Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: What the Hell is with Microsoft Update?

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Topic: What the Hell is with Microsoft Update?

Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 04-18-2016 09:38 AM

I generally don't like pushed, automatic updates for operating systems and other software. However, I can understand why the industry has moved in that direction. It's all about dealing with two kinds of computer users: 1.: Criminals, 2.: People who just don't update their software even when the update is probably a good idea.

With Windows 10, Microsoft has forced automatic updates onto users with security being the overwhelming primary reason. The strategy seems to be if they can get as many Windows users as possible onto Win 10 (with automatic security updates that can't be avoided) that will put a serious dent in malware activity.

It's one thing if you're an experienced computer user who knows what he is doing and have legitimate reasons for delaying or even avoiding certain software updates. Most casual users do not fall into this camp at all. If they can even figure out how to turn off automatic updates they often do so just to avoid getting pestered by some update thing that will get in the way of their Facebook activity. Then they'll go for years without updating anything. They'll let their anti-virus software expire (if they even had any in the first place). I still encounter people who store anything and everything into the My Documents folder or cram it all onto the Desktop because they never bothered to learn the basics of how to manage files and folders. These are the same kinds of people who'll click onto any link they see in an email, a web site they probably shouldn't be visiting or an instant message from that new Facebook friend who strangely has no other friends.

We can thank the criminals and idiots of the world for ruining a good thing.

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-18-2016 01:10 PM

When an update is released, I still have the chance to accept, reject or delay the installation even when my computer is set to update automatically.

I can turn off automatic updates and still download in the background even when I am set to manual and, once downloaded, the computer notifies me and I can STILL have a chance to accept, reject or delay installation.

There are a few updates/upgrades that I haven't chosen to install for personal reasons. When I go to my update screen, they are still there for me to choose. If I choose to install them, they will download in the background if I want.

If there are updates that I don't ever want to apply, I can tell my computer to hide them so they don't appear on my update list unless I un-hide them.

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Frank Angel
Film God

Posts: 5305
From: Brooklyn NY USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 05-02-2016 02:11 AM

I have what might be a stupid question, but one which so far I have not gotten a satisfactory answer to: these companies that install update paths to your PC that is running their software, e.g., Adobe, Brother, HP, Oracle, and on and on, they seem to have a direct access or "in" to the PC by way of those popups that say they have updates for you to install.

Everyone knows of the admonitions to not open unknown links or not to click on that email invite, but there doesn't seem to be any serious worry about that popup that says "your HP LaserJet needs to be updated...click to install."

My question is, how do you know who is on the other end of that request to allow an update? Why do we assume that it is in, fact, HP or Brother or MS or whomever? Seems like that would be the FIRST place a hacker would try to attack to install a trojan, disguising himself as a trusted company, one the user is already disposed to agree to without giving it a second thought; no one says, wait a minute, how do I know this is HP requesting permission to install stuff on my PC? Why couldn't it just as easily be someone who has hacked the port that HP seems to have such easy access to and is about to install disastrous malware instead of a printer update? How is this route to the taskbar dialog icons protected? You KNOW 90% of all PC owners are going to click on OK for those requests without question. This seems like a super high risk issue.

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Bill Brandenstein
Master Film Handler

Posts: 413
From: Santa Clarita, CA
Registered: Jul 2013

posted 05-02-2016 10:04 PM

I think that's a really great question, and my answer will be a lot less definitive than someone who's expertise lies in computer security.

The main reason it's safe is because the update happens through dedicated processes created by each software company. These are installed when you initially put the software on your computer. Most importantly, it appears that the installed software, process, and remote server all have to handshake on an update before it proceeds.

You can see the evidence of this by opening Task Manager, opening the Processes tab, and (as administrator) clicking at the bottom for showing processes from all users. Among the dozens of pieces of gobbletygook there, you're likely to see update processes for Adobe, Apple, Java, HP, and who knows what else.

If these were easy to exploit, believe me, they would be. You know that.

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