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Microsoft Admits It Updated Some Windows 10 Computers To Newest Build Despite Users Telling It Not To Do That (bleepingcomputer.com)
Catalin Cimpanu, writing for BleepingComputer: The admission came in a knowledge base article updated last week. Not all users of older Windows versions were forcibly updated, but only those whose machines were running Windows 10 v1703 (Creators Update). This is the version where Microsoft added special controls to the Windows Update setting section that allow users to pause OS updates in case they have driver or other hardware issues with the latest OS version. But according to reports, a Microsoft snafu ignored these settings and forcibly updated some users to Windows 10 v1709 (Fall Creators Update).
Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services -> Windows Update -> Properties -> Change Startup to "Disabled". Reboot
Don't forget to re-enable periodically to catch up on updates, also will be needed for some Hardware drivers that download from Microsoft. Avoid IE or Edge Browsers, and use 3rd party AV. Job done, and system downtime is drastically reduced.
We had to block access to Windows Updare to our enterprise because domain joined Enterprise Edition imaged Win 10 PCs weâ(TM)re pulling down the newer builds which isnâ(TM)t yet certified to run in our environment.
I have had incidents of both iOS and Android auto updating, on my capped data connection as well. We need to have some powerful legal action against auto updating and get a mandatory disable updates button put prominently in the settings menu.
I've been using a Mac for a long time now. The main reason I switched at the time, is that Windows security updates were fickle like this - they would just drop in unannounced and start modifying things. It's depressing to see this is basically still the case.
On a Mac, you can just let an update sit essentially forever and truly upgrade on your own schedule. Don't want to take in patches or software updates until you've finished some critical work? Well that's fine. Or maybe wait two years to update a secondary laptop that's working perfectly well for light use? Sure why not. Maybe you like to wait a while for user reviews of an update to come in for some less common hardware you are using? Good idea!
On Windows systems I used to own, every time I connected to the internet felt like a gamble, would I be able to use this system this morning? Or indeed for the whole day at all if an update went sideways? I literally sometimes would use the system offline specifically to avoid the risk of updating.
I firmly believe the main reason Windows have stayed as primary systems in so many companies, is that in a corporate environment updates are managed by IT and so come in at generally convenient times (though even there I was stuffed a few times when I came in on the weekend to do some programming and an update would drop).
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
LOL. A "snafu". That's code for "we own your computer, regardless of who has posession of it".
but I wanted to run without the latest security patches!!!
With Windows It's not always that simple. Sometimes you just want to reboot quickly or access your machine in a hurry and find yourself stuck installing a lengthy patch cluster so if you are in a hurry and the damn "Try Later" button is not working it can be very annoying.
ATmega328p to the rescue!
#DeleteFacebook
The Windows EULA you sign when you install it or run it for the first time signs away any right you might have to complain about what they do to your computer.
I love how they didn't even give AMD any time while Intel's Meltdown enjoyed nearly half a year of non-disclosure. If they are as bad as they seem, as the previous so-called-TrustZone AMD exploit turned out to be nothing but a imaginary attack that couldn't be replicated on real hardware, we'll have another proof that TrustedComputing(r) is a bad idea in general...
Can we get the 2012/7 level of control? at least for server 2016
wsus can block them.
mac forces newer os builds on new hardware. MS gives you downgrade rights.
Is what it is. No sublime. It happended to me.
mac forces newer os builds on new hardware.
Yes, but the Mac does not have anything like the Windows 7 -> Windows 10 deal where lots of users want to run past OS's just to run past OS's, there is not a dramatic difference in OSX over several years like there can be with major versions of Windows.
I can understand newer hardware requiring a newer OS, because generally that means a more stable system. When you buy a system generally you don't care about downgrading, you just want it to work and that's how they ship it.
The whole point of my issue with the upgrades is that you had a working system, that at any point in time may be rendered unusable for at least a half hour, but maybe a day or more if the upgrade breaks something important. Buying a new system things work out of the box... In fact there's another point for the Mac come to think of it, if I get a new Mac I can just start using it. If I get a new Windows system almost certainly it's going to be installing updates the moment it sees a network connection.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
I know we only buy a license for software but how much more does MS have to do until the real ownership of the software becomes theirs and not ours? And does the liability follow?
At my shop somehow the update permanently destroyed the boot loading EFI sector thingy on about 20 computers. So boot loader repair utility, MS or otherwise, could fix it.
Windows 10 is absolutely horrible and represents the pinnacle of Microsoft arrogance and contempt for the consumer. The best thing to do is stay on 7 or upgrade to windows 7 like millions of other users are doing according to netmarketshare. Or find a good Linux distro, windows is definitely on its way out altogether.
I especially like it when one of these patches needs 10GB of space on my cheap tablets from Fry's. Some have 32GB but some only have 16GB. I have to fudge around in the registry to get it to use microSD cards as temp space to download patches. Great thinking, Microsoft! Did you people learn nothing from Vista?
Not all users of older Windows versions were forcibly updated, but only those whose machines were running Windows 10 v1703 (Creators Update). This is the version where Microsoft added special controls to the Windows Update setting section that allow users to pause OS updates in case they have driver or other hardware issues with the latest OS version
Am I reading this correctly? To me this sounds like "no, not everyone was forced to upgrade...we only forced those users who had the ability to choose not to update". Or in other words, everyone was forced (either through lack of an option, or through ignoring your selection in the option).
/s/snafu/habit
Well, considering that Microsoft's "security" patches almost always introduce more security holes than they fix...
Only an idiot thinks that newer = more secure.
the last hardware update for the mini was 2014.
I do. That is also when my computer backs up. Which was interrupted by the Microsoft update. So if the update had not worked, or had trashed the machine, I could have lost work, and money. How hard is that to understand?
For me, I got the black screen of death after the automatic upgrade which I had turned off.
Website Just Down For Me? Find out
I used/supported Windows for 20 years as a sysadmin. When I retired in 2010, I decided I was done with anything MS, and switched my home systems from dualboot Win7/Linux to JUST Linux. Since I'd been using Linux off/on since 1994, starting with Slackware, it was a particularly easy "switch".. Now I laugh my ass off at the abuse MS heaps on those who, for whatever reason, STILL us MS products, especially Windows 10. Being retired, I have copious "playtime" and I tried Windows 10 when it first came out and was astounded at the lengths MS went to to get their product on every possible machine. They took a LOT of tricks out the malware writers playbook to shovel their shit everywhere they could.
These endless reports of Windows doing whatEVER the hell it wants on computers *should* tell all you need to know about *your* computer, if you still use Windows.. hint: *YOUR* computer has become MS's computer, and they just let you use it, except when they want to use it.. As I said, ENDLESS ENTERTAINMENT....
THANK YOU, Edward Snowden!! Americans owe you a debt of gratitude (whether they know it or not..)
Where are my glasses.
TAILS Linux v.3.6 is planned for release today - here's the download prior to any announcements:
http://dl.amnesia.boum.org/tai...
http://dl.amnesia.boum.org/tai...
http://dl.amnesia.boum.org/tai...
No, but most of us are busy when we're turning our computer on or off.
"Prediction: within 10 years, Windows will be a Linux distribution." Me, 7-6-2016
Microsoft seems to have become much like the malware purveyors. They still "apologize" after the damage is done and they've accomplished what they set out to do. Soon they won't even bother to make excuses.
"Researchers".
So, these researchers are working for free, right? No paycheck? No sponsor? Just for the good of humanity have they found alleged flaws in AMD chips to match the gaping asshole of Intel's speculative execution problems?
Go fuck yourself, intel-cock-sucking anonymous coward.
"Prediction: within 10 years, Windows will be a Linux distribution." Me, 7-6-2016
I'm having a slow month.. More forced updates and black. screens / stuck updates means more money fixing it. I have a great client that is crippled by these regularly. Friday already scheduled.
I got one machine NIGHTLY trying to go to 1709. Get 80% done and backs it back out. Then repeat repeat repeat. Had to kill that update finally then another 2 hrs install and back out. Finally stopped
You would they would figure out the first time it did not and send report to mother to get it fixed.
I don't leave my computer up 24 hours a day. Wake it up when I need and hibernate it when done. So allow me final control when to install updates.
When an os is so bad that Microsoft can't hardly give it away for free, you know there is something wrong. There is exactly zero reasons to use windows 10 or even 8. All it does is take control away from the user and force those ugly tiles and ribbon garbage on you. Sure, I could install a bunch of programs to make it a little more like windows 7, but why? Windows 7 works fine.
Unless they get severely punished for it, it does not matter that they do it and even admit it.
If I rob a bank and I confess and not get to soend time in jail, it does not matter that there is a law forfidding it.
Without accountability the law (and many other things) are meaningless.
Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
Goldfinger's Rule, as chronicled by I. Fleming, tells us that "Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action."
From the article: "This incident marks the third time in the past year when Microsoft has mistakenly updated v1703 users to v1709. It happened before in November 2017 and January 2018 when Patch Tuesday security updates accidentally upgraded some users."
The rule would seem to apply.
Go back and redesign as something taking the best features of Windows XP and Windows 7 combine it with a fully user controlled certificate chain (they can load up defaults, but the end user should be able to delete *EVERYTHING*, and in the case of Microsoft Certificates, require 'ask for authorization' before installing any Microsoft applications or programs.
This was actually bothering me the other day with Debian/Devuan: Unless a particular repository's signing key is invalid it won't tell you which repository it is updating a particular package from. SuSE on the other hand, via zypper, tells you any time it will need to change a package from one repository's version to another, so you can correctly decide if the repo in question should be allowed to update a package currently being 'owner' by another repository. This makes using 3rd party repositories verifiable if not completely safe (since many people are lazy and have automated scripts signing packages, or compromised TPMs holding keys, instead of say doing offline signing of release packages, and having a separate dev key that can be more easily revoked if compromised.)
While microsoft's current signing infrastructure looks good to a layman, anyone who understands the actual chain of authority should be very concerned, since it is placing power over your device's software ecosystem in the corporate equivalent of the TSA+DHS.
I couldn't get the Creator's Update to install until I chased my tail around for a long time and eventually came up on this post.
https://answers.microsoft.com/...
What it basically states is that the checker for the update scans the whole hard drive and will block the update just because you have a backup of a driver file that is incompatible even if that driver is not installed nor in use. This is ridiculous but it looks like Microsoft still hasn't fixed it.
Did you notice that the article headline includes the word "Allegedly"?
It may be serious, but it may not. The claims sound pretty bad, but I can't evaluate how seriously to take them, and it sounds as if CNet wasn't willing to actually accept them. We'll see after some others evaluate the issue.
I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
He might not be defending Intel so much as trying to distract people from the MS fiasco.
I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
An article about Microsoft not following their users settings.
User post about using Microsoft settings to help.
Hmmmm? Shill much?
Can we just sue these asses into oblivion for this yet?
-2 Dumbass... no cookies for you!
Spyware from Microsoft is nowadays more invasive and disturbing as the one which comes from porn and piracy sites. So from user point of view, it is better to avoid installing the Microsoft's "security" updates.
What a moron shitposter.
on a computer used to play computer games.
Enjoy that gpu, cpu and directx for fun games.
For any real computing, find a real OS that respects users.
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
Then you've got a Microsoft tech remoting i to your machine via the update ticket, or a Microsoft tech calling you up and asking you to install TeamViewer so he can remote in... *hint* *hint*
By not having the device phone home to fix, without a special support agreement anyway, it avoids customers getting used to unsolicited support calls, and thus hopefully fewer individuals scammed.
Yes it updates even when you turn off everything and tell it not to. I had one computer do this. And it was doing fine with not updating, then one day it started again all by itself and would not stop trying to update. The problem was there was something in there that was causing it to freeze at 82% (Creators update) and I would have to hardboot it, then it would roll back and then the process started again.
I did so much stuff trying to not get it to boot, nothing worked, so I had to figure out why it was not updating.
Long story short, I manually downloaded updates, and command line cleaned some stuff and removed the wireless card.
At least it's back to normal.
But the computers will reboot even if you don't want them and even when you want to leave work on them overnight, I never do that anymore.
I bet they will have another "snafu" when a gov't, most likely the United States, wants a mickey slipped onto computers worldwide.
"This update includes exciting new animated wallpapers, security improvements, finer user level settings, abackdoortofortheNSA*cough*, and Reversi Classic!"
Got a reply from you!
#DeleteFacebook
Yep, happened to me. And the new build didn't work with World of Tanks properly. So I tried to roll it back, which failed, and then soft looped the system. I had to boot from install media to get out of the looping. Thanks loads.
I wish there was a choice that said "Factually Wrong -1" when I mod.
The corporate DNA is strong in this one.
You're naively talking about proprietary (nonfree, user-subjugating) software as if the user has any real control over it. Microsoft's antics with Windows alone prove time and again that the proprietor is always in control, and the user only gets to control something with the allowed limits set by the proprietor.
This is why you have Microsoft getting away with tricking people into accepting a switch from Windows 7 to Windows 10, ignoring so-called privacy settings, and more.
Quit believing that the right preference tweak, registry setting, or anything else will really assert control over Windows. And quit believing that the (very likely) proprietary black box of your so-called antivirus software will "protect" the other black box of an operating system from harm. Using proprietary software to prevent harm from reaching other proprietary software ignores how software actually works, ignores the massive disrespect for a user's software freedom, and leaves the user with multiple masters who have more say about what that computer does than the user ever will.
Digital Citizen
First time I updated to Creators was intentional, it screwed up all my drivers and I had to reinstall. When I re-installed, I followed a LENGTHY online tutorial that involved disabling services, changing local / group policies, and disabling services.... Sure enough, it prompts me to update, and after multiple times of re-tracing my previous steps, all the settings were reverted, and my system which stays up 24/7 was automatically restarted to support it's auto-update. HOW/WHY DOES THIS NOT WORK!? This should be something that can be disabled with a simple TOGGLE switch. Windows 10 is pre-rooted by Microsoft - who's to say they're not re-enabling disabled privacy settings. Microsoft has cost me dozens of hours of personal time & labor, caused the loss of thousands of irreplaceable photos / memories, and somehow I PAID them for the pleasure... When are people going to wake up and ditch these jokers - UNIX based systems such as OSX/Redhat have numerous advantages over windows for security and efficiency - COME ON PEOPLE (Adobe, Bungie, etc) - DITCH THESE LOSERS, it's time to trade teams. Microsoft has been stagnant for decades and has only survived because business has rooted themselves so deeply with their garbage OS! When they finally come close to something passable like late XP & 7, they bloat it and give you fucking tiles!!!
So I wonder if the process argument here in this thread is due to the version of windows used. E.g. professional vs ultimate, 10 vs 8.1 or whatever.
Is anyone really surprised by this?
I did some work at MS back in the 90s. It was so different then. They truly were obsessed with the customer. Greedy? Hell yeah, but they truly did want to TRY to do right by the customer (partners and competitors they'd fuck over in a heart beet, but customers they cared about).
Now, Microsoft treats their customers more like geese being fattened up for their livers. Don't want more food little goosey? No problem. We've got this pipe we can shove down your throat so we can force-feed you.
Microsoft is a totally trustworthy company!!
Really - When I use Windows 10, I feel like my computer is an enemy.