Microsoft Corp. plans to release a new version of its popular Windows XP software that automatically downloads and installs software patches onto personal computers, one of the company's most aggressive moves to promote Internet safety.

Starting in mid-2004, Windows XP customers will be able to download a new "service pack" that includes the automatic installation function. The software also will include a stronger Internet firewall, new protections against computer viruses and software that blocks Internet pop-up advertising.

The upgrade is meant to make it easier for the millions of home computer users who surf the Internet but are not computer security experts.

Security is not something most computer users think about unless there is a computer worm or other high-profile threat going around, said Neil Charney, Microsoft's director of Windows product management. With the upgrade, customers give their consent once and Microsoft will download and install patches for them, he added.

The Rest of the "Story"

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"With the upgrade, customers give their consent once..."

"...for the millions of home computer users who surf the Internet but are not computer security experts."

First of all, Apple has offered automatic software updates for years, but I recall almost none of the updates being security related. The big difference is this -- Apple's version can be turned off at will. The user's will, not Apple's.

M$ customers give their consent once.

You'd better read the fine print.

All this is is another bandwidth sucker. Now you won't be able to choose when to update, XP will decide that for you, even if you're in the middle of something important.

Great, another feature to torment me. It's a full time job just keeping unnessesary windows crap off my computer. Linux looks better and better every day.

For some time, there has been a setting in XP where you can have M$ automatically download and install updates and patches. I think you are talking about SP2 beta...it changes the name of the firewall and has other little "features"...I keep blocing any "update" to that abominable Media Player 9...good old MP 8 is good enough for me...don't need the DRM B. Gates!

And god only knows what little treasures these automated updates contain. Personally, I'd much rather deal with security issues myelf, not rely on M$ to make me "secure", especially since its their crappy OS that has so many security issues.

purfus...btw...
SCO just sued AutoZone and Daimler Chrysler

It's all part of the New Freedom....
lol...
SCO thinks "Open Source" is a misnomer for "Open Sores"...but to be fair, they haven't sued RedHat yet...
YET

If they interfere with my Unreal Tournament experience, there's gonna be hell to pay.

Gad, Linux is a pain-in-the-butt to learn. Guess I'll have to redouble my efforts. In the end, I'll know more about computers and have a far more stable and secure system.

I'm a new user, but frequent visitor.

Anyway, if you want to disable it, you should be able to in the Services list. That's how I got my update's for XP now disabled.

I keep uploading those darn updates, and sometimes when I install them, some of my customized features are suddenly not the way I set them. You never know what the consequences of these upgrades are going to be before you install them. We do it on faith, and out of fear. But now when something goes screwy on the computer, you won't even know an update was just performed, and you'll wonder if the machine is starting to break.

I think Microsoft will not be happy until we are all driven completely insane.

Welcome aboard trekkeriii ..
right click on MY COMPUTER....
Select PROPERTIES

Select the tab saying AUTOMATIC UPDATES...uncheck "Keep my computer
up to date"...or go to the selection saying Notify me before downloading....

Jefrystube,
I personally find Mandrake the easiest to use, though its 9.2 version is not as stable as it should be. Also, if you are able to download the isos or bu a set of isos burned to CD, you should buy it. You'll be able to get support from the company, and it would also help Mandrakesoft, which is really struggling financially at this time. The thing I like is they don't treat me like a criminal for installing their OS (activation).

While I think Service Pack 2 is an attempted transition to NGSCB, it is also because users do not download the "critical updates" (I mean the actual critical ones, not an Office "critical" update which changed a font.) like they should. I have heard of people surfing without updating, no antivirus running, and no firewall, even after getting hit by the Blaster worm

As much as I hate Apple, I do love my Mac!!!

I've never allowed Windows Update to run at all because I don't really trust Microsoft not to foist some new mis-features on me or break something important in the process. Luckily I also haven't run into any problems related to security issues in Windows either.

I've recently started to seriously look into running Linux. Installed Fedora a few weeks ago and so far it's going quite well. I've run into a few problems, but that's part of learning a new system. Out of my average computer day I probably spend only a couple hours total booted into Windows (more if I feel like playing some of my games that day). Only real big problem right now is that the font in this page tends to render very tiny in Mozilla when I'm in Linux.

i havent use an antivurus or a firewall for 4 years not i had a problem when i was running it so i had to ditch it. i however know what im doing when it comes to my computer health i run my updates and i use an online virus scan evry now and then but because i know what im looking for when it comes to viruses i only get a virus about once a year and they are never any of the serios ones just some of the older viruses with no damage i just clean it and go on my of course im still using windows 98 and most viri are tuned to windows 2000 and xp but for the average user i would sugest cheacking for updates on a regular basis escesaly people who use p2p not that p2p is bad but i have seen quite a few people get viruses downloading software from p2p actualy im all for it you just have to pay attention to the details of what your downloading.

Lindows is looking like the best solution so far. if they put game support on lindows, gamers would flock to it. I'd be gone the same day they do.

On the plus side I'll get more business at my computer store. whenever people start downloading updates some always gets their computer screwed up

We have our system at where I work setup to install updates automatically. We do it through a server we setup specifically to do that. However we have total control over it and decide when the updates go out. Also we had to go to almost every computer we own and put the exception in the internet connections.
If Microsoft would give the option to enable it and disable then i am fine with it. If not forget about it.

MSFT had the auto update feature available for Windows 2000, SP3 IIRC. You can turn that crap off thru the administrative services, then go prowling around MSFT's site to find administrative downloads for updates (where you can pick & choose & DL the entire package if you so choose).

The LAST thing I want is for the Scourge of Redmond, to have free access to my rigs. God knows WHAT garbage (DRM) they'd plant. Heck, I won't even upgrade the Media Player because of DRM.

http://www.blackviper.com/
for xp this is a great site to go to if you want to fix xp right. to many security features open. and much to much background programs running that should not be on.

An auto-update service? A nice idea, but its not fixing the underlying problem. A feature-bloated OS with more attention spent on flashy interface graphics than any form of security, with almost everything enabled by default.

Now, think what happens if Microsoft releases a dud patch...Oh, the potential chaos is just too good. *evil laugh*.

I have heard of people surfing without updating,

A router is all I need... and I've never been caught by any virus!

You know, I think I made a mistake earlier when referring to SP2. I think it will be called "Windows XP Reloaded" and will be like a Service Pack 3, but, according to a terrifyingly accurate comment from OSNews.com, "this time you get to pay for it." How Lindows is trademark infringement but XP Reloaded is not is beyond me. Another classic comment from zdnet.com was "It's the same but it's different."

Hell no.

I don't see how this could possibly be a bad thing, unless MS starts putting any thing it wants on your PC. But imagine the bad press they would get from that. That would be big news, worthy of coverage on all the big news channels. Then think of the legal backlash from them doing something like that. Is that really something they would risk?

This auto-update system is nothing more than n new delivery system for CRITICAL security patches. Also, you only get auto updates if you want it, so turn it off it really bothers you that bad.

The reason that Windows is more insecure than other OS's is that so many people use it. With so many targets, you’re also going to have a giant group of dedicated virus/worm/and trojan writers that want their creations to have the widest target range as possible. So they target MS.

It's also partly the users fault. If your OS is used by 80 percent of the population, then probably SOME of them are only going to know enough about computers to read e-mail and surf websites. When you have these people opening attachments and clicking "Yes" to every dialogue box in IE you get problems.

Software that assumes the user is competent, and incompetent users make a BAD combination.