Well, my recent change of operating systems from Windows 2000 Prof. to Windows XP Home Edition for online use has already run into problems. As I guess many already know eleven critical patches were released for most Windows operating systems this week.
One critical (I emphasis critical) patch had to be rescinded by Microsoft because it didn’t meet their standards (what! Microsoft has standards?).
Anyway, I have my Automatic Update settings on download all critical updates but let me choose when to install. This is so I can inspect as much as possible the types of patches Microsoft is putting on my machine.
Believe me, there has been times when patches that were supposedly installed needed to be reinstalled.
There have been times when some critical patches that might have come out eight months earlier did not install while critical patches that came out that day would install.
So, on the day these updates came out I went online for an hour or so, but the critical updates do not automatically download.
The next day I go online again and read on a website that Microsoft was having problems with its automatic updates. However, later on that day the automatic update problem was supposedly resolved.
After the automatic update problem was supposedly resolved I went on the Internet again for a little while and still the critical updates for Windows XP do not automatically download.
After playing around with the settings of the automatic download some critical patches downloaded. First one non-critical malicious tool removal monthly patch downloaded and then four more critical patches downloaded.
Hey, there was supposed to be 10 critical patches. Why are the other critical patches not automatically downloading?
After the install of these four critical patches I began to experience anomalies in the operating system (on a greater scale than usual).
A third party program determined that all sorts of configuration settings (stored in the registry) were not optimally set. An implementation of this programs restorative routine did improve things, but those critical patches still did not automatically download.
I decided to manually update my operating system and was surprised to be presented with a webpage telling me I needed to validate the operating system before I could use “improved” updating tools.
All I wanted to do was manually update my Windows XP. Using the old manually update tools would have been fine, but Microsoft did not give me an option.
How many times must Windows XP be validated anyway? I thought the legitimacy of the operating system was determined when I Activated it online.
Anyway, I went through that nonsense and finally got to the point where I was suppose to be able to get the critical patches.
The site said there were none available, which only is suppose to happen when all the necessary critical patches are installed, but I knew this was not the case so I decided I needed to contact someone at Microsoft.
I just recently purchased this operating system and I didn’t feel that I should have to go through a bunch of nonsense to get critical patches that never really fix all the problems (security holes) with the operating system anyway.
I was disappointed because Microsoft really makes you jump through hoops to get their first two free help sessions (after that its 35.00 per request for help for the home user- can you say rip-off) by email, phone or chat.
Microsoft has not improved its customer relations and assistance operations that much in the last few years.
I filled out a webpage complaint form. Someone from Microsoft is supposed to respond by email within 24 hours. Let’s see if they do.
One may say that my system might be infected with a computer virus, trojan or something.
However, unlike how many home users are (I know from experience), I am a very security conscious computer user and I make sure I have antivirus program and spyware programs that are up to date. I make sure that I have a firewall up and running (either Microsoft’s built into XP firewall which is hardly a firewall at all or some third party software).
If my operating system is penetrated by malware of any sort then the average home user is going to have a serious problem trying to secure his/her computer.
I can tell all Windows 2000 Prof. users that my operating system was being infected by trojans and other malware with the latest critical patches installed, a firewall and updated anti-virus program.
I know holes can be found in all sorts of software, but I expect when critical patches for known holes in Microsoft Windows operating systems are released that I be able to download and install them for protection from those known security holes.