How not to do automatic updates (rant)

I've just had to rebuild my development machine here at work.  One of the final tasks was to install Abobe Acrobat Reader.

After the install, it told me that there were updates to be loaded from the interweb.  Great.  Keep up to date.  Bug fixes.  That's a good thing.

However.

Firstly, it offered to install a whole load of other stuff -- Adobe Atmoshphere What?  I only want the reader.  That's why I only downloaded the reader.

While Adobe's updater was downloading the updates, I tidied up my desktop.  I removed the shortcut to Acrobat Reader as I never need it, I just double-click the PDF files I want to read.  I then got on with some work in Visual Studio.

OK, Adobe wants to install the updates.  Fine, go ahead.

Reboot?  Oh, OK.  I'll interrupt what I'm doing and allow you to reboot.

Rebooted.

The desktop shortcut's back. I'll just delete it again, because I never use it.

Oh, hang on. That was just the first update, there's two more. Ok, go ahead.

Reboot?  Again? OK then, I'll go and make a cup of tea while I wait.

Rebooted.
The desktop shortcut's back again. Deleted again.

Wait, there's still another update to install. I'll finish making tea while it installs.

Reboot?  No. Not this time, I've run out of patience.  The desktop icon's back again, too. To add insult to injury, Acrobat Reader starts up without asking.


Now let's get this straight.  Adobe's Acrobat reader is a useful utility. That's utility, is case you missed it.

I only want Acrobat Reader to open when I have a PDF file to read.  If I don't have a PDF file to read, I don't want to know you're there.

Adobe's programmers may live and breath their software, but I don't.  I don't want it to auto-start itself so that I can bath in it's beauty after an update.  I don't want it's shortcut on my desktop so I can run it for no reason.

Note to all developers:  if you're writing a utility, it should be invisible until it's needed.

Grrrr.


Herbie

Take a deep breath.

Actually, I'm confused why on my PC, when I open a pdf file it opens Internet Explorer and then displays it embedded. (Right click and the default option is open in Acrobat, arrgh.)

And then, when I shut down it always always gives a message about being unable to close Acrobat, even if acrobat isn't actually running.

Sigh...

Another bad evil installer is apples quicktime - first you have to google to find the link to the quicktime without itunes. Download and install.

The when the automatic updates tell you there is a new version it wants to download the QT+itunes version.


I Hate any installer that has a piggy backed install

Let's continue with the rant:
- While the reader is open, change some settings so that it doesn't open pdf's in the browser.
- Save settings -> installer pops back up.
- Delete desktop shortcut again together with the Quickstart shortcut in the startup folder from the startmenu.

Let's list our best update/install experiences:

* AllTunes (um..., so I hear)
   No Admin priviledges needed to update. "It just works" is not just a motto.

Minh wrote:

Let's list our best update/install experiences:

* AllTunes (um..., so I hear)
   No Admin priviledges needed to update. "It just works" is not just a motto.

Just installing SQLServer 2005 SP1 and it just told me :

"In order to prevent a necessary reboot at then end of the patch install process, close down all other applications before proceeding."

I had Visual Studio open with the database stuff loaded.  It even told me the assembly it needed to get at.

Now that's a good install.

Herbie

I learned my lesson and stopped updating Acrobat Reader last year sometime, it still works with all the PDFs I've opened, whether or not it's inside a web browser.

The updates are not needed unless you're some kind of PDF freak.

The best installation experience I've ever had is still Command and Conquer.

Or almost anything on a Mac - installation couldn't be simpler.

I would hesitate to blame the developers of the software for piggybacking software onto an installer.  That's a marketing descision.

It's surprising to me that in the year 2006 some of the largest software companies around have still not gotten the message.  If Microsoft were still doing this they would have their asses pinned to the ground in 3000 courtrooms across the planet.

No I do not want Yahoo Searchbar, iTunes, or what-have-you.  If you are a software company and provide a free utility find a profitable business model that does not require you to covertly load my machine with stuff I don't want.

ditch adobe and use FoxIt PDF Reader its complety free and less resource hungry. After my last update from adobe i got sick to the teeth of waiting on it, rebooting and jamming when i want to open a pdf, never had an issue with foxit.

have look: http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php

I second the FoxIt recommendation. Waaaaaay better than Acrocrap.

Also, I'd have to agree with the Quicktime Updater. This actually happened to me yesterday where it decided it wanted to download the updated version (plus ITunes).

Dear Apple, I don't want your DRM'd music and certainly don't want your crappy ITunes software so stop trying to push it on me.

Foxit rocks ... but I seem to have trouble with it when there are interactive forms in the PDF where you can fill in information and then print out (something I have done a lot of since I started my company).

But highly recommend Foxit for your viewing pleasures ...

The Acrobat writer is loads of fun too.  Adds crap to every Office application that you cannot get rid of unless delete the registry keys.  About 50% of the time the update window is a pop-under window (but still modal) so Acrobat seems to be locked up (because you cant see the stupid pop-under window, nor does it show up in the task bar)

The PDF reader plugin for Firefox tends to lock up Firefox more than any things else.

It's  a shame though, Acrobat is a great product.

Ha I've found Quicktime on Vista to be even worse. Whenever I change or delete the start menu shortcuts, the next time I try to run it it reinstalls and restores the shortcuts on the desktop, quick launch and start menu. Stupid Apple.

heh, I just noticed this a few days ago and the only major software I can remember updating was IE...to IE7.

Now, all of a sudden, I'm constantly shown the Napster cat icon at the top right of windows media player 10.  It wasn't there a few weeks ago and it blocks the buttons to its immediate left.

I can't blame IE (yet) because I don't remember that I read every single line of the eula, but I wonder if MSFT marketing is happy that Napster's icon is spilling over into the mail or radio menu button.

ZippyV wrote:

Let's continue with the rant:
- While the reader is open, change some settings so that it doesn't open pdf's in the browser.
- Save settings -> installer pops back up.
- Delete desktop shortcut again together with the Quickstart shortcut in the startup folder from the startmenu.

Adobe's updater is horrid.  Why show me updates that are even for my current version!!