Microsoft has posted a lengthy and complicated explanation to its Windows Software program Update Companies (WSUS) blog, explaining the most recent situation of why software program updates are becoming pushed to people who believe they;ve turned automated updating off.
The UK Register noted on October 25 that many admins were viewing Microsoft Desktop Lookup 3.01 pushed out to people through Microsoft;s WSUS enterprise patching/update technique,
Office 2010 Activation Key, despite acquiring opted from this “resource-hogging search app.”
Bobbie Harder, Microsoft Product Manager for WSUS, explained why some firms had been viewing the updated Windows Desktop Search bits (aka,
Microsoft Office 2010 Key, the updated package for KB917013) pushed to their end users. It turns out Microsoft changed the deployment rules after the original release of Windows Desktop Search. Harder noted:
“The original update release,
Office 2010 Activation Key, released February 2007 as an optional update, was only applicable on systems which had a version of Windows Desktop Search installed. The recent update Revision 105, had the applicability logic expanded to be applicable to all systems regardless if a prior version of Windows Desktop Search was installed, IF of course, approved in the WSUS Administrative UI or via Administrator-set auto-approval rules.”
Harder summarized:
“The initial February 2007 (WIndows Desktop Search 3.01) release had to be purposely checked/approved by WSUS admin s sfor distribution, because it was an Optional update.
“All subsequent metadata-only revisions to that WSUS admin approved February 2007 release would then also be automatically approved for distribution.
“The initial February approval is retained throughout the life of the update,
Genuine Office 2007, regardless of revision.”
Microsoft realizes this policy is creating confusion, Harder said, and will subsequently be “tightening the criteria for Revisions so that auto-approval of revision behaivors are more predictable and of similar scope as the original approved update.”
Meanwhile, there;s a new theory circulating as to why a number of Windows XP and Vista users are reporting that their machines are patching and forcibly rebooting themselves. It might be Windows Live OneCare;s fault.
Microsoft officials said earlier this week that there were no problems with Microsoft;s Automatic Update (AU) patching mechanism, nor with patches delivered on October 9 as part of Patch Tuesday that might be causing the automated rebooting. Instead, company officials said they believed users an/or their admins — whether they realized it or not — were changing their preferences on Automatic Update to allow automated updating and forced rebooting.
Microsoft officials said on October 25 they had been looking into new reports of AU-related problems introduced through Windows Live Onecare and would provide more information once they determined whether or not OneCare might be the culprit behind noted rogue rebooting.
Vista marketing officials acknowledged this week that the company realizes it need to do a better job of explaining and implementing Windows Update/Automatic Update policies in order to maintain customers; trust.
Update (late in the evening, EST,
Windows 7 Home Premium Product Key, on October 25): Microsoft has provided some additional information pertaining to ongoing reports of rogue reboots.
On the consumer side of the house, the OneCare team is acknowledging that OneCare can and will override people; Microsoft Update settings — opting for Automated Updates to be installed by default — in the name of simplicity. But the team is reevaluating the best way to make end users more aware of this fact, going forward. From a posting on the OneCare Team blog:
“In the first OneCare boot experience we have gone to great lengths to disclose that OneCare may automatically effect changes to user settings in order to help best protect the user. When you first install Windows Live OneCare, setup informs you that if you choose to proceed your computer settings will be changed to automatically download and install important updates from Microsoft Update (a Microsoft service that provides software program updates for Windows components and other Microsoft programs). You may still choose whether or not to install recommended and optional updates. “
On the enterprise/WSUS side, there;s new information that has been added to the WSUS Team blog, as of this evening. Company officials explained a mistake the WSUS team made when rolling out an update to Windows Desktop Search this past Tuesday, and is providing information to help people uninstall any copies of WDS that had been pushed erroneously to them without their approval.
(Broken glass window. Image by nationalrural. CC 2.0)