Rebecca Norlander - Can everyone be made happy when it comes to updating? | TheChannel9Team

Rebecca answers an age old question about development, can you make everyone happy?

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lars

Jun 07, 2004 at 4:15 PM

You can't turn off updating now?
Lwatson One ugly mug...

Jun 07, 2004 at 5:29 PM

My only real issue with the Update dialogs is that in a home setting they often enough interfere with the one thing that I am interested in doing with my home machine. (GAMES!) ha!

I realize that not everyone plays Everquest, or NeverWinterNights, or SWG, or City of Heros, or Ultima Online, or Astaria, or DAOC, or Dungeon Seige, or Sim City, or Asherons Call and AC2 ... Ok I play all these games and the update dialogs often interfere. I usually turn the damn thing off if I remember but sometimes I am blinded by the gaming moment and forget.

Really though I know this is necessary and its likely a good thing. The scheduled stuff ( 2'nd tuesday of the month ) is a decent shot at adding some order to the otherwise chaotic process. Just don't play any games on the second tuesday of the month...
ghos

Jun 07, 2004 at 7:07 PM

I don't currently have Windows Update on automatically, but do visit the site from time to time. And it is because of the annoying interruptions that it can cause to have it on automatically. I might not want to be checking at that time. Its the same with my virus scan, no matter when I set it, always seems to end up being the wrong time.
Perhaps there should be a way for it to silently show the dialog, that would be visible if you minimized all windows, then it would show up. Or perhaps a method where you can suppress those kinds of interrupts for a specified amount of time, and after that time they would be turned back on.

I believe though that many consumers will need the more forceful method since many don't realize that a PC to run its best should have regular mantainance. Just a balance needs to be in place. A way for those with experience to choose how Update performs.
Steve411 Me, all suited up!

Jun 07, 2004 at 8:27 PM

Well, see, most users without automatic windows update enabled, they are the first one to get infected, and the last ones to get the patches. Then they complain and blame MS for it... So, as MS, I (and other users) suggest, turn automatic updates ON! And leave it on! or suspect to see some viruses on your computer, EXPECIALLY if you do not have an AV program..
Steve411 Me, all suited up!

Jun 07, 2004 at 11:08 PM

lars wrote:

You can't turn off updating now?

Yes, you can.
lars

Jun 07, 2004 at 11:46 PM

Good. No matter how good a cause, it's an important principal that it's my computer, my network bandwidth, my responsibility and my choice. If I can't stop software from being automaticly installed it is no longer my computer.

/Lars.
PeterV

Jun 08, 2004 at 12:12 AM

You got that right Lars. Some patches might interfere with some legacy code.
If all patches are done automaticly, how will you know what patch broke the old code?
AndyC

Jun 08, 2004 at 1:23 PM

I think MSFT have definately done the right thing by going slightly over-forceful on this issue. Yes you can turn autoupdate off and not have it pester you to turn it back on but it's made easier to just leave it on.

On the whole (from seeing RC1) I think SP2 is a big step in the right direction. The notifications should perhaps be a little bit more MSN like and not steal focus but I'm sure that's something tha tcan be tweaked in future.