[zdragnar]

I think the gripe was less about auto-updates than the fact that the OS allegedly un-set OP's attempt at opting out.

Forgetting certain settings is annoying. Forgetting that I want to manually control when my computer downloads gigs of data to apply a patch that- in recent times especially- may very well brick my system... well, I can certainly understand where OP's frustration comes in.

Even at one of my jobs a few years back (which was about 50/45/5 apple / windows / linux shop) we were cautioned against applying major updates from apple within the first month or so of their releases given past issues.

[21]

I wouldn't call disabling the Windows Update service as "setting an option" that it's later forgotten. It's more of a thing an inexperienced user does by mistake while messing around. Windows does things behind you back, like magically restore system files if you manage to delete them, and so on, in an effort to keep running. But of course, some people are like "I deleted those files on purpose, so stay the damn out of my lawn"

But I do get your point, and Windows is indeed lacking an option to fully disable updates, even if it does have an option to defer major updates by up to an year.

[zdragnar]

I definitely understand the reasoning behind automatic updates, especially when it comes to keeping up with security patches.

Some rare times, some of us need finer grained control over these things, though, and it probably shouldn't be called "disable" if the OS will re-enable it at will, without notification.

It's one thing to protect the user from themselves, and another thing altogether to lie to them. It's (generally) the latter that will get people upset.

[LifeLiverTransp]

Windows also collects what pirated software you run and - on buisness success sells you out to the vendor of said software. Guess the crack did not work..

[colejohnson66]

Not that I don’t believe you, but I’m gonna need a citation for that