Microsoft addresses new reports of forced Windows updates and reboots
Microsoft has posted a long and complex explanation to its Windows Software Update Services (WSUS) blog, explaining the latest case of why software updates are being pushed to users who believe theyve turned automatic updating off.
windows -
comments -
25.10.2007 Microsoft reboots borked Windows 7 Beta
The primary public Beta link for Windows 7 is now live, a day after Microsoft said it would make the bits available.
windows -
comments -
12.1.2009 XP SP3 cripples some PCs with endless reboots
Installing Windows XP Service Pack 3 sends some PCs into an endless series of reboots, according to posts to a Microsoft support forum.
windows -
comments -
9.5.2008 Windows 7 RTM Black Screen of Death after Forced Shutdown Actions
Microsoft has informed users of an issue that prevents Windows 7 from starting after the computer the OS is installed on has been forced shut down.
windows -
comments -
7.10.2009 Forced Upgrades to Windows Live Messenger 14.0.8089.726 Debut
Users that have failed to upgrade to the latest iteration of the Microsoft instant messaging client will have little choice moving on.
download -
comments -
15.9.2009 Rapidshare To Be Forced to Shut Down Following Court Defeat?
Last week we reported on rumors that Rapidshare had, or was about to be, shut down, rumors that now look likely to resurface.
common -
comments -
30.1.2008 Forced Software Upgrades Can Add Up for Vista Users
Windows users contemplating the cost of upgrading to Vista may need a fatter wallet than they thought.
windows -
comments -
6.3.2007 Popular Instant Messenger, Gaim, Forced to Change Name
It was announced, yesterday, that the popular multi-headed instant messaging client, Gaim, has undergone a name change. The new name, Pidgin, comes after years of secret discussions and legal issues with internet giant, AOL.
common -
comments -
8.4.2007 Vista SP1, and then Windows 7, Windows 8 and Non-Windows Midori
2008 saw the release of Windows Vista Service Pack 1, Windows XP Service Pack 3 and Windows Server 2008, but Microsoft's journey on the Windows path is far from over.
windows -
comments -
5.8.2008 Windows 7 RC Brings Windows XP Mode Beta and Windows Virtual PC Beta
The Release Candidate of Windows 7 will bring with it the first Beta development milestones for Windows XP Mode and Windows Virtual PC.
windows -
comments -
29.4.2009 Windows Reactivator 2.0 - Backup & Restore Activation Status of Windows XP with Windows Reactivator
Every time you reinstall your windows XP you need to reactivate it online using your product key & worst if you lost your Windows XP product key.
download -
comments -
3.6.2009 Windows Vista SP1 vs. Windows Vista RTM vs. Windows XP SP2
Feb 26th, 2008. Principled Technologies has released two Microsoft commissioned reports on Windows Vista SP1 performance. In these tests, Principled Technologies measured responsiveness of Windows Vista SP1 vs. Windows Vista RTM vs. Windows XP SP2 when performing a set of common business and home tasks.
windows -
comments -
28.2.2008 Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 9 1 Billion and Counting
Is Windows dead? Or, at least, is this the beginning of the end for Microsoft's proprietary operating system?
windows -
comments -
15.9.2008 Week in Microsoft: Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 9
This week in Microsoft, we covered 128-bit support possibly coming to Windows 8 and Windows 9, Windows 7, Windows Mobile 6.5, Bill Gates, Office 2010 Starter, Microsoft MVP status, Windows Live Hotmail, the EU, and Microsoft Security Essentials.
windows -
comments -
10.10.2009 Windows Vista Build 5231 and Windows Media Player 11 Leaks!
Windows Vista Build 5231 has leaked to the web. The new build is said to include Windows Media Player 11 included. View the screenshots below! This is a Main branch build that was released on September 12th, 2005 at 8:20PM.
windows -
comments -
Windows Vista SP1 and Windows XP SP3: Official Release Dates
A French website, PC Inpact, has posted the official Microsoft product change request forms for Vista SP1 and Windows XP SP3.
windows -
comments -
6.2.2008 Download Free Windows Vista and Windows XP SP2 Straight from Microsoft
Via the Internet Explorer Application Compatibility VPC Image. That's right! Microsoft is offering access to free downloads of Windows Vista and Windows XP SP2.
download -
comments -
6.3.2008 Windows Vista SP1 outperforms Windows XP SP2 in file copy
"Its interesting that people seem to think that Vista under performs in every area of the system which is quite an incorrect perception.
windows -
comments -
27.5.2008 Windows Fiji Has RTMd as Windows Media Center TV Pack 2008
Microsoft officially confirmed that Windows Fiji has been released to manufacturing.
windows -
comments -
18.7.2008 Windows 7 Beta Doesn't Play Nice with Windows Azure Cloud OS Tools
The promise for Windows 7 is that it will deliver an evolution when it will come down to stretching into the Cloud compared to its precursor, Windows Vista.
windows -
comments -
16.1.2009 Internet Explorer 8 MUI packs for Windows XP, Windows Server 03
As detailed in our previous blog post, the following Internet Explorer MUI packs shipped today.
download -
comments -
17.5.2009 Windows Home Server Power Pack 3 Beta adds Windows 7 support
Microsoft announced the release of Windows Home Server Power Pack 3 Beta, along with news that it will feature Windows 7 support.
windows -
comments -
20.7.2009 Check for RAM Error or Defect in Windows 7 and Vista with Windows Memory Diagnostic
Memory or RAM is one of the most important electronic hardware component on a computer systems, not only in term of speed or clock frequency and size, but also the reliability of hardware ecosystem of the RAM sticks or memory modules and its subsystem.
common -
comments -
1.10.2009 The Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 98 Threat Mitigation Guide
Well, Microsoft still puts effort in old Windows versions...
microsoft -
comments -
31.3.2006 Windows Vista comes with 19,500 drivers on DVD more on Windows Update
Ever needed to find a driver for a product and wished Windows would either just have the driver in it, or that their Windows Update service could provide it? With Vista, it can and new features and updates will be forthcoming too. Its about time!
windows -
comments -
20.11.2006 Windows XP Home No Longer Qualifies for Windows Vista Upgrades
Windows XP Home Edition no longer qualifies for Windows Vista Business Upgrade or Upgrade + SA through Volume Licensing.
windows -
comments -
17.10.2007 Microsoft Offers a Complex Windows Vista vs. Windows XP Perspective
A new standard of security is an integer aspect of the evolution puzzle represented by the move from Windows XP to Windows Vista.
windows -
comments -
3.11.2007 Windows XP SP3 to Drop Concomitantly with Windows Vista SP1?
Yes, it's time for every Windows user's favorite obsession: Windows XP Service Pack 3. The third and final service pack for Windows XP has been quite elusive for the past three years.
windows -
comments -
25.11.2007 Windows Vista vs. Windows 9x/Me, NT Server, 2000 and XP
If at just a couple of weeks short of the first anniversary since Windows Vista hit the shelves you are still looking for reasons to upgrade to the latest Windows client, then Biplab Paul, Partner Technical Consultant with Microsoft India, has an impressive, and exhaustive list of features that are bound to tilt the balance in Vista's favor.
windows -
comments -
14.1.2008 Free Windows Vista Business and Windows XP SP2 on Parade
Free Windows... Not a concept you would expect from Microsoft. With a business strategy focused on proprietary software, the Redmond company is by all means at the opposite technology spectrum from open source and free software.
windows -
comments -
9.3.2008XP SP3 cripples some PCs with endless reboots
Installing Windows XP Service Pack 3 sends some PCs into an endless series of reboots, according to posts to a Microsoft support forum.
Jesper Johansson, a former program manager for security policy at Microsoft and a prominent Windows blogger, has worked with users to tentatively
identify the problem as involving only machines using processors from Advanced Micro Devices.
Messages from frustrated users began
accumulating on the XP SP3 support newsgroup Wednesday, just a day after Microsoft released the update to the general public.
"I just
installed Windows XP SP3 and after completing the processes and when the system reboots, the system cannot proceed to load the Windows," said a user
labeled as "Olin" in a message that kicked off a long thread. "It just displays the flash screen of Windows then after it reboots again.
Most users who left messages on the forum said that they were unable to boot into Windows Safe mode.
neowin.net -
09.05.2008Microsoft addresses reports of forced updates and reboots
Microsoft has posted a long and complex explanation to its Windows Software Update Services (WSUS) blog, explaining the latest case of why software
updates are being pushed to users who believe they’ve turned automatic updating off.
The UK Register reported on October 25 that a
number of admins were seeing Microsoft Desktop Search 3.01 pushed out to users via Microsoft’s WSUS enterprise patching/update system, in spite
of having opted out of this “resource-hogging search app.”
Bobbie Harder, Microsoft Product Manager for WSUS, explained why
some companies were seeing the updated Windows Desktop Search bits (aka, the updated package for KB917013) pushed to their users. It turns out
Microsoft changed the deployment rules after the original release of Windows Desktop Search. Harder noted:
“The original update
release, 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.”
neowin.net -
26.10.2007Windows XP SP3 update causing endless reboots in AMD machines
An issue with how the Service Pack 3 update handles AMD chips will cause some Windows XP computers to continuously reboot. Microsoft says it is
investigating...
betanews.com -
12.05.2008Reboots force suspension of Vista SP1 updates
The reason it's called "beta testing" is to anticipate and isolate problems. But a big problem reported by some -- not all -- Vista SP1 testers is
causing Microsoft to take a step back.
The regular update cycle for testers of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 was suspended yesterday
afternoon, following multiple reports of downloaders discovering their automatically updating computers stuck in an endless cycle of reboots. This
would mark the second time in two months that pockets of testers reported such a problem.
The first wave of endless reboots was initially
reported on January 27 to Microsoft's forums. "Every time I start the computer it says: Configurating updates: stage 3 of 3 - 0% complete," reads
the initial post. "And then reboots, and reboots, and reboots...I had it rebooting for over an hour before I stopped the madness."
jcxp.net -
20.02.2008RIAA may be forced to accept reduced damages
In a Texas court case, the recording industry group may be forced to accept a lower penalty per song as part of an "innocent infringement"
defense by one defendant...
betanews.com -
12.08.2008US Internet Radio Providers Forced to Restrict Streams to US Listeners
Forced to comply with US
federal statutes on providing
music to foreign listeners
without a license, Pandora and
other American streaming
Internet radio services began
actively enforcing
restrictions on streaming to
IP addresses outside US
boundaries this morning...
betanews.com -
03.05.2007Endless reboots force suspension of Vista SP1 updates
The reason it's called "beta testing" is to anticipate and isolate problems. But a big problem reported by some -- not all -- Vista SP1
testers is causing Microsoft to take a step back...
betanews.com -
20.02.2008Microsoft addresses new reports of forced Windows updates and reboots
Microsoft has
posted a long and complex explanation to its Windows Software Update Services (WSUS) blog, explaining the latest case of why
software updates are being pushed to users who believe theyve turned automatic updating off.
The UK Register reported on October
25 that a number of
admins were seeing Microsoft Desktop
Search 3.01 pushed out to users via
Microsofts
WSUS enterprise patching/update system, in spite of having opted out of this resource-hogging search app.
Bobbie Harder,
Microsoft Product Manager for WSUS, explained why some companies were seeing the updated Windows Desktop Search bits (aka, the updated package for
KB917013) pushed to their users. It turns out Microsoft changed the deployment rules after the original release of Windows Desktop Search. Harder
noted:
The original update release, 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.
winbeta.org -
26.10.2007Windows update brings down TV newscast
A Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania television station was forced to broadcast its noon newscast from its parking lot on Wednesday because this month's
Windows update wasn't installed in time. The "major meltdown" occurred during a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate Channel 11's new facility,
attended by executives from Cox Broadcasting, the station's parent company.
The glitch, discovered 30 minutes before the show
was due to air, forced an impromptu appearance by an on-air reporter, who stood in front of a chain-link fence and read the news from a script, rather
than a Teleprompter. The station's meteorologist gave a forecast devoid of maps and graphics. There were no additional video or live reports,
according to
this story from the Post-Gazette.
The station's general manager said the cause of the crash was a Windows update that was not installed in time. The glitch was something that
could affect any Windows-based system, including the one that drives WPXI's new automated production system. Station administrators fixed the problem
in time for the 5 p.m. newscast.
The article didn't explain how the failure to install the patches forced the production system
to crash.
winbeta.org -
12.10.2007Forced Exodus of BitTorrent Sites Is Imminent
The Dutch ISP LeaseWeb cant take the pressure from BREIN anymore. As a preliminary measure they have now ordered dozens of BitTorrent sites -
including some big-shots - to pack their stuff before December 1st, leave LeaseWeb and find a new home.
Last week we
reported that LeaseWeb forced
SumoTorrent to move to another ISP due to pressure from BREIN. In that article we published a list of other potential BRIEN targets hosted by LeaseWeb
(we left out dozens of other sites) including mybittorrent.com, btmon.com, btjunkie.org, seedpeer.com, what.cd and waffles.fm.
Over the past few days several admins of the sites in this list confirmed to TorrentFreak that they indeed got a letter from LeaseWeb in which
they were asked to move their websites before the end of the month. At this point it is not sure whether the dozens of other, mostly smaller private
BitTorrent communities, received a similar letter. A questionable request since BitTorrent sites are not considered to be illegal according to Dutch
law.
winbeta.org -
23.11.2007Microsoft: Patch Tuesday Didn't Cause Thursday Skype Outage
In a company blog post yesterday morning, Skype engineers disclosed that they suspected a wave of client-side reboots were triggered by Patch Tuesday at roughly the same time, for last week's 48-hour service outage. This morning, the explanation has been amended, removing Microsoft from blame for the outage while saying Patch Tuesday contributed to a "perfect storm" of events...
betanews.com -
21.08.2007Windows Vista SP1 Prerequisite Releases Coming Up
Microsoft Update Team: This week we're releasing two more prerequisites for Windows Vista Service Pack 1 that will be coming later this quarter. We
wanted to let you know about them because they are both marked as Important updates (and theyre a little different than usual).
KB938371 is a multi-component update that supports the successful install of SP1 and allows it to be uninstalled. KB937287 updates the Windows
Vista Servicing Stack. Both updates (required before SP1 will be offered via Windows Update) are being made available now to reduce the number of
reboots and make installation of the service pack easier.
Even if you're not ready to install the service pack once it's
released, you'll want to install these updates because they'll help increase performance and reduce failures for the installation of other
updates.
winbeta.org -
12.02.2008Microsoft Offers Manual Fix to 'Stealth' Windows Update Bug
It turned out to be an insignificant problem after all, rather than something on the order of a rootkit: the discovery that Microsoft's Windows
Update feature updates itself even when users turn off "automatic updates" - a fact that Microsoft had actually documented quite well, but
which few had apparently read. But now, a claim that the self-updating update subsequently unregistered Microsoft's Windows Update drivers in
XP-based systems forced its own drivers to become unregistered...
betanews.com -
28.09.2007Vista "Out of Memory" Error When Copying Files Hotfix
You just can’t seem to throw enough memory at Vista.
There have been a number of issues that Vista users have reported relating to
copying and moving data, especially large numbers of files. Often there can be multiple errors at play making it difficult for Vista users to track
down the problem, in fact very often there is little indication that file copy operations haven’t completed correctly. It’s only when the
user checks the number of files in source and destination that they realize they have a problem.
These don’t have to be large files
and the problem can also occur when copying smaller groups of files that in total exceed 16,400 files between reboots. Following the “Out of
Memory” message a range of other errors can occur such as menus and tabs disappearing within the Windows environment and even reboots and BSODs
are reported.
neowin.net -
17.10.2007Microsoft ships Messenger-free
Windows version
After the European Union which
forced Microsoft to release a
Windows version without
Windows Media Player last
year, Microsoft must once
again remove a bundled program
from its operating system,
this time the instant
messaging program, Windows
Messenger, following the South
Korean Fair Trade
Commission's judgement.
Following it,
Microsoft launched today two
new Windows versions of both
XP Home and XP Professional,
one stripped of Windows
Messenger, and the other being
the already released in Europe
"N" versions of Windows.
jcxp.net -
26.08.2006EU Microsoft Appeal Set for September
The European Court of First
Instance has set a date of
September 17 to rule on
Microsoft's appeal of a 2004
antitrust verdict that forced
it to pay over $600 million in
fines and make changes to its
Windows operating systems.
Microsoft has maintained it
did nothing anti-competitive...
betanews.com -
17.07.2007IE7 for Windows XP Moves to Optional Updates
Some of our members are
reporting that earlier today Microsoft
removed Internet Explorer 7
from Critical updates (or
forced Automatic Updates if
set to Automatic) to Optional
updates, after a brief
disappearance all together
from the Windows Update
site.
Initial
reports indicate that Windows
Server 2003 still gets IE7 as
a critical update, most likely
because of the in-built
"hardening" that forces
Internet Explorer to confirm
web browsing outside of the
local intranet. Hardening is
set by default on Windows
Server 2003, a significant
security update over IE6.
However, the forced
update to IE7 on Windows XP
systems had Microsoft
scrambling to issue a patch
that blocks IE7 from being
shown on Windows Update.
Generally speaking IT system
managers roll out a browser
update only after extensive
testing, not when Microsoft
makes it available. I'd say
this move is one where
Microsoft really is listening
to the customer, and has been
widely appreciated in our
board
discussion.
neowin.net -
22.02.2007Phone cams forced to "audibly" click when taking pics soon?
According to the Library of Congress, eight-term US Republican Congressman Peter "Pete" King has introduced bill H.R.414 which would make it
manditory that all camera phones make a "click" sound when they take a picture. The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and
Commerce and at some point may become the law of the land. The reasoning behind the submission is to stop people taking "secret" shots (in public
toilets and changing rooms, for instance). The so-called "Camera Phone Predator alert Act" would also make it illegal and "impossible" for
any such phone to be hacked to avoid making this sound.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
27.01.2009Analyst: Barcelona Delayed Until October
Analysts are suggesting that
AMD may be forced to delay its
Barcelona multi-core chip, a
move that could set the
company back both financially
and strategically...
betanews.com -
08.06.2007Rapidshare's future in doubt following legal defeat
The popular file-sharing service may be forced to shut down if it can not control the uploading of pirated music to its service after a German court
ruling...
betanews.com -
29.01.2008
