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Latest Windows 10 Update Breaks Windows Media Player, Win32 Apps In General (arstechnica.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the how-did-that-happen dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: The important data loss bug that interrupted the rollout of the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, version 1809, may be fixed, but it turns out there are plenty of other weird problems with the release. As spotted by Paul Thurrott, the update also breaks the seek bar in Windows Media Player when playing "specific files." Microsoft does promise to fix the bug, but the timeframe is vaguely open-ended: it will be "in an upcoming release."

Also in the "how did that happen" category comes another bug: some Win32 programs can't be set as the default program for a given file type. So if you want certain files to always open in Notepad, for example, you're currently out of luck. A fix for this is promised by the end of the month. Setting default program associations is something that's been in Windows for 20-something years, so it's a little alarming that it should be broken. On top of this, there continue to be complaints that Windows 10 version 1809 doesn't work with iCloud, and machines with the iCloud client are currently blacklisted to prevent them from receiving the 1809 update. It's not immediately clear whose fault this one is -- it could be Microsoft's, but it's also possible that Apple is to blame.

11 of 200 comments (clear)

  1. Windows shouldn't be a service! by zidium · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Windows just shouldn't be a service!

    Leave it alone and give us big big upgrades every couple of years.... That's fine and acceptable and what we're used to.

    This autoupdating crap means that any given morning, my box may be broken in very strange ways, with little if any perceivable benefit.

    --
    Slashdot Valentines Beta Massacre: iT WORKED! The boycotts killed Beta!!
    1. Re:Windows shouldn't be a service! by reboot246 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      "Shit as a Service" is maybe the best, most accurate description I've ever read about Microsoft's current operating system.

      When my Windows 7 goes tango uniform, it sure as hell won't be replaced with anything from Microsoft.

    2. Re:Windows shouldn't be a service! by Megol · · Score: 4, Insightful

      One is a bug and the other a trend.

    3. Re:Windows shouldn't be a service! by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 4, Insightful

      If you don't like how Windows 10 behaves then switch to another operating system. Anything less is rewarding Microsoft for bad behavior.

      --
      Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
    4. Re:Windows shouldn't be a service! by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 4, Informative

      it's MY OS, I paid for it, and I want it on MY disk, thanks.

      Wrong. You paid for a license to be able to use their OS and given the EULA you agreed to, they can change anything they want at any point and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it. I'm not trying to be mean, I'm simply pointing out the harsh reality of the situation.

      --
      Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
    5. Re:Windows shouldn't be a service! by gweihir · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Automatic updates are, in principle, not much of a problem. I have run Debian (w/o systemd) with automatic updates every 3 days for about 15 years now, both desktop and server, with one real problem in the whole time. Sure, major version updates are still manual, but everything else is not. In addition, I have some of my own boot-scripts in there and use self-compiled custom kernels. So this can be done reliably even with no-so-standard configurations.

      The problem here is that MS cannot support this model, as their product is far too badly made and they do not have the technological expertise to stay on top of things. In addition, they are slowly becoming less relevant (mostly because of Android) and seem to be somewhat panicked, with one bad decision following another and UI changes (WTF? Who wants UI changes? This is a tool!) that are supposed to "revolutionize" things, but in reality just make things worse.

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  2. So I just need iCloud to prevent automatic updates by Goldenhawk · · Score: 4, Funny

    That's cool. I knew that eventually iCloud would be good for SOMETHING.

    --
    --Brandon / Split Infinity Music

  3. Overheard at the Microsoft bar... by geekmux · · Score: 5, Insightful

    (Windows ME) "I will remain forever champion as the Worst Microsoft Operating System!"

    (Windows 10) "Hold my beer."

    The Year of the Linux Desktop; brought to you by Windows Update.

    1. Re:Overheard at the Microsoft bar... by karlandtanya · · Score: 4, Funny

      (Windows ME) "I will remain forever champion as the Worst Microsoft Operating System!"

      (Windows 10) "Hold my beer."

      Microsoft BoB: "Pfft. Amateurs."

      --
      "Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." - Philip K. Dick
  4. Windows 10 news stories not sufficiently intense. by Futurepower(R) · · Score: 5, Informative

    It is my opinion that Microsoft's mis-management and abuse is not reported sufficiently. Joking may help people adjust.

    Microsoft is damaging customers and itself.

    Some of the many, many stories:

    Windows 10 is possibly the worst spyware ever made. "Buried in the service agreement is permission to poke through everything on your PC." (Aug. 4, 2015)

    Microsoft's Intolerable Windows 10 Aggression (May 27, 2016)

    Microsoft is infesting Windows 10 with annoying ads (March 17, 2017)

    Microsoft, stop sabotaging Windows 10. (March 21, 2017)

  5. Wine for Windows? by MtHuurne · · Score: 4, Funny

    Maybe it's time to port Wine to Windows, so WIndows 10 users can run Win32 applications...