The Broken Design of Microsoft's "Fix it" Tool 165
$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?"
Wrong link in summary? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:What? (Score:1, Informative)
Mod parent up. This is not news.
User-Agent "sniffing" (Score:5, Informative)
User-Agent "sniffing" is a bad approach under any circumstances - it's too easy, not to mention common, to fake. And since all script-based approaches I am aware of rely on User-Agent detection, they would be effectively broken as well.
If I were doing it, I would put the OS detection in the setup EXE itself. That way, the setup program could *authoritatively* determine what OS was in use, and block installation onto any invalid systems. But we may never know since you didn't finish the download and give it a shot. ;)
As someone who HAS used the tool (Score:5, Informative)
I've also had a few friends (of course, I do the PC repair for them) use it with positive results.
One of the first things that it asks you is if you're using it on the PC that is having the issue. If you hit "a different PC", it asks you to run it on the other PC, or it gives you step-by-step manual directions.
Having a friend with an inverse situation (Vista issue, XP fix-it - network related, if I recall correctly), he ran the fix-it tool and hit "problem on this PC"- and it refused to run (wrong OS error).
The Fix-it tool can fix a lot of errors that would prevent proper internet access too- and not every Windows PC has internet.
Since the submitter never even tried to run the file (because someone running Ubuntu, or even XP would never need to download a Vista fix-it for his friend), this is really a nonstory.
Re:What? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:What? (Score:4, Informative)
Then there is the title- broken design? Wtf does the downloader have to do with the design of the tool itself? He didn't even run the tool! This editor needs to go...
Re:Maybe it does (Score:4, Informative)
Actually ran it. (Score:1, Informative)
I downloaded and ran the fix in question [microsoft.com] on an XP box.
It responded: This "Fix It" does not apply to your system.
Then it gives you an option of going to their blog or providing feedback via email.
Nothing to see here.
Re:Oh please! The Story "Fails". (Score:2, Informative)
Fix tools are not software updates, WSUS is totally inappropriate for most of them.