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Popster27
join:2008-07-19
Redondo Beach, CA

Popster27

Member

Windows Update installed Skype this week

After the latest Windows update I discovered Skype in my programs list. Checking this forum and Google showed that this is not the first time Skype has installed via update. I was able to uninstall it w/o problems, but I don't like the idea that it just appeared without my consent.
doppler
join:2003-03-31
Blue Point, NY

doppler

Member

I will one up you. A skype update was in my windows updates last month.

I don't even have Skype installed.
dave
Premium Member
join:2000-05-04
not in ohio

4 recommendations

dave to Popster27

Premium Member

to Popster27
From what I recall, it was a 'recommended' update. You may have Windows Update configured to install recommended updates automatically.

I agree, installing an entirely new app is an abuse of the 'update' system.
19579823 (banned)
An Awesome Dude
join:2003-08-04

19579823 (banned)

Member

quote:
From what I recall, it was a 'recommended' update.
Im sure it is.... Now that Microsoft owns them,they use skype to make it even easier for them to spy on people!!

dandelion
MVM
join:2003-04-29
Germantown, TN

dandelion to Popster27

MVM

to Popster27
I wonder what update number or if it is obvious. Microsoft has been known to be quite sneaky.

Exidor
Premium Member
join:2001-05-04

Exidor to dave

Premium Member

to dave
Click for full size
I don't recall if it was a 'recommended' update but when I hid the update it shows as 'Optional'.

Skype has never been installed on my system so I am not sure why I would need/want an update for it.

»support.microsoft.com/en ··· /2876229

Popster27
join:2008-07-19
Redondo Beach, CA

Popster27 to dave

Member

to dave
You were right, dave, my PC was set up to install recommended updates. I would have sworn it was NOT set up to do that. I think I'll check those settings more often. Cheers!
BlitzenZeus
Burnt Out Cynic
Premium Member
join:2000-01-13

BlitzenZeus to Popster27

Premium Member

to Popster27
It only shows up if you have the wu setting for microsoft products, and here it shows as optional. Even with recommended updates enabled it didn't come out of the optional area for me.

Just a guess, do you have Win 8.x, and left metro skype installed?

Popster27
join:2008-07-19
Redondo Beach, CA

Popster27

Member

said by BlitzenZeus:

Just a guess, do you have Win 8.x, and left metro skype installed?

Windows 7, no recollection of having seen Skype on this box. I not a "social" person and have no use for Skype.

camper
just visiting this planet
Premium Member
join:2010-03-21
Bethel, CT

camper to Popster27

Premium Member

to Popster27
said by Popster27:

You were right, dave, my PC was set up to install recommended updates. I would have sworn it was NOT set up to do that. I think I'll check those settings more often.

 
I had a second PC switch to automatically download and install Windows Updates, even though I had had it set to notify me.

While I've not seen enough to be conclusive, but I am becoming suspicious that Microsoft is playing around with Windows Update lately to make it more likely that Windows 10 will be installed on your PC.

Blackbird
Built for Speed
Premium Member
join:2005-01-14
Fort Wayne, IN

1 edit

3 recommendations

Blackbird to Popster27

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to Popster27
I'm still trying to process what happened on patch Tuesday. My unattended Win7 system (on a UPS) suddenly came out of sleep at 0830, began an online connection, and proceeded to screw up its registry hives and all manner of other things. On that system, Win Update is set to notify but not download, and it appeared not to have installed any of the Tuesday updates... but in 4-1/2 years of using this system in essentially the same way, the system has never spontaneously come out of sleep like that. The net result, after a system restore to 2 weeks earlier, was a fried limited user account on the system that wasn't even logged in during the interrupted sleep episode.

I'm a little hesitant to lay this at the feet of MS and their Win Update notification process, but with the increasingly sorry track record that's been unfolding over the past year or so, my trust in them is eroding rapidly. It's damaging enough to user trust for MS to continually issue flawed updates... but using their update process to simply prep user systems for another product without specifically telling/warning users that's what those updates are for crosses a major line of trust in my world. And a company not being forthright about the nature of their updates is not very far from a company willing to over-ride user update settings, simply because it thinks it's important enough to its own business model.
Kearnstd
Space Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ

Kearnstd

Premium Member

I think some flawed updates come from the rash of security breaches lately in the news and it comes out the machines had windows of some kind.

In short they should have left the update in the oven for a bit longer but they try and push them out so look like they are doing something.

Sadly I bet if MS took their time to test and make sure things worked with every patch people would jump on them for taking too long.
BlitzenZeus
Burnt Out Cynic
Premium Member
join:2000-01-13

BlitzenZeus to Blackbird

Premium Member

to Blackbird
I've noticed that if you install something like live mail it will change your windows update settings with your damn permission to automatic with everything enabled, and without explicitly telling you it has done so.
oldmike
join:2005-04-14
Latonia, KY

1 recommendation

oldmike to Popster27

Member

to Popster27
I cannot understand for the life of me why anyone in their right mind would allow automatic updates. I just don't get it. I don't think I'm paranoid - not exceptionally so, anyway. I do updates every two weeks, regular as clockwork, check everything that shows up, and hide the stuff I don't want (Silverlight - hack spit!). WU occasionally unhides things (Silverlight - hack spit!), but I just hide them again and go on.

I've seen too many updates over the years that bork up something or another. I make a restore point before every update and it's saved my rear several times.

OK, so maybe I am just a little more paranoid than most. Don't look at me in that tone of voice, youngsters.
19579823 (banned)
An Awesome Dude
join:2003-08-04

1 recommendation

19579823 (banned) to Popster27

Member

to Popster27
"Paranoid" simply means being MORE AWARE and there is nothing wrong with that bud!
BlitzenZeus
Burnt Out Cynic
Premium Member
join:2000-01-13

BlitzenZeus to oldmike

Premium Member

to oldmike
Think of people who couldn't program the time on their vcr....

Blackbird
Built for Speed
Premium Member
join:2005-01-14
Fort Wayne, IN

Blackbird to BlitzenZeus

Premium Member

to BlitzenZeus
said by BlitzenZeus:

I've noticed that if you install something like live mail it will change your windows update settings with your damn permission to automatic with everything enabled, and without explicitly telling you it has done so.

The problem is that, other than installing the new Vivaldi web browser and keeping it updated every once in a while, nothing else has been installed on this system in months - and live mail is something that I've never put on this system, since I have no plans to ever use it. The browser was turned off when the system went to sleep and was still off when I finally got the system to at least limp along.

When I first noticed the mess that had occurred, it was later on in the afternoon when I tried to use the system and found it hung up in the safe mode screen. I was baffled about what had gone wrong, so after finally getting it running in a "limping" mode, I spent quite some time going through the event logs to learn some of what happened and when. That's when I reassembled the bread-crumb trail that I outlined earlier, before restoring the system to a point a couple weeks earlier. It never crossed my mind until today when I read camper See Profile's post above that the crash had happened early on Patch Tuesday... I had been too busy trying to get things back up to speed after the debacle. Perhaps it was all some unpleasant coincidence and MS updates had nothing to do with it... but then again, when it comes to computers, I've found "coincidences' to be quite rare.
computerman2
Premium Member
join:2002-04-20
Trenton, MI

computerman2

Premium Member

Been Allowing Automatic Updates on all progams, and also Modern Windows 8.1 Apps, Never an issue that I've had, I do use Skype, modern version, Mail app, IE 11, and Avast Antivirus, works perfectly fine with each and every update.

Other Household PC's automatically update as well

Am Upgrading to Windows 10 soon as it's final released for sure
BlitzenZeus
Burnt Out Cynic
Premium Member
join:2000-01-13

BlitzenZeus

Premium Member

Lets just say I'm not a fan of things installing in the background when I'm using the system, gaining focus over other programs, and asking to reboot, especially when I'm running a fullscreen program, on top of I don't like things being installed without my permission. I don't let my phone, or computer do it with few exceptions for certain software.

There are bad updates, I've had a video driver update, and a flash update very close to each other, this combination caused memory corruption with gpu acceleration with other programs that used gpu memory, causing them to crash. Imagine that playing streaming music/flash/etc was the reason your game was crashing? Not the first thing you would think of right?
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20 to BlitzenZeus

Premium Member

to BlitzenZeus
said by BlitzenZeus:

Just a guess, do you have Win 8.x, and left metro skype installed?

Huh? You canNOT uninstall any Windows 8 Metro apps. You can hide them but you cannot uninstall them. Two of us here tried everything we could think of to be able to uninstall them and the other person, who had 8.1 Pro installed ( I have 8.0 PPro), was able, after great effort and research, to be able to uninstall A FEW but only a few of them. Me, no matter what I did, they proved uninstallable and to rub salt on the wound, I get repeated Event Viewer errors because they don't update but sit hidden taking precious space on my SSD and I have never used a single one of them and will never. Actually, I think you posted in our long thread so I am not sure what you are claiming here. It's even worse on Windows 10.
BlitzenZeus
Burnt Out Cynic
Premium Member
join:2000-01-13

BlitzenZeus

Premium Member

You know full well that is not what the hell we're talking about, and it wasn't even the case so you're just making an off-topic rant.
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20

Premium Member

You are not making sense. You asked him if he left Metro Skype installed. I am NOT ranting and I am on topic in reply to your post. Perhaps, you were OT in your post so I could be OT in replying to your OT post but I don't read an entire thread before I reply. I reply as I read and there was nothing wrong with my reply to your comment.
lawsoncl
join:2008-10-28
Spirit Lake, ID

1 edit

1 recommendation

lawsoncl to Mele20

Member

to Mele20
said by Mele20:

You canNOT uninstall any Windows 8 Metro apps.

No really, they can be very easily uninstalled. 20-seconds with Google even found this nice little utility to nuke them en-masse instead of using powershell commands.
»www.pcworld.com/article/ ··· are.html

Or you can still use powershell
»www.thewindowsclub.com/e ··· indows-8
Frodo
join:2006-05-05

1 recommendation

Frodo to camper

Member

to camper
said by camper:

I had a second PC switch to automatically download and install Windows Updates, even though I had had it set to notify me.

If you have the professional or ultimate versions, Windows Update preferences can be set in Group Policy. I set mine under Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, Windows Update.

The hope is, that these settings are a bit stickier than setting preferences directly in Windows Update. So far, the group policy settings are unchanged, although, I did not allow the updates that 'upgrade' Windows Update into marketing Windows 10.
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20 to lawsoncl

Premium Member

to lawsoncl
Powershell does NOT uninstall them. It HIDES them but they are still there. I have tried ALL methods and NONE work for me or for others and 8.1 is worse than 8.0 as a FEW can actually be uninstalled on 8.0 but none on 8.1 and it loads more apps than 8.0 does.

That pcworld guy is an IDIOT. I tried that too. That HIDES them. It does NOT uninstall them. I suppose that guy thinks because they say they are "uninstalled" (Microsoft doublespeak) that they are but they are not and I guess he has never looked at Event Viewer which proves they are not uninstalled.
dave
Premium Member
join:2000-05-04
not in ohio

1 recommendation

dave to oldmike

Premium Member

to oldmike
said by oldmike:

I cannot understand for the life of me why anyone in their right mind would allow automatic updates

Well, I do it for convenience. There's half-a-dozen computers here; 2 or 3 of the less-important have automatic installation of updates, the rest don't.

I distrust these never-ever proclamations.

There's always cold-metal restore from backup if I have problems.

You do have daily backups, don't you? I cannot understand for the life of me why anyone in their right mind would not have a daily backup, retained for a month or so

camper
just visiting this planet
Premium Member
join:2010-03-21
Bethel, CT

1 recommendation

camper to Kearnstd

Premium Member

to Kearnstd
said by Kearnstd:

...Sadly I bet if MS took their time to test and make sure things worked with every patch people would jump on them for taking too long.

 
It's Microsoft's responsibility to release quality patches in a timely manner for the software that Microsoft has written (and some might argue, forced upon the PC buyers of the world).

It is entirely within the capability of Microsoft to release quality patches in a timely manner, if they want to. Apparently, Microsoft has other priorities.

And yes, there will always be some people complaining regardless of what Microsoft does. but this is the Internet, everyone has a voice. Microsoft should get used to that.

However, from what I've seen, most people jump on Microsoft because Microsoft acts irresponsibly.
camper

camper to Frodo

Premium Member

to Frodo
said by Frodo:

If you have the professional or ultimate versions, Windows Update preferences can be set in Group Policy...

 
Win 7-64 Pro here.

I'll take a peek at what you suggest.

thx.

F100
join:2013-01-15
Durham, NC
Alcatel-Lucent G-010G-A
(Software) pfSense
Pace 5268AC

F100

Member

What's even more funny is that Microsoft just re-branded Lync to Skype for Business with a Windows update as well. It really only changed the app logo as everything in the about is the same. Even in the about section it still says Microsoft Lync and has the words Lync all throughout the app.

It really looks like a hack job the way they did it. It's fine if you are going to re-brand a Business app but do it fully, not just confuse the heck out of people who are looking for Lync in their start menu or desktop and now it says Skype. And when you open the app, nothing is changed since it all still says Lync.

Things have really gotten screwy at MS lately. MS didn't used to do this to their Business focused products. You have to have a Lync server or use Office 365 with Lync setup in your domain to use Lync, so no, it's not a consumer product at all, even though it does the same stuff as skype.

As much as I don't like some of the way Google does stuff, at least their Google Apps suite tracks very closely with their consumer Google products. Hangouts is the same on both, Gmail, ect. MS is trying to get there too but they are shooting themselves in the foot while doing so. It's no wonder why their MS phone platform has only like 3% market share.

Since Balmer left MS, things have really fell off the rocker as they are trying to restructure everything to service based subscriptions.
F100

F100 to Popster27

Member

to Popster27
To add, OP get ready to be confused if you have both Skype and Skype for Business(Lync) installed. And yes, these are being pushed out via Windows update depending on your settings and how your Group policy is setup if you are part of a domain on Active Directory.

If you ask a colleague to call you on Skype now, they ask which one? Business Skype or regular Skype. And just wait until they merge them. It will probably be a pain to keep your personal Skype still personal and separate from your business ones with unified contacts and such. This is a pain on my Google Nexus 5 already, so it's not only MS in that regard.