Microsoft caught CHEATING Again Vista News Discuss Microsoft caught CHEATING Again in the Windows Vista forums; Microsoft caught doing stealth updates By Jose Vilches, TechSpot.com Published: September 13, 2007, 6:34 PM EST Software giant Microsoft has been caught updating files on both Windows XP ...

[Snuffy]

Microsoft caught doing stealth updates
By Jose Vilches, TechSpot.com
Published: September 13, 2007, 6:34 PM EST

Software giant Microsoft has been caught updating files on both Windows XP and Windows Vista without displaying the usual notification or permission dialog box – even if the user had previously disabled automatic updates. Microsoft, however, calls it built-in behavior and no cause for alarm.

Scott Dunn of “Windows Secrets”, reports nine files in XP and Vista have been altered by Windows Update in what he calls a stealth move by Microsoft. The updates are upgrades to the Windows Update service itself, and are not harmful to the system. However, the tactics used by Microsoft to perform them are comparable to those used by spyware companies, thus raising some concerns among the privacy minded.

So what is happening here? Windows Update program manager Nate Clinton explains in a blog post: http://blogs.technet.com/mu/archive/...p-to-date.aspx

To ensure on-going service reliability and operation, we must also update and enhance the Windows Update service itself, including its client side software. These upgrades are important if we are to maintain the quality of the service. […]The point of this explanation is not to suggest that we were as transparent as we could have been; to the contrary, people have told us that we should have been clearer on how Windows Update behaves when it updates itself

This is not the first time Microsoft has pushed updates out to users who prefer to test and install their updates manually. Back in October it was discovered that the anti-piracy program Windows Genuine Advantage was being downloaded and installed without asking users for their consent.

[Wiggles]

So I'm guessing that is how I got that update for Windows Update even though my updates were disabled at the time?

The Swines!

But really, this a problem concerning the privacy of users.
Why can't they have just been honest about this, what is there to hide from all of us that they have to use 'stealth updating'?

[Snuffy]

Sorry to say Yes.. I do think that is sort of "Invasion of Privacy" and it has happened I'm sure more than twice... I have had a couple of updates when I had "updates OFF" due to causing major problems with other stuff.. I have also posted a couple of "TURN UPDATES OFF". So if they find a Pirate.jpgthen they could/should instantly "TURN THEM OFF", guess the WGA is not that fool proof. since there are still MANY PIRATES out there.

[JoshW02@hotmail.co.uk]

I think MS should reserve the right to update any anti cracking stuff without consent as a term of use don't you think?

[Snuffy]

Actually NO. If you a consumer has "Auto updates TURNED OFF" and MS goes ahead and updates your system... THAT IS WRONG .. wither your a Pirate or Legit Owner "Its Wrong".
Sample: you like Firefox and not IE.. so MS auto updates your version so that Fire Fox can not operate, and ONLY IE works... or They update the NIC drivers that will not work on certain modems (this has happened in the past) "ITS WRONG - PIRATE OR LEGIT". What if they disabled IPv4 and allowed only IPv6 to work..that way MS could force there new protocol.
"IT IS WRONG".
If MS wants to make the WGA work better that is OK, they have several million Pirated OS using the WGA. test it on them NOT ON THE LEGIT PEOPLE. The KEYS I use were issued via MS to ME , they know my Name, my phone number, my street address, my town, my ZIP, they also know " I CAN NOT TALK", well sort of I can talk but it is very hard, I talk in a lite whisper and say 1 word at a time.. slowly. its rather hard to talk proper when you do not have a lyrnx. So phone support SUKS BIG TIME for me...unless my Wife is FREE - she makes all my phone calls...

[Vistanoob]

I went and checked out the article, then checked my own system and it looks like it happened to mine too,with automatic updates turned off!! No warning nothing. What else will they push behind
our backs??I agree it's wrong. The trouble is we don't know what other things might be installed supposedly for our own good. It's an infringement on our right to decide how we use a product that we have paid for, and sometimes updates do cause problems.

[nhawlman]

Gates wants to rule the world, and he's getting close. Is he the Biblical "Beast" ?

Don't we wonder where Windows came from ? How did Gates get it from Geoworks? Where did Windows Explorer come from? How did he get it from Xtree? Where did IE come from? How did he get it from Netscape?

Monopolies STINK !!

nhawlman

[JoshW02@hotmail.co.uk]

I don't see the problem if it's just anti cracking updates and nothing else (assuming the update is not using too much space)

[Vistanoob]

I understand where you're coming from, but it's the principle that's wrong. The fact that we are supposedly given a choice how to manage the product we payed for, but that choice can be overruled behind our backs!! That's the issue, not, in this case, the actual files we recieved.

[JoshW02@hotmail.co.uk]

Well I guess if it say turn off you would assume it ment total shutdown of updates I think as long as ms mabye put some kind of note somewhere for this kind of thing I say its ok.