Has Microsoft lost its mind?

I will agree with this comment of yours if a system has not been modified much from system defaults. Why a security patch should cause major problems in a default install is beyond me, it should not happen except on the rarest of occasions.

That being said, I fully expect there to be the occassional problem though when users have "tweaked" thier systems. It is no longer in an "expected" state, and I can see patches/updates causing issues. There is no way M$ knows every configuration out there and prepare for it.

I wait to see what happens before I update/patch, and I am very selective about what I do update, and I never do them all at once. I used to, but not any more. I have had too many occurrences of issues. Note that it is due to my system not being as expected, and I fully accept that blame.

Sul.

 

.....so is that not telling you something?!?!?!?

 

It just so happens that I have been comparing computers so I can get a new one, and you can't buy 2 pc's for the price of a Mac unless they are entry level. If you compare a pc and an iMac with the same stuff, the Mac is about 30% more expensive. Whether it's justified or not I don't know.

 

I really dont know why people think macs are better. imac uses laptop componants. if you want desktop componants and a semi decent graphics card you have to get a mac pro which starts at around £2000.... until apple produce a tower pc with proper desktop componants for less than £1k im not interested.

I have tryed OSX and I dont really like it that much. its to dumbed down.
the grass may seem green on the other side but im sure you would be disappointed with a mac. plus once you have brought a mac the cost doesnt end. every year apple release a paid service pack which you have to buy otherwise in a very short amount of time you wont be able to run the current versions of applications.

getting back on topic im pretty sure the update which caused a bluescreen only affected machines that were infected with a rootkit so thats hardly microsofts fault.
Think about it another way out of the millions of computers running windows what % have problems after running windows update and what is the cause?

why do people only look at the negative side of things?
I dont remember the last time a windows update caused any issues on my computer.

 

Each version of Windows has had an increase in the lines of code needed for the systems to work; I read somewhere that Windows XP has about 40 million lines of code. It's hardly surprising then to find corrections and fixes are needed. I don't think I envy being a software engineer with that amount of stuff to go through.

 

I don't remember either... In fact, in 15 years of Win usage since Win 95, I don't think an update has ever caused me a problem, other than perhaps once or twice one failed to install the first time and I had to try again, after which it typically did install. My experience with updates has been very positive throughout the years....

 

So basically you're complaining about your job.
Shouldn't you be thankful that you have 60 computers to maintain, even if it means you can't just "go with the flow"?
Plus, it would appear to me, like a bumbling politician who keeps the comedian in a job, isn't Microsoft the best friend of a computer repairman?
Cha-ching!

 

I'd say the same. A few failed installs. Once or twice I couldn't get Win Updates to even function, but it was usually due to the security software I was running (and the way I had it configured). But my overall feeling as I approach Patch Tuesday is... glad it's here, and I hope I come through without any bruises.

 

EVERY operating system needs security patches, it would be ignorant (and dangerous) to say one doesn't.

@RobinB, makes you wanna buy a Mac? 3 weeks ago there was a huge security patch round (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4581), about 300MB. Was Apple doing a bad thing patching all the vulnerabilities? No, of course not, just like Microsoft is doing a good job patching theirs. If you installed the updates on 4 computers and everything went fine, what are you moaning about then?

 

I have had a number of them over the years. I think a couple were not my fault, but one if I remember correctly was definatily M$ fault - it had something to do with an AMD chip or maybe a VIA one. Only one of my machines was affected by it though. I remember a lot of others experienced the same thing, at least they posted they did

Most of the time though it is my own doing becuase I always modify things pretty heavily. I cannot blame M$ for that, it is mine alone. I suppose I don't have any complaints in terms of critical updates, they usually work. Sometimes it is the non-critical ones that I avoid.

I remember quite distinctly in XP SP3, a flaw which stopped all local browsing from working. I found a registry fix for it, but every computer I put it on was affected by it. I stopped putting SP3 on, due to some other things I didn't really like, and just put on all the critical updates that I needed.

It is habit now to use only a very few non-critical updates, and always examine the critical ones to see if they really apply to me and what I do.

Sul.

 

heck no, actually Micrososft is the best friend of a computer repairman/woman. If it wasn't for Micrososft I would not have a job.
Only for what i am getting for putting on these security updates, is not worth alot. That is basically where i am not making money, I do them as an extra bonus so basically i do not have headaches if my clients mess something up and it winds up costing them more money and me more frustration.

But i do not have to like putting on so many each month. Oh and btw I have 60 monthly maintenance clients who pay me each month to maintain their computers but i have over 200 clients, thanks to Micrososft

robin

 

lol 4 computers is not alot, i maintain 60
and I cross my fingers each time i put them on that all goes fine.
I test the security updates on 7 of my own computers priior to even considering putting them on my clients.

and yes, i would like to purchase one Mac, more to see what the fuss is all about, to compare, and learn it so i can get more business because now since the only thing that i have "Apple" is an ipod 4th Generation and ipod shuffle. Only you cannot find a good one for less than $1500 and a refurbished for around $900, too much money for me to spend right now.

And yes if Mac was as popular as Microsoft, i am betting it would need as many security updates as Micrososft does.
I was not knocking Micrososft as you are reading into my posts, I am knocking the less ability to first test them more prior to pushing them out.
If Microsofst sents out 100 a month, test them first and if you find a few are having problems wait till they are fixed.
Go look at their update forum website and see how many people have problems with some of them before you go and judge me for being honest, because i am betting many of you here are thinking the same thing as me but just are afraid to type it for fear some of you- like the ones who attacked me here are going to jump all over the place
.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, you might not like my opinion but you do not have to string me up to dry with some of your comments. you can disagree without being hurtful.
robin

robin


robin

 

My brother recently bought a Mac, he reckons they're OK but I think he's a bit disappointed with it. He does admit they're not all they are 'cracked up' to be, so to speak.

I didn't know that!

 

That is a wise approach, to update only one or a few before all at once. Where I work we have ~ 60 XP machines running proprietary software as "radio kiosks", and we have a server that we put all the MS updates on, then apply them via reboot on only a few "test" machines, let them run for 3 or 4 days first to make sure there are no problems, then reboot all others where a script searches the update server for updates, where we select "Ok" to apply them. In reality, they really aren't needed because of the way the machines are locked down and running in a closed network, but that is some paranoia from the IT department. Better to be safe than sorry, I suppose.

 

Exactly! better to be safe than sorry
I had a client who put them all on at once, at that time it was about 10 updates. He rebooted and got the famous blue screen of dealth.
Could not do a thing
I got it to go into safe mode and was able thank goodness remove them all and one by one did them and this time all was well. Maybe when he installed them all at once, they mingled into each other and caused problems.

When i test them on my machines (xp and windows 7) and i am sure all is well, and i check Windows Update forum even prior to me installing mine to check if there are many that are having problems with a particular update, I send out a picture which check marks next to which ones to do first, second, third,,,etc etc for both OS;s. Once there was a patch that once you rebooted on XP Media Center you lost sound. I purposely left that one out because there were hundreds on the Windows Update forum complaining about that one, and a rep from Micrososft came onto the website and said that MS was going to pull it.
I advised all my clients NOT to install this one until Micrososft fixed it.
Well this one client did not listen and he installed it. He rebooted and NO Sound. Removing the Update did not change anything. I had to system restore him back a day prior to the updates to get his sound back. Then i had to go and reinstall all the updates for him again.
This is what happens when one doesn't listen.
But people on Windows Update forum were screaming all over the place because Micrososft should have tested this one (this was only happening on XP Media Center Computers) prior to pushing this out.
robin
Well
robin