines.
I thought for a moment it said they pulled Windows 10.
"Microsoft Admits Mistake, Pulls Problematic Windows 10"
Yes!
".. Driver"
No.
It seems that the only thing preventing an unmitigated disaster with this system is the fact that they stagger the major updates to groups of users. Not that it's infinitely better, but it's worth noting that Windows 8.1 will receive security updates until January 10, 2023. If you have 5-6 years to plot a migration away from Windows on the desktop, and have some faith that the alternatives will make any headway in terms of general acceptance, it's probably worth looking into.
There is no XUL, only WebExtensions...
No more updates unless you want them, and turn the service back on. Not quite as elegant as the old controls we had over Windows Updates in previous versions, but better than getting hit by random faulty updates.
William George
And see where it gets us. BTW, it's VERY hard to disable the automatic updates (which are sometimes disruptive or take far longer than many anticipate) but it is possible: In Home edition you have to set the connection to "metered" mode:
https://www.cnet.com/au/how-to...
http://www.thewindowsclub.com/...
Note; the new "surface" edition keeps you from stopping it this way.
It appears that MS doesn't want a potential lawsuit for running up Internet overages so they have this safeguard against litigation.
In Win 10 professional they give the standard "turn off automatic updates" they had in ALL previous versions of Windows. (funny how you are getting less in Windows 10).
This trying to force automatic updates in home edition is in my opinion quite dangerous and this isn't the first update to have serious issue pushed on on suspecting people.
Best thing to do in my opinion is to give MS the "finger" by switching to Linux: Linux Mint, ElementaryOS, or Debian are my top choices.
"Imagination is more important than knowledge" - Einstein
Oh, yes, I THINK that if you turn off the Windows Update server in the "Services" that should still work. I always do this by reflex so I forgot to mention that. My bad. Thanks community for filling in my missing info.
"Imagination is more important than knowledge" - Einstein
Seriously, I wish that microsoft would just release another update... TO REMOVE THIS UPDATE. Because it's no where in my "installed update" list even though it was installed 2 days ago.
Now I have to either do a system restore or do some BS involving the command line and hope for the best. They really expect everyone to know how to do this? It's as if they purposefully break their OS in order to send traffic toward paid tech support because grandma can't connect her phone to the PC anymore.
Miscreant-o-soft is probably lying through their teeth, and their so-called 'driver' actually pushed malware and surveillance software onto people's phones.
I don't get why Microsoft has to be such a pain in the ass about updates.
Apple has always let the user decide when they want to install updates. You get an update notification, then install the updates either right away or tell it to install them over night. There is never a forced install; the user is always in control. This is IRONIC especially since Apple tends to be a control freak company in most other ways!
Apple will VERY OCCASIONALLY automatically push an extremely critical update to fix glaring security problems, but has done this very rarely.
It seems MS could do a lot more to give the user control of updates, including the ability to easily roll back updates that cause problems.. The current system is just asking for trouble.
The problem is this is an all-or-nothing approach, and you won't get updates at all, or update notifications, leaving your PC to eventually become insecure.
It needs to be a middle ground. Notify the user about updates, give them control over updates, and ONLY automatically push updates for *glaring, immediate* security problems.
Yup, this is what I do. Works on Home and Pro versions (I have both).
William George
Are you saying that one abuser hired another abuser to perform abuse?
I hope all you Windows users are enjoying the fallout of the demolished QA division at Microsoft. Frankly, I think you guys are jerks because by continuing to use their OS, you continue telling them that their behavior is acceptable.
Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
stealth fubars do not help your market competitiveness, you dips. everybody else has figured it out. why not you?
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
Thankfully it only affected the 13 people who use Windows 10 and also have Windows phones...
If you disagree, please post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like
Every time I plug my (android) phone into the USB on my PC now, it says its drawing too much current from the USB socket and gives me the option to either retry or cancel (which disables the USB socket).
It didn't ever do this before said update.
You know, what with the CIA's toolset being leaked to the public, they had to push out new backdoors.
although we knew from the name that it related to Windows Portable Devices
That is a very dangerous assumption to make. I have seen malware hide in plain sight using common names like atictl (ATI Control).
So Microsoft pushed out a bad driver update and all it can do is pull the update. Another example of why Microsoft went the wrong direction with these updates. Even if you take into account what they are doing to change this in the next release of Win 10. It's not even close to what users need to control these updates.
For me, I am going to test out Linux to see if I can work with it. I am completely tired of what Microsoft has done with Windows 10. Unless you actually spend money running a enterprise edition you do not have much in options. I figure Linux is free and worth a shot at replacing a broken Windows.
I hope I'm not the only one who saw the driver name at the start and initially thought "Weapons of Privacy Destruction"
@Whee
>I don't get why Microsoft has to be such a pain in the ass about updates.
They have said why. Not that I agree with them, but here it is: MS wants to manage, maintain, and develop for one system. Not multiple yester-month (or yester-year) systems. It's easier for them to handle & therefore safer for us they claim.
And while that makes practical sense on their end, customers are humans not a spreadsheet. It's a pain for us to be corralled and hustled around on the customer end, as if we are cattle going along their path not ours.
Anyway, that's why they do this. To create & force a single system. Which is great for 'systems' and not great for humans.
Apple has always let the user decide when they want to install updates. {...} Apple will VERY OCCASIONALLY automatically push an extremely critical update to fix glaring security problems, but has done this very rarely.
The key point is that Apple's Mac OS X, on the simple ground of being an Unix (more or less BSD based) has a not so aweful security, and thus only need extremely critical update only very occasionally.
Microsoft's Windows editions are such catastrophy (very large attack surface) that Microsoft cannot allow end-users to disable update : some of that regular avalanche of patches and fixes might plug an exploitable hole. After a couple of weeks an unpatched Windows is pretty much sure to become a zombie in some botnet.
"Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
Which is a bullshit excuse. Nobody who take charge over their own updates wants Microsoft to manage their systems. That's why they have taken charge over their own updates!
I know three people that have ever had a Windows portable device. They were all business requirements or perks. Two no longer have those requirements and no longer have their W-phone/tablet. The third is retired and is now more frugal, so that phone will stay until it must be replaced. Although the OS was never updated to W10.
A pretty low impact mistake then.
I don't get why Microsoft has to be such a pain in the ass about updates.
Apple has
Let me stop you right there. Microsoft != Apple. Not in terms of install base. Not in terms of attack surface. Not in terms of the number of people who could be affected by not updating.
Not saying what MS is doing is right, I'm just saying that comparing Microsoft to Apple is like comparing Apples to bicycles. They have zero to do with each other in this case.
They are really, really good at that.
Yep, Linux has certainly come a long way. Nowadays you can install Linux Mint on pretty much anything in 20-30 minutes and have everything just work. Contrast that with Windows where it takes hours to install, needs to reboot multiple times and you still have to go grab all of your drivers and install basic software packages that it doesn't come with.
Synaptic is pretty sweet too. Tons and tons of free software available right from one place and can be installed, updated or removed with a single click. In Windows you have to go scouring the internet to find software from dozens of different sites, manually download and manually install them, it's a nightmare.
The problem with the phraseology of "Small Numbers" without actual Numbers.. is its left up to the Interpetive "Will" and "Honesty" of the Propagandist.
99 out of 100 users is "small numbers" simply because it is "less than" 100 percent
But you wouldn't know that.. unless you knew what "small numbers" actually meant, 99 out of 100
"There are statistics.. and then there are Damming Statistics"
I agree with you but you have to understand the history. They get bashed for the poor security and tons of zombie Windows machines. Alot of that would be fixed by just installing the updates. As a result they go overboard in trying to make sure users install updates. Then they get bashed for that.
This week at work about half of us have started getting daily blue screens of death. I checked and there were now updates or SW installs in the last month.
I've worked there for 5 years and never seen anything like this. Is it a domain policy change or config change from Microsoft that's triggering it?
We mostly use Windows to run VM's for Linux development, so I'm no MS lover.
Stop talking bullshit.
There are differences , but not so fundamental as to say "zero".
You want to give them a free pass because oh it's a bit difficult.
No.
It's Too Fucking Bad.
Secure your OS and use clever/simple engineering techniques to avoid continually releasing clusterfucks of APIs and not having sufficient confidence/control over quality that it fucks everything. No, that's not trivial, but then why you're justifying getting a few hundred bucks from everyone who buys a Dell, Lenovo, HP machines etc.
...affected a small group of users...