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Microsoft Bug Windows

Microsoft Admits Mistake, Pulls Problematic Windows 10 Driver (betanews.com) 68

Posted by msmash from the fixing-things dept.
Wayne Williams, writing for BetaNews: Microsoft pushed out a mysterious driver to Windows users on Wednesday that caused big problems for some. The driver, listed as "Microsoft -- WPD -- 2/22/2016 12:00:00 AM -- 5.2.5326.4762," wasn't accompanied by any details, although we knew from the name that it related to Windows Portable Devices and affected users who had phones and tablets connected to the OS. Microsoft today admitted the problem with the driver, saying on the Answers Forum: "An incorrect device driver was released for Windows 10, on March 8, 2017, that affected a small group of users with connected phones or portable devices. After installation, these devices are not detected properly by Windows 10, but are affected in no other way. We removed the driver from Windows Update the same day, but if the driver had already installed, you may still be having this issue." As Williams adds, even though it was an optional update for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users, it was pushed to those on Windows 10.
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Microsoft Admits Mistake, Pulls Problematic Windows 10 Driver More

Microsoft Admits Mistake, Pulls Problematic Windows 10 Driver

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  • Too bad (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    I thought for a moment it said they pulled Windows 10.

  • You had me until the last word (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    "Microsoft Admits Mistake, Pulls Problematic Windows 10"

    Yes!

    ".. Driver"

    No.

  • It seems that the only thing preventing an unmitigated disaster with this system is the fact that they stagger the major updates to groups of users. Not that it's infinitely better, but it's worth noting that Windows 8.1 will receive security updates until January 10, 2023. If you have 5-6 years to plot a migration away from Windows on the desktop, and have some faith that the alternatives will make any headway in terms of general acceptance, it's probably worth looking into.

  • Just turn off Windows Updates via Services (Score:3)

    by WilliamGeorge ( 816305 ) on Friday March 10, 2017 @04:02PM (#54015093)

    No more updates unless you want them, and turn the service back on. Not quite as elegant as the old controls we had over Windows Updates in previous versions, but better than getting hit by random faulty updates.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by tsqr ( 808554 )

      I do this on our travel laptop before we take it on a trip, and it works just fine for that purpose. The problem is that when you re-enable updates, you don't have any control over what updates will be downloaded and installed.

      • Very true. My approach is to only re-enable after there is a major upgrade that would encapsulate lots of smaller patches - the rough equivalent of the old Service Packs. Oh, and back up your drive first! That way you get what should be a fairly stable update all around, and if something does go sideways you can just restore from your backup.

        I do agree, though, that having more fine-tuned controls over both when updates happen and what updates you install would be better. I wish MS would stop taking away co

    • Can always make some batch files for using "sc" if you don't want to bother with loading the services manager... be mindful of the space after the =. Also, setting them to run as administrator is probably necessary, unless you've done something about UAC.

      Disable with:
      sc config wuauserv start= disabled

      Re-enable with:
      sc config wuauserv start= auto

  • Windows 10 (especially Home edition)is possessed.. (Score:5, Informative)

    by evolutionary ( 933064 ) on Friday March 10, 2017 @04:06PM (#54015115)
    And see where it gets us. BTW, it's VERY hard to disable the automatic updates (which are sometimes disruptive or take far longer than many anticipate) but it is possible: In Home edition you have to set the connection to "metered" mode:

    https://www.cnet.com/au/how-to... [cnet.com]
    http://www.thewindowsclub.com/... [thewindowsclub.com]

    Note; the new "surface" edition keeps you from stopping it this way.
    It appears that MS doesn't want a potential lawsuit for running up Internet overages so they have this safeguard against litigation.

    In Win 10 professional they give the standard "turn off automatic updates" they had in ALL previous versions of Windows. (funny how you are getting less in Windows 10).

    This trying to force automatic updates in home edition is in my opinion quite dangerous and this isn't the first update to have serious issue pushed on on suspecting people.

    Best thing to do in my opinion is to give MS the "finger" by switching to Linux: Linux Mint, ElementaryOS, or Debian are my top choices.
    • Oh, yes, I THINK that if you turn off the Windows Update server in the "Services" that should still work. I always do this by reflex so I forgot to mention that. My bad. Thanks community for filling in my missing info.

      • The problem is this is an all-or-nothing approach, and you won't get updates at all, or update notifications, leaving your PC to eventually become insecure.

        It needs to be a middle ground. Notify the user about updates, give them control over updates, and ONLY automatically push updates for *glaring, immediate* security problems.

      • Yup, this is what I do. Works on Home and Pro versions (I have both).

    • Re:Windows 10 (especially Home edition)is possesse (Score:5, Insightful)

      by ZorinLynx ( 31751 ) on Friday March 10, 2017 @04:13PM (#54015163) Homepage

      I don't get why Microsoft has to be such a pain in the ass about updates.

      Apple has always let the user decide when they want to install updates. You get an update notification, then install the updates either right away or tell it to install them over night. There is never a forced install; the user is always in control. This is IRONIC especially since Apple tends to be a control freak company in most other ways!

      Apple will VERY OCCASIONALLY automatically push an extremely critical update to fix glaring security problems, but has done this very rarely.

      It seems MS could do a lot more to give the user control of updates, including the ability to easily roll back updates that cause problems.. The current system is just asking for trouble.

      • Apple has always let the user decide when they want to install updates. {...} Apple will VERY OCCASIONALLY automatically push an extremely critical update to fix glaring security problems, but has done this very rarely.

        The key point is that Apple's Mac OS X, on the simple ground of being an Unix (more or less BSD based) has a not so aweful security, and thus only need extremely critical update only very occasionally.

        Microsoft's Windows editions are such catastrophy (very large attack surface) that Microsoft cannot allow end-users to disable update : some of that regular avalanche of patches and fixes might plug an exploitable hole. After a couple of weeks an unpatched Windows is pretty much sure to become a zombie in some

      • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

        by thegarbz ( 1787294 )

        I don't get why Microsoft has to be such a pain in the ass about updates.

        Apple has

        Let me stop you right there. Microsoft != Apple. Not in terms of install base. Not in terms of attack surface. Not in terms of the number of people who could be affected by not updating.

        Not saying what MS is doing is right, I'm just saying that comparing Microsoft to Apple is like comparing Apples to bicycles. They have zero to do with each other in this case.

      • I agree with you but you have to understand the history. They get bashed for the poor security and tons of zombie Windows machines. Alot of that would be fixed by just installing the updates. As a result they go overboard in trying to make sure users install updates. Then they get bashed for that.

  • I hope all you Windows users are enjoying the fallout of the demolished QA division at Microsoft. Frankly, I think you guys are jerks because by continuing to use their OS, you continue telling them that their behavior is acceptable.

  • stealth fubars do not help your market competitiveness, you dips. everybody else has figured it out. why not you?

  • Thankfully it only affected the 13 people who use Windows 10 and also have Windows phones...

  • Its not just windows phones (Score:3)

    by JustNiz ( 692889 ) on Friday March 10, 2017 @04:41PM (#54015335)

    Every time I plug my (android) phone into the USB on my PC now, it says its drawing too much current from the USB socket and gives me the option to either retry or cancel (which disables the USB socket).
    It didn't ever do this before said update.

  • WPD? (Score:2)

    by KitFox ( 712780 )

    I hope I'm not the only one who saw the driver name at the start and initially thought "Weapons of Privacy Destruction"

  • I know three people that have ever had a Windows portable device. They were all business requirements or perks. Two no longer have those requirements and no longer have their W-phone/tablet. The third is retired and is now more frugal, so that phone will stay until it must be replaced. Although the OS was never updated to W10.

    A pretty low impact mistake then.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by gfxguy ( 98788 )
      The only person I know with a Windows phone is my mom, because she didn't know w.t.f. she was doing and didn't ask any of her kids or grand-kids.
  • They are really, really good at that.

  • This week at work about half of us have started getting daily blue screens of death. I checked and there were now updates or SW installs in the last month.
    I've worked there for 5 years and never seen anything like this. Is it a domain policy change or config change from Microsoft that's triggering it?

    We mostly use Windows to run VM's for Linux development, so I'm no MS lover.

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