Grrrrr - windows updates

[CACAdmin]

For a long time, I didn't have windows updates running automatically. That was when I was on dial-up... and even then, I just didn't trust them to run without blowing everything out of the water because I am running the Sony version of XP (not the generic). I have seen the auto updates totally corrupt another non-generic version of XP.

However, eventually, after updates ran smoothly with manual installs, I decided things would be fine. For the past year it has been. Until now! :mad: Well, one of the recent updates (not sure which one but it was one automatically downloaded and installed in the past couple of weeks), arbitrarily decided to turn Windows Firewall back on without so much as asking my permission first.:realmad: (I have always had it disabled as I run Norton.) So, I started having some connectivity problems occasionally when I tried opening multiple windows. I assumed it was my ISP because it happened at high traffic times of the day.

This morning my version of IE died (in that I was unable to connect to any internet sites... not even MS directly... uninstalled Norton, reset Windows Firewall to default settings, cleared cache, rebooted multiple times and eventually I could connect but only via setting it to automatically check windows updates. It downloaded and installed one update. Yeah, I now had a browser that would connect to the internet!:rolleyes: So then back to reinstalling Norton (time consuming but a piece of cake). Not exactly how I planned to spend my morning.

Note to self: never let MS download or install anything automatically ever again!:realmad: :realmad: :realmad:

[Melody]

Gotta love Microsoft!:rolleyes:

[Soggybottom]

I have beef with those too. A lot of beef. Without a viable mainstream alternative, we are forced to trust microsoft, and theres nothing like forced trust to make you feel warm and fuzzy...
My brother had a lot of trouble with Norton. I'd guess the problem lies in both programs wanting to own your privacy.
You are like the innocent shopkeeper caught in the line of fire as gangs fight for turf control and protection rackets...

[CACAdmin]

Actually, I have been installing and running (all the various versions of) Norton on PCs and networks over the years without any problem... with the exception of when Microsoft software refuses to do as its told. :mad: It somehow thinks it knows better than I do what I want to do. :rolleyes:

It also gets harder and harder ascertain and fix any problems or customize anything as software has become supposedly more 'user-friendly'.

[blainep]

It also gets harder and harder ascertain and fix any problems or customize anything as software has become supposedly more 'user-friendly'.

Sounds like the reason I gave up fixing computers a couple years ago. It started to seem like every new release of Windows just meant the useful tools and adjustments were buried deeper and deeper.

I still look after friends and family computers, but it just got frustrating to do on a daily basis.

I am still geeky enough to have my Commodore64 wired up to my Shaw high speed internet, but thats fun computing.
Not the 'I don't know what happened, it stopped, so I just clicked on everything' computer fixing !

[Melody]

Nothing like supporting an unsupportable product - I hear ya there. Try writing standard outgoing messages for e-mail support....lol....'do all of these steps and when it doesn't work, call.' was about the sum of it. Then when you call you're told that its not Microsoft's fault that the whole world of computing doesn't adjust to be compatible.