Microsoft wants Automatic Update for Windows

Edward Dao writes "After the embarassment of last week's blaster worm, Microsoft is weighing the possibility of automatic update. Microsoft not only wants to upload the latest patch on to users' computer but also installing it for them." This will work out really well for everyone I'm sure. Yikes! Can I at least press 'Ok' first?

oh yeah?

[krisp]

Of course, this will be implemented in such a way that implantinga fake RR for windowsupdate.microsoft.com into a local name serverallows Windows to download and run any file with a certian file name. This should make it far eaiser to fool Windows Update into installing Linux.
This will make Linux rollouts a breeze after buying all those Dells.

Imagine the possibilities!

Then again, the Microsoft Tax is cheaper then the SCO tax.

Does this mean..

[DiS[EnDeR]]

they want to reboot my computer without informing me?

Question

[HiQ]

How do you know Microsoft is automagically updating your system? I think the fact that it reboots ten times in a row is quite a giveaway...

ObGates-of-BorgReference

[DCheesi]

Resistence is futile, you will be patched...

Bye Bye Bruce

[kindbud]

"I have always been a fierce enemy of the Microsoft update feature, because I just don't like the idea of someone else -- particularly Microsoft -- controlling my system," said Bruce Schneier, co-founder of Counterpane Internet Security Inc. "Now, I think it's great, because it gets the updates out to the non-technically savvy masses, and that's the majority of Internet users. Security is a trade-off, to be sure, but this is one trade-off that's worthwhile."

And that concludes our evaluation of Counterpane's security consulting services. Have a nice day. Don't let the door hit you on the way out, Bruce.

Perspective

[mukund]

if (company_trusts_microsoft_code())
{
use_windows_OS();
allow_auto_updates();
}
else
use_some_other_OS();

/*
junk code

bitch();
moan();
flail_arms_wildly();
*/

Ideas for auto-up

[jamienk]

* Check for warez/serialz -- disable them and alert the vendors. Vendors can subscribe to "MS Auto Alert" program.

* Check for downloaded MP3s (from a database of known MD5s) -- disable them and alert the record distributors. RIAA can subscribe to "MS Locked Tunes" for service.

* Check for P2P programs -- disable them and alert local gov't authorities. Gov'ts can give big grants to MS for this as part of their "Anti-Terror-and-Pro-Business-Computers" bill.

* Check for web/ftp/irc servers -- disable them and alert ISP as to uploading violations. ISPs can join the "MSN One-Stream" network.

* Check for NAT -- diable and notify ISP... part of the push towards "MS-IPv6-PLUS!"

* Check for competitors' products (DRDOS, Java, Mozilla, OpenOffice, etc) -- disable them and alert user that their software was incompatable with the latest service pack. This one is free for end-users!

What if your update messes up auto-update?

[winkydink]

So, let's assume that Microsoft implements this functionality of "forced" automatic updates. What happens if they accidentally push out an update that messes up the ability to automatically update?

It's like the old joke:

What's the difference between a light bulb and a pregnant lady?

You can unscrew a light bulb.

MS had better make very sure their functionality is more like a light bulb than a pregnant lady. :)

Re:Not such a bad idea

[Anonymous Coward]

"The divide between the tech-aware and tech-unaware grows exponentially."

...and so do my consulting fees. [insert evil laugh here]

Re:No thanks

[erasmus_]

So in other words, you don't think the operation system could be smart enough to determine that you're on a dial-up instead of broadband, and schedule updates to be downloaded during off-hours, and only when it's detected that the computer has been idle for several hours? Yours is like the 3rd post to think that it will start downloading exactly when you're in the middle of something important - MS's usability engineers are not that dumb, no matter what Slashdrones say. Anyway, how do you get your updates now? You do get updates, don't you?

This is the only way

[The Pim]

Microsoft and others aren't going to stop producing buggy software. (Really, the effort would be Herculean.) So when there's a hole that will harm users, and knowing that most users won't voluntarily apply patches, what are they supposed to do? Saying "you should have patched" doesn't help their image, and doesn't help computing in general. When exploits can spread across the net in minutes, it's not even tenable for sophisticated users. Having users apply their own patches is an inherently losing proposition.

What's likely to happen? Microsoft will screw up a few times, to great embarrasment, then they will by economic necessity learn how to make reliable patches. After all, their only alternative is the greater embarrasment of rampant worms and viruses. The rest of the industry (including free software) will see that it is possible, and be pressured to do the same. It may be rocky for a while, but the end result is that millions of naive users will have reasonably secury systems. This is a huge improvement over today.

Re:Not such a bad idea

[RoLi]

Those shouldn't be done automatically anyway. Only security patches should be automatic.

And Windows shouldn't crash. And there should be no war and no hunger. And there should be no need for any patches in the first place.

Re:Does this mean..

[neptune1]

Windows crashes all the time without informing you anyway...

"Why's the Internet slowed down?"

[rleyton]

I can hear it now, a phone call from my Windows/56k modem afflicted parents, "Why's it all so slow?".

To which the only real reply is "Because Bill knows best Mum. Because Bill knows best". Add to this the fact that they crank up their computer on a six-monthly basis, and would probably stop altogether if each time they did, it rebooted the PC. Not that much different from MSBlast, really.

I Bought a PC....

[Pitawg]

I owned that PC all the way out of the store. I owned it all the way home and out of the box. I plugged it all up, hit the power button, then the "transfer of ownership" started. Once the initial non-linux OS started to boot (or install for my "put together box"), my ownership went away. My PC told me it had to get some files. It reached out across the open internet and started doing things on it's own. Then a popup message appeared on the screen. "Your machine has been caught downloading Intellectual Property of !! Your harddrive is being wiped!!"

So the cycle of ownership goes.....

Re:Service Packs

[nuser]

Anyone remember NT4 Service Pack 6? The first one? The one that broke tcp/ip?

Can you imagine the consequences?

1.Get auto patched.
2.No TCP/IP so get disconnected from net.
3.Reinstall OS
4.GoTo 1.

Familiar statistic restated - 90% of the worlds useful computers don't run windows!

Already Available Service

[LuYu]

I thought this service was already available [slashdot.org] from another shady vendor.

I guess it is time to embrace, extend, and extinguish another competing solution.

Re:Not such a bad idea

[Anonymous Coward]

OS Joke Cliche Alert:

WARNING: The preceeding post has violated the OS Joke Cliche rule. This "joke" has taken the form of a cheap shot towards a familiar OS without any supporting detail substantiating the claim (possibly ruining the "joke"). In fact, the lack of supporting data causes the "joke" to be increasingly unfunny.

This particular "joke" relied on the following unsubstantiated data:

(___) Linux/Windows/OSX users are better than other users
(_X_) Linux/Windows/OSX is better than other operating systems
(_X_) Windows crashes all the time
(___) Microsoft spelled "Micro$oft" or "M$"
(___) Microsoft is out to get you
(___) Linux users are a bunch of smelly hippies

The Church of Slashdot

[Chakde Phate!]

In the beginning there was the Word. And the Word was a near pointer...and God said Let there be Light! And a light was instantiated...

Who volunteers to write the book of SCO? *ducks*

Re:Asimov!

[shamino0]

1. Start a religion
2. Patch buggy versions of Windows
3. ???
4. Prophet!

Re:I love home users.

[danielsfca2]

Wait a minute... I thought he and the Owner of AOL were going to send $1 to that kid with no legs, arms or head that's dying of cancer... wait a minute.... was that... a hoax??

Oh, no!

I must tell my friend in Nigeria! I'd hate for him to get fooled by something like that.