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Microsoft Ramps Up "Fix it" Support Tool
Posted by
kdawson
on Tue Feb 03, 2009 04:29 PM
from the pretty-please dept.
from the pretty-please dept.
CWmike writes "Microsoft has ramped up its new Windows support assistant 'Fix it for me' nearly three months after it quietly released the automatic repair and configuration tool. The upgrade adds a 'Fix it' button to some of the support documents that Microsoft posts to its Knowledge Base. The blog introducing the changes lists some of the Knowledge Base documents that boast the 'Fix it' button, including one that prevents users from connecting a USB storage device — useful in protecting against one of the infection vectors of the 'Downadup' worm. Have ideas for the tool? In a forum on the 'WinVistaClub' Web site, someone who said he was part of the 'Fix it' team at Microsoft encouraged users to send feedback on the feature to the group at fixit4me@microsoft.com."
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The Broken Design of Microsoft's "Fix it" Tool 165 comments
$luggo writes "Curious about MS Fix It, I recently went hunting in the MS knowledge base for articles that provide the new EZ-button. After locating on few, I decided to click the button to download the Microsoft Installer package containing the executable and/or files that automatically enable the DVD Library feature in Windows Vista Home Premium and Ultimate — on my XP Media Center. 'Surely, MS will use some scripting, HTTP User-Agent sniffing, or even Genuine Windows validation to verify that I am running Vista,' I thought. It did not and I canceled the download when I received the prompt to save the file. So, I wonder: is there a Fix-it for Fix it? Because I can easily imagine someone doing what I did without scrolling to the bottom of the KB article and verifying that the article applies to their OS/version. This is a great example poor design. Why not simply use the download approach that other articles / fixes / service packs use, whereby the user must select the appropriate OS?"
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What happens.... (Score:5, Insightful)
What happens when the "fix it tool" itself breaks?
Re:What happens.... (Score:4, Interesting)
I doubt most people would notice. When people click on something like that and nothing happens, they just assume it can't be fixed, not that the tool itself is broken.
Think of how many times they've run across a fix button that does nothing in antivirus and antispyware software. People just shrug their shoulders and go on.
Mind you, not a good attitude to have but people have it anyways.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
And sadly, when People click on something like that, and what's supposed to happen happens, users get used to running applications from websites. This is a very bad thing indeed.
Re:What happens.... (Score:5, Funny)
a known-good Windows disk image
Umm...
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Then you just click the "fix it fix it" link.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
. ... from a cannon. into the sun.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
The Fix it Fix it Fix it Fix it tool has failed,
do you wish to Fix it or Fail?
Re:What happens.... (Score:5, Funny)
That reminds me of a message we'd occasionally get in the early 90s working with either FoxPro or FoxBase:
"Error 201 while attempting to report Error 201"
(I don't know whether 201 was the actual number anymore)
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
When I install Ubuntu and try to boot into it, I get a blinking cursor and nothing else.
Is there a Fix It tool for that, or do I have to learn how to compile the kernel or something?
Re:What happens.... (Score:5, Insightful)
That presupposes that the Fix It tool will work in the first place
Ever tried to use the Repair option in MS Office? I've used it on dozens of installs, and it has never once repaired a GD thing
Parent
Re:What happens.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Why pick on office.
I've never once had an install repair utility fix ANY program EVER.
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Not my experience (Score:3, Informative)
Way back in the day, when Pournelle was still posting on BIX and writing in Byte, he recommended Norton Windoctor. For a while, (before, like all Norton products, it was ruined by bloat), it automagically fixed Win95/98 and even some XP installations quite well.
Worth trying if you're trying to fix one of those old installations and don't really want to re-install.
Re:Not my experience (Score:5, Informative)
Actually, windows 98 had some half way decent fix tools inside it is you got into a jam. I'm surprised that there wasn't something more appropriate availible for the NT line.
Take regedit for instance, from a command line you could use the /opt switch to remove whitespace and more or less compact the registry resulting in a faster operating system. You could use the /fix switch that repaired file errors and did something with invalid keys that could cause all sorts of issues. You could even use the /restore switch to go to a recent version of the registry. You could also save an active state registry when everything was working fine, store it off the computer, then reload it when necessary. Of course the ERD programs sort of did this automatically but in WinNT systems, you have to do a repair install in order to restore something from it.
Fdisk also had the ability to back up the boot sector and store it on another drive. The chkdsk and fixboot utilities seem to have these functions but fail to restore more then the first partition leaving you sort of stuck doing data recovery instead of just having the second partitions.
There are quite a but more useful tools that came with windows 98. Most of the Fix it tools either automated their uses for most of us who didn't want to learn ever function of every file on the computer. Some of them actually replaced the tools with their own that could be run from recovery disks too. I imagine win doctor was similar to that. Something I generally liked was Fix It Utilities from ontrack/ it seems they are avanquest now (or maybe my memory is losing it). I haven't used them since version 5 or something, they are up to 9 now if that gives you an idea of how long ago we are talking.
Parent
Re:What happens.... (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:What happens.... (Score:4, Funny)
Parent
But.. (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
For those non-Brit and/or youngsters out there:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Saville [wikipedia.org]
Re:But.. (Score:5, Informative)
Surely this [wikipedia.org] would have been better to explain the joke?
Parent
Seems exploitable (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Seems exploitable (Score:5, Informative)
If the virus can modify the fixit binary then it already has admin access. Why would the author go through another hoop? Just attack the system.
The attack Im thinking of is spoofing the fixit4me button on a random webpage and hoping the user downloads your malware, but that's a trojan/social attack that works for just about anything (click here to install flash, etc).
Some kind of intelligent tool should be doable. Most PC problems are pretty basic and automating the fix straight from the KB makes sense for non-techies. I imagine a common scenario for this will be used by people who know a little tech, but are afraid of modifying the registry or installing a patch as opposed to the clueless grandma. This person would probably see the problem in the event viewer, click on the "what does this mean" button and be sent to the KB with the fixit tool sitting there.
>Education is the key to solving the most common issues.
Thats true of most problems, but a lot of people will never learn and simply will require hand-holding forever. Automated tools can do a lot of this hand-holding for them. Automated tools can also help those who understand the issue but may not be technical enough to perform their own fix.
Parent
Re:Seems exploitable (Score:5, Insightful)
In addition to the possibility of exploits in this kind of system, I really worry about what it will do with respect to the very user education issue you mention.
If Microsoft's official site trains people to trust (and click on) an agreeable-looking "Fit it!" icon, it won't be long before other sites use a surprisingly similar-looking "Fit it!" icon to induce people to click on malware (and click through the various warnings that appear--after all, I trust this thing to fix my computer!). There will always be some users who are easily fooled... but Microsoft should not exacerbate the situation by making people comfortable with the idea of launching system-altering utilities directly from the web browser.
To me this is no better than the IT department asking you for your password. Yes, you should trust the IT department (and they could no doubt determine your password if they really wanted to)... but it creates a bad habit, where users are accustomed to emailing their passwords to whoever asks and seems even slightly legitimate.
Parent
Re:Seems exploitable (Score:4, Insightful)
There's really nothing here to exploit that hasn't always existed.
All they've added to the KB document is a link to download an MSI file that, when executed, fixes the problem. As long as the web has existed it has been possible to put a link on a webpage saying "download this little utility which will fix all your problems, honest".
Really, it just makes sense. If you're already browsing Microsoft's knowledge base, and you've found the document that explains your problem, instead of following the step-by-step "fix it" instructions provided in the document, why not just click on a link that does the work for you.
So, now they're providing instructions for the people who want to do it themselves, and a convenient utility for the people who don't. Sounds reasonable to me.
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
get hacking, guys! (Score:5, Funny)
Wubi, Wubi, true to me; now I have to pee! (Score:5, Funny)
Beat me to it.
As soon as I saw the headline, I wondered how long it would take for some intrepid joker to hack the site...linking all of the 'Fix It' buttons to 'Wubi.exe'.
LOL!!! Hilarity then ensues!
The year of Linux on the Desktop, indeed...by hook or crook!!
I would have to celebrate this with a drunken ROFLCOPTER while wearing my Groucho Glasses, and making fart noises with my armpit!
Parent
Seriously: apturl. (Score:2, Interesting)
Actually, in all seriousness, it's possible for us to have this very technology on Linux: apturl [linutop.com].
Since .deb packages can contain scripts and configuration files and whatnot, it wouldn't be too hard to create .deb packages that fix common problems.
Re: (Score:2)
This is just what we need, having the power of downloading and executing arbitrary code with a single click will finally put Linux on par with Internet Explorer!
Im with him. (Score:2, Funny)
We should do some kind of campaign or contest for this.
So this will fix stuff for me? I dont really think this will work to well.
cmd:fixitforme.exe -get -girlfriend
Re: (Score:2)
This seems like a great thing to try to hack. 5 bucks to the first one who gets the "Fix It" button to download and fire up an Ubuntu installer.
Sounds good for irony, but realistically, it would suck. Imagine a metric shitload of fresh Ubuntu users searching for drive C:.
However, it raises an interesting question: do we have good utilities to make migration easier?
Re: (Score:2)
This seems like a great thing to try to hack. 5 bucks to the first one who gets the "Fix It" button to download and fire up an Ubuntu installer.
Sounds good for irony, but realistically, it would suck. Imagine a metric shitload of fresh Ubuntu users searching for drive C:.
However, it raises an interesting question: do we have good utilities to make migration easier?
Well, With WUBI, I hear it's a pretty nice install and they can still dual boot, so if it just installed itself that way and set it as the default, people could at least see it, and then if they paid attention at boot they could pick windows instead. Heh.
-Taylor
Re:get hacking, guys! (Score:5, Insightful)
It can be installed in one click too, so it would be great for this kind of thing (although i don't actually suggest we try that, it would make people think linux was just a virus or something).
That's a stupid idea anyway. Linux is about choice. We only take the willing :)
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
That's a step in the right direction (Score:3, Funny)
ultimately they need to add a "Fuck It" button that, when pressed, formats the HD and installs Ubuntu
Zen (Score:5, Interesting)
the 'Fix it' button, including one that prevents users from connecting a USB storage device -- useful in protecting against one of the infection vectors of the 'Downadup' worm.
Funny, something I just sent a co-worker fits this.
"Everything, from people to rocks, axiomatically has a basic nature to what it does, what it just tends to do and how. I find life is much simpler and more pleasant when I recognize what that is, and interact on it/he/she/they on it's own terms and in its own way. This G-D net-nanny [or, in TFA's case, "Fix It" disabling functionality] stuff is just another example of what screws up human existence: instead of facilitating things happening, it stands in the way and interferes in obtuse ways."
The problem isn't people attaching USB storage devices, it's that OS design flaws allow for malicious misuse. Of course, M$'s "Fix It" solution is to kill the messenger, not fix the "yeah I'll do anything you say" OS - and we all know what kind of annoyance, headaches, breakage and new infection vectors will follow as a result.
My idea (Score:2, Funny)
A kbase entry with a "fix it" button for when my network card is not working.
Re: (Score:2)
A kbase entry with a "fix it" button for when my network card is not working.
Ouch. You hit my sweet spot right there.
I remember all too well the fresh XP installs and my broken driver CD.
"Hmmm, the network driver is hosed. I know, I'll look it up on Goo... AAARRRRGGGHHH!"
As my family's support guy..... (Score:5, Insightful)
The problem with her computer was between the chair and the keyboard. Anyway, to shorten the story, I asked her if she's ever Googled for answer to her problems or looked at the manual. Nope.
Folks like that who would actually benefit from something like that will never come across it because they don't even think of searching the net for a solution; let alone of actually reading the manual and following the trouble shooting guide in the back.
People like us, tech savy, will never trust a script like that from MS.
This is doomed to fail.
I'll also give them (Score:5, Informative)
That their tools can detect some things you might not think to look for. I've used the "Check for solutions online," thing before. Usually it doesn't get anything, meaning no answer found. Sometimes, it gets generic info that I already knew. Like it'll say "Your graphics driver caused the crash," which is evident from the STOP 0xA in nv4_disp.dll. No real fix, but that could be useful to someone less knowledgeable. I happen to know the files for the graphics driver, and what a STOP 0xA error is, most users probably don't.
However occasionally, it has been real useful. For example I was trying to install a Sound Blaster X-Fi. I'd launch it's installation CD, and it would crash. Had no idea what was going on. I decided "Ok smart guy, go ahead and check." It responded that Quicktime was the problem. Fine, I'll play ball, I uninstall Quicktime. Sure as shit, installer runs fine. Not something I ever would have though to check.
So while I certainly won't be running an automated fix script, I do applaud them in trying to increase their ability to check system errors. While I know everyone on Slashdot likes to give MS shit about being the source of all problems, that's really not the case. 3rd party software causes plenty of trouble.
Parent
Next Logical Step (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Let's hope for "cancel" and "allow" buttons to be replaced with the more accurate :
"Please, for the love of God, NOOOO!" and "I'm feeling lucky..."
Could be useful... (Score:5, Interesting)
I've always thought it was strange how KB articles can get to have some really complicated actions, yet they can't just give you a script to do what they're telling you to do. That would be really helpful.
Here's an example of something i saw the other day:
1. Insert the CD into the CD drive or DVD drive.
2. Click Start, and then click Run.
3. In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK.
4. At the command prompt, type the following commands, pressing ENTER after each command:
expand CD-ROM Drive Letter:\i386\config.nt_ c:\windows\system32\config.nt
expand CD-ROM Drive Letter:\i386\autoexec.nt_ c:\windows\system32\autoexec.nt
expand CD-ROM Drive Letter:\i386\command.co_ c:\windows\system32\command.com
exit
5. Start or install the program. If the issue is resolved, do not complete the remaining steps. If the issue is not resolved, go to the next step.
6. Note: The Command.com file is not edited or created in the following process. Because of this, you may have to expand it from your Windows XP CD-ROM.
Start Notepad.
7. In Notepad, type the following entries:
dos=high, umb
device=%SYSTEMROOT%\system32\himem.sys
files=40
8. On the File menu, click Save As.
9. In the File Name box, type Config.nt, and then click Save. Close the Config.nt file.
10. On the File menu, click New.
11. In the new blank document, type the following entries:
@echo off
lh %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\mscdexnt.exe
lh %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\redir
lh %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\dosx
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 P330 T3
12. On the File menu, click Save As.
13. In the File Name box, type Autoexec.nt, and then click Save. Close the Autoexec.nt file.
14. Start Windows Explorer. Locate the Config.nt file, right-click the Config.nt file, and then click Copy.
15. Right-click the %SYSTEMROOT%\System32 folder, and then click Paste.
16. Locate the Autoexec.nt file, right-click the Autoexec.nt file, and then click Copy.
17. Right-click the %SYSTEMROOT%\System32 folder, and then click Paste.
18. Locate the Command.com file, right-click the expanded Command.com file, and then click Copy.
19. Right-click the %SYSTEMROOT%\System32 folder, and then click Paste. Restart your computer.
If the issue continues to occur, copy the Autoexec.nt and Config.nt files from the Repair folder in Windows to the System folder. To do so, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, click Run, type c:\windows\repair, and then click OK.
2. Right-click Autoexec.nt, and then click Copy.
3. Click Start, click Run, type c:\windows\system32, and then click OK.
4. Right-click anywhere in that folder, and then click Paste.
5. Right-click the Autoexec.nt file that you just copied, and then click Properties.
6. Click to select Read-Only, and then click OK.
7. Repeat steps 1 through 6 to copy the Config.nt file.
Note You must enable Read-Only permissions or the files will be removed after you restart Windows.
They can't just give me a script to run? It's simple for me to do all that, but time consuming and annoying.
-Taylor
Re:Could be useful... (Score:5, Interesting)
Exactly. What I always found frustrating is the "You could damage your computer by using regedit" warnings. but then the instructions say to navigate to this key, then this key, then this one, and right-click here, new, and be sure to use DWORD because if you specify any other type it won't work.
It would be so much easier to just "Save this.reg file and double-click on it." that way it's impossible for the idiot user to screw up. At least closer to impossible anyway.
Or at least give a way to navigate directly to the subkey, like a "goto line number" function in a text editor. Of course they do have the "Select a file" dialog that allows you to select by clicking and waiting for the folder browser to read all the files and folders, and the subfolders as well to determine if it needs to put a plus sign there, but not paste in something from the clipboard which you already have. so maybe it was the same design team.
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
When Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1 Beta came out, I was interested in installing it and looking at it. However, I had to be able to revert to pre-SP1 fast if I needed to. The uninstall procedure (for a beta) involved over twenty different actions, to be performed manually in order, with vague but dire warnings for those who strayed from the path.
Now, of course, there's a script to uninstall VS 2008 SP1. My colleague who used it said it took about two hours. You see, he needed to install the 64-bi
Re:Could be useful... (Score:5, Insightful)
I've always thought it was strange how KB articles can get to have some really complicated actions, yet they can't just give you a script to do what they're telling you to do.
And then they have the nerve to tell us Linux is complicated.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
And at least in Linux, a cursory knowledge of any Unix-based system is enough to get around. There are manpages for stuff. There are things that explain what these options or those swi
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Amazing. This is what it takes to solve many Microsoft-related problems...
Well, not really. I've never actually had to do anything that complicated, it was just an example of things i wish they would automate, not me trying to say windows sucks. Turns out that the issue I had with that KB article was solved by rebooting (it has to do with windows giving out larger than 16 bit handles to 16 bit programs), which most users would try anyway first, and there was also a "Method 2" to the KB article (not sure why it wasn't method 1...) that was simpler:
Method 2
1. Click Start, click Run, type C:\windows\repair, and then click OK.
2. Right-click the Autoexec.nt file, and then click Copy.
3. Click Start, click Run, type %windir%\system32, and then click OK.
4. In the System32 folder, press Ctrl + V to paste the Autoexec.nt file in this folder.
My point was just that i wish tha
Well (Score:2)
It's just scripted patches with e.g. included modified files, but included within an MSI.
I don't see why this cannot be deployed as patches/hotfixes instead of just calling it "FIX IT" scripts.
I find this amusing. My guess is that Microsoft had so many "IT Professionals" reporting that the fixes in KB articles failed due to UAC blocking them, thus this fix it is coming to town, popping up a window asking for administration privileges.
Microsoft needs to fix the defaults of Windows (Score:3)
For example, there is no legitimate reason for AutoRun to work on any device other than an optical disk (and even then, the rationale is debatable given the crap Sony pulled with the rootkit). Change the default to make AutoRun only work for optical disks.
Or that stupid "hide extensions for known file types" which just makes it harder to tell the difference between porn.jpg (harmless pornography) and porn.jpg.exe (malware pretending to be harmless pornography)
Also, lets disable the stuff in Outlook and Outlook Express (and other mail clients) that allows code to run just by reading an email. Better yet, introduce "show only text, not HTML" options ala SeaMonkey and others and encourage users to use those options. HTML email is only used for SPAM and other nasty stuff.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
I never understood why MS is sticking to this way of doing things. I don't really want to go into the whole Mac vs PC thing, but OSX really nailed that I think. It's nice to have something that popups when you put a CDROM in the drive (for the average user anyway). But executing random code from a foreign media is of course terrible. So, in OSX, it's Finder (a bit like explorer) that pop ups, displaying the files on the CD. And since you can determine in advance t