Windows tried to do an update without notifying me first. It did both the download and tried to do the install, but I got lucky and got out of it. I have automatic updates set to "Notify me but don't automatically download or install them."

What made me even more furious is that this update was IE8. Microsoft apparently thinks this is critical. I don't use IE anyway, but may someday want to upgrade to IE8 . . . but I want to do it in my time, NOT Microsoft's time.

Evidently this has been happening lately . . . stealthily updating even though a user has the "Notify only" option checked. See the Windows Secrets newsletter here for a full description of this fraudulent behavior. This is akin to a driveby download and virus/spyware behavior to me.

No, I'm not saying Windows is a virus, but it's acting like one.

And, yes, I realize that using Windows is by license only, and the OS actually belongs to MS. But the machine is mine. To get it back, I will need to switch my OS to Linux . . . and will do so because of this

I have restrained myself in the past from hopping on the Microsoft bashing bandwagon, but this has pushed me over the edge. As far as I'm concerned, the 500 pound Gorilla from Redmond is not welcome on my machine.

Now I'm off to learn Ubuntu!

Don't know what the exact number was/is, but as I said it was the IE8 upgrade. Guess it could be looked up that way. I was so mad, I just saw "IE8" and didn't look at the KB number. I have IE7 on my machine, so I assume WU detected it, and wanted to do the IE8 upgrade.

That happened one time before, but it was a notification only and I checked the box for "Don't do this again" (can't remember the wording, but you know what I mean . . . apparently MS ignored my wishes, which is another reason I got so angry . . . and still am BTW).

And this latest attempt, the one that has me so pissed off, happened shortly after I read the Windows Secrets newletter I linked to. That article really explains it all.

You do well being careful with IE8, especially if you do not use it. I have seen a lot of people having trouble with windows mail after the installation of IE8 and fixed it by uninstalling it (fortunately that is possible). I myself did not have any problems. But I use AOL and Hotmail for my mail. The IE8 works well on my machines. The main reason I downloaded it is the additional security. As far as new function is concerned, there is not much I use (although there are a few new features).

Have fun BobJam. That will be an uphill battle. It's like leaving the comfort of your home for living in the bush. LOL

Learning something new is always a good objective. I hope you'll like Linux. I poked at it from time to time but was not too thrilled. You need to do a lot of command line level work if you really want to get something done. I prefer the "automatics" of Vista and W7.

(LOL) http://www.dban.org/download

@jr96.

Heeeer's Johnny! BTW, what's your issue - is it the exact same as mine?

Someone on another forum told me a workaround is to disable automatic updates (that solution is also in the Windows Secrets newsletter I linked to). Of course, then you have to check manually for them.

I replied that this was basically feeding oats to a dead horse for me. I have no interest in applying workarounds to a piece of software made by a vendor that I don't want to have on my machine (I will run Windows XP on my VM in order to use Quicken, my banking/financial software . . . until I find out if I can run it with WINE or find a Ubuntu substitute).

I'm done with MS. (And OpenOrg is a nice substitute for Word).

Learning Ubuntu now on my VM.

BTW, madjack1987, thanks for the link to the portable version. May try that too and see if it's any faster than Ubuntu on my VM.

Rick,

It really doesn't matter what you call it . . . "work around" or "sand" or whatever. I flat out just don't want to have MS products on my machine. As I said on another forum, you're "feeding oats to a dead horse"! There was a time when I was more tolerant of MS . . . no more, period!

I was contemplating Ubuntu before, but as whs pointed out, we old timers tend to get comfortable with "same old, same old" and it was easier to stay with Windows and deal with MS BS. This pushed me over the edge, and now I'm a confirmed MS basher and open source user and Linux user completely.

Unfortunately, some websites require IE to function, otherwise it would be possible to totally ditch IE and leave it as an unused Windows feature. I cannot understand Microsoft's mentality in doing this, as it is especially likely to offend business customers that are the major 'bankers' for them.

I just wanted to let folks who are reading along know that you can't get IE8 "accidentally" installed. Even if Windows Update pushes it to your system, there is an installer that you must acknowledge before IE8 will be loaded. It starts with a Welcome screen, as shown here, where you can choose "Install" or "Don't Install". If you choose "Don't Install", IE8 will become an optional update, instead of important, in Windows Update.

If you have tried IE8 or have decided that it's not for you, you can run a script from the IE8 Blocker Toolkit. This is basically the same as clicking the "Don't Install" button, but you don't need the Welcome screen.