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Don't tell people to turn off Windows Update

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Re: Don't tell people to turn off Windows Update

#11

Post by setq »

I don't know why people complain about updates and restarting, particularly in this thread. You fill your car up with fuel regularly because it has been warning you it's nearly empty for a while much like updates remind you regularly. People seem to complain and say "it updated right when I was in the middle of X" but they've been putting it off for ages. Do you break down in the middle of the motorway when you run out of fuel too?

Windows only updates when you're doing something because you're putting everyone else at risk by not running the damn things in and you've had plenty of notice.

Re: Don't tell people to turn off Windows Update

#13

Post by jamespo »

kefka wrote: post #9

And the reason why people were suggesting to turn off Windows Update was precisely because of malware payloads directly from Microsoft. "Do you want to upgrade to Windows 10? Press the hidden button to cancel, otherwise upgrade commences." This is how malware works.... But published and pushed by MS's own channels. And his jab at people who say that turning off WU is similar to anti-vaxxers is completely inane and fa…

No, most people turned it off because they didn't want updates interrupting them. You are vastly overestimating who cares about "MS malware".

Re: Don't tell people to turn off Windows Update

#14

Post by Asooka »

CydeWeys wrote: post #4

I love the way he's compared the people who tell you to turn off auto-updates with anti-vaxxers; it's quite an apt analogy. Microsoft shares part of the blame here for pushing features that the user clearly doesn't want through updates (especially to the major OS version). Look at the recent ads in Windows file explorer for one example. A lot of the advice to turn Windows Update off is a misguided response to Microso…

I don't feel it's quite an apt analogy, since anti-vaxxers have fully imaginary fears of adverse consequences (vaccines causing autism), while people who disable windows update do it after suffering real adverse consequences of forced updates. A good firewall would protect from WanaCrypt and everything else distributed via opening SMB ports on random IPs over the internet (correct me if I'm wrong), so you should be safe even if you've disabled Windows Update for a legitimate reason. A legitimate reason like "this Windows runs on a medical/factory/etc. device that CANNOT go offline to install updates willy-nilly".

Re: Don't tell people to turn off Windows Update

#15

Post by zouhair »

setq wrote: post #11

I don't know why people complain about updates and restarting, particularly in this thread. You fill your car up with fuel regularly because it has been warning you it's nearly empty for a while much like updates remind you regularly. People seem to complain and say "it updated right when I was in the middle of X" but they've been putting it off for ages. Do you break down in the middle of the motorway when you run o…

I hope your car doesn't stop randomly against your will so it can get a refill.

Re: Don't tell people to turn off Windows Update

#16

Post by vezycash »

kristianc wrote: post #8
chrisacky wrote: post #2

I was on a internal Slack call with team the other day, I ended up having to restart to Windows to do a screenshare and switch to Skype. I ended up having to delay my working day by about 45 minutes while Windows decided to do a mandatory update without any granularity of choice on when is convenient for me. That's what is frustrating. I ended up being unproductive for a whole hour because Windows forced an update on…

The article points out that you can set hours when Windows will update.

What if Microsoft instead fixed the need to restart for almost every update?

Re: Don't tell people to turn off Windows Update

#17

Post by Jonnax »

chrisacky wrote: post #2

I was on a internal Slack call with team the other day, I ended up having to restart to Windows to do a screenshare and switch to Skype. I ended up having to delay my working day by about 45 minutes while Windows decided to do a mandatory update without any granularity of choice on when is convenient for me. That's what is frustrating. I ended up being unproductive for a whole hour because Windows forced an update on…

It's an interesting problem. Live updates without requiring a restart is going to be a complex task, how do you reload a library in use by a program without crashing it? Especially when Windows has a decade+ of software compatibility.

Their current solution is scheduling updates to periods when the computer is not in use. I think recently they added an option for you to define a set of hours where updates take place.

But the problem with this is that people don't treat Windows PCs like always-on devices like they treat mobile phones and tablets. So in those night hours the computer is off forcing daytime updates.

Re: Don't tell people to turn off Windows Update

#18

Post by AndrewOMartin »

Jonnax wrote: post #7

I've noticed that there is a certain level of competency a person can attain in a subject where they think they have an advanced knowledge and hand out advice with a certain authority. But in reality they are spreading dangerous misinformed information. Windows's auto updates though can be annoying, ensures that the average computer is up to date. Like in the example of this article: "If you had any version of Window…

Psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger made a similar observation.

Re: Don't tell people to turn off Windows Update

#19

Post by dagw »

zouhair wrote: post #15
setq wrote: post #11

I don't know why people complain about updates and restarting, particularly in this thread. You fill your car up with fuel regularly because it has been warning you it's nearly empty for a while much like updates remind you regularly. People seem to complain and say "it updated right when I was in the middle of X" but they've been putting it off for ages. Do you break down in the middle of the motorway when you run o…

I hope your car doesn't stop randomly against your will so it can get a refill.

It does if I put off getting that refill for long enough.

Re: Don't tell people to turn off Windows Update

#20

Post by k__ »

Jonnax wrote: post #7

I've noticed that there is a certain level of competency a person can attain in a subject where they think they have an advanced knowledge and hand out advice with a certain authority. But in reality they are spreading dangerous misinformed information. Windows's auto updates though can be annoying, ensures that the average computer is up to date. Like in the example of this article: "If you had any version of Window…

Most people don't get any Windows education. They use it at home for years, write on their resume, they know Windows and the Office Suite and say this is their advanced knowledge.

On the other hand, this is how I started programming when I was 15 :D

But well, I didn't write it in my resume till I finished my CS degree.

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