WDS 3 - an Automatic Update!

[m8rk]

Today our 350 PC domain had Windows Desktop Search 3 installed across it. Apparently it's installed under 'patch only' settings. Amazing.

What the hell were MS thinking of with this? Who would not want the choice not to install this? It's something I don't want anyway.

We also have a problem with it in that it displays an icon in the notification area, that if clicked (by pupils on our tightly locked down system) they have access to mmc - not itself restricted by default as pupils were let no where near it. For now we've turned off the notification area.

Does anyone know if MS are intending to reverse this?

[PC_LOAD_LETTER]

wow sorry to hear that. cant you just call the uninstall string from a login script or something?

found another thread on it:

http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost....96&SiteID=1

I saw that in 'Optional Updates' on a new XP box today and chuckled and thought 'that wont be there for long' but i was just being cynical.

When will MS stop shooting themselves in the foot?

Whats next, an update to Windows DNS that 'accidentally' redirects all traffic from *.google.com and *.yahoo.com to *.live.com

[cluberti]

How do you do Windows Update control? My domains all use WSUS 3, and no one got the update because I've configured it to not do anything with new updates delivered during sync (they were all "Not approved" and thus no one got the packages). Those who are seeing this either had 2.5 or 3.0 already approved, or had the "approve optional updates" selection turned on (instead of set to just auto-approve critical updates, or have it configured not to auto-approve at all, which is the best setting IMHO). I haven't checked my home machines though, so they may have gotten it because I wasn't at the console to say "no".

With 350 machines, I would strongly suggest using a WSUS server to control updates if you aren't already.

[m8rk]

Yep - have a WSUS server

see more info here: http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/1...23&from=rss

[cluberti]

If you've got WSUS, this should not have happened, and I've not seen it on any of my domains. I'm not denying it's possible things are broken, but it seems more likely (at least at this point) that a configuration issue caused the approval and distribution of the update automatically.

[m8rk]

You didn't read the links then?

[cluberti]

No, I've read the links posted here. However, there's a lack of information on just how this occurs on a WSUS server, and specifically, how it was configured. I see a lot of "it happened automatically and I don't know why" responses, but nothing of substance with a "this one was configured this way, and it happened, and this other one was configured the same way and it didn't". I'm looking for that - otherwise, I cannot say for sure that it's something that's necessarily broken.

I DID see that there were some people on slashdot who did admit that they had the "auto-approve updates for previously approved updates" selected, and had 2.x or 3.x already approved previously - and of course, this is an update so it auto installed. That I would expect (it's probably not good, but technically expected behavior). If that isn't the case, it's more likely that the previous versions were not declined but left to manual or not approved (the default), and the download for some reason auto-approved the update (which is an update and a full version, because WDS updates are just installers for that particular version). Again, I'm not saying it isn't broken, but there are a few scenarios that can cause this on WSUS and I'm not going to blame the package... yet.

Edit: It does appear that the auto approve new revisions has something to do with it, mentioned on the blog.

[PC_LOAD_LETTER]

Theirs an update on the blog about it

WDS update revision follow - up

If those comments dont make you split your sides with laughter, then you should read the guaranteed to be 100% impartial journalism here:

More gnashing of teeth after Microsoft update brings PCs to a standstill (you can tell how impartial they are by the headline)

and in 'related news':

Windows update brings down TV newscast

I love the register. they can take anything blow it way out of proportion and blame it on microsoft. They are 1 step away from reporting on batboys social life and oprahs weight.

[m8rk]

@cluberti: Ah right. Yes I had it previously set as default - ie "not declined but left to manual or not approved" - and then WDS3 is fully installed to all clients from that? That would be an error in the roll out in my opinion.

I admit to being lapse with my configuration, but was trusting that the default setting wouldn't cause me problems, a nieve assumption.

[cluberti]

It stinks for people it happened to, hopefully you've been able to recover. Always be wary of free software from commercial vendors .

[m8rk]

Yeah - sorted with a removal script so it wasn't too painful. Unluckily for us our pupils noticed it straight away and were delving into all sorts of things they shouldnt've, but we think no harm was done.