Who is liable for lost data caused by an Automatic Restart?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dan Live
  • Start date Start date
D

Dan Live

Last night my XP SP2 decided to restart my computer during a data transfer. I
am now in the embarassing position of having to explain to my client that
they will not be getting the document they were expecting this morning after
all, as instead of waking up to to see my transfer completed I saw an empty
desktop with a handly little message balloon saying my computer had been
restarted without my permission. The culprit was or course the Windows Update
Installer. Oh joy.

Who's going to cover the cost of my wasted time? My client? Me? Or
Microsoft? Why does this feature exist? Who thought that restarting a machine
without confirmation could ever be acceptable software design?

Oh well, must dash now. My new Mac's just arrived!
 
The person who left the computer set to automatically download and install
updates.

That would be you.

Change your Automatic Updates settings to let you choose when to
download/install them.

D
 
Doug said:
The person who left the computer set to automatically download and install
updates.

That would be you.

Change your Automatic Updates settings to let you choose when to
download/install them.

D
Click to expand...

I agree. The fault lies with the operator.

That said. I will concur that for MS to design an update to restart the
machine without permission
is downright criminal. However...anyone who has used Windows for more than
three hours knows what they're dealing with.

When I am doing any kind of such work...
the host machine I use is NOT on-line.
Updates are turned OFF...
and the machine is on a UPS with a 24 hour reserve capacity.
 
PEBKAC

--

- - - - - - - - - -
Jonathan M. Boyko
"Aba Computer Systems LTD."

"All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing."
-Edmund Burke
 
By having updates set to automatic I am choosing to have them downloaded and
installed at any time. I forgot that may include an unprompted restart. Crazy
design but yeh you're right I need to change that setting however it's
irrelavent now as my new OS doesn't need weekly updates, yay!
 
Actually weekly updates isn't correct. Microsoft has a fixed schedule
for updates, the 2nd Tuesday of each month. The exception being a
Windows Defender definition which queues up daily.

Not to throw water on your new found love of Apple/OS-X but it's
the way it is because it's tightly controlled by Apple. Very few apps
and non-Apple peripherals are supported. If Microsoft's Windows
functioned in that same model it would also have a much higher level
of stability. Actually it's been shown that almost all of the instability
seen in recent Windows is due to 3rd-Party drivers ( Mainly Video ).

Finally as Apple/OS-X gains more market share you'll see more &
more Malware/Viruses & Trojans created against it. There is already
a few in the "Wild". Recently Apple indicated users should consider
AntiVirus software, but back peddled on that statement when it began
to get some visibility in the Press.

Enjoy the Mac, just don't fall into that frame of mind that using it keeps
you safe without any additional protections. There are hackers and
criminals who'll finally decide it's worth their time to mess with Apples.
 
Dan Live said:
Last night my XP SP2 decided to restart my computer during a data
transfer. I
am now in the embarassing position of having to explain to my client that
they will not be getting the document they were expecting this morning
after
all, as instead of waking up to to see my transfer completed I saw an
empty
desktop with a handly little message balloon saying my computer had been
restarted without my permission. The culprit was or course the Windows
Update
Installer. Oh joy.

Who's going to cover the cost of my wasted time? My client? Me? Or
Microsoft? Why does this feature exist? Who thought that restarting a
machine
without confirmation could ever be acceptable software design?

Oh well, must dash now. My new Mac's just arrived!
Click to expand...

How will your new Mac cope with a power outage in the middle of a download?
 
Last night my XP SP2 decided to restart my computer during a data transfer. I
am now in the embarassing position of having to explain to my client that
they will not be getting the document they were expecting this morning after
all, as instead of waking up to to see my transfer completed I saw an empty
desktop with a handly little message balloon saying my computer had been
restarted without my permission. The culprit was or course the Windows Update
Installer. Oh joy.

Who's going to cover the cost of my wasted time? My client? Me? Or
Microsoft? Why does this feature exist? Who thought that restarting a machine
without confirmation could ever be acceptable software design?

Oh well, must dash now. My new Mac's just arrived!
Click to expand...

Hi,

Here are some articles about these automatic updates from windows,
http://internetducttape.com/2006/07...automatic-update-to-use-manual-installations/

Regards,
 
The date and time was 12/11/2008 4:32 AM, and on a whim, Pegasus (MVP)
pounded out on the keyboard:
How will your new Mac cope with a power outage in the middle of a download?
Click to expand...

Great if it's a laptop or has a UPS. Just the way a Windows unit would. ;-)

--
Terry R.

***Reply Note***
Anti-spam measures are included in my email address.
Delete NOSPAM from the email address after clicking Reply.
 
Dan said:
Last night my XP SP2 decided to restart my computer during a data transfer. I
am now in the embarassing position of having to explain to my client that
they will not be getting the document they were expecting this morning after
all, as instead of waking up to to see my transfer completed I saw an empty
desktop with a handly little message balloon saying my computer had been
restarted without my permission. The culprit was or course the Windows Update
Installer. Oh joy.

Who's going to cover the cost of my wasted time? My client? Me?
Click to expand...


If you';ve any integrity, yes. After all, the issue occurred because
of your decisions in configuring your computer. You've no one to blame
but yourself, for leaving the computer configured to update
automatically. It was you choice, and no one elses.

Or
Microsoft?
Click to expand...


Why? For reasonably presuming their customers would learn to use and
configure to their tastes the OS they purchased?

Why does this feature exist?
Click to expand...


As an option for those who want to use it. It's hardly mandatory.

Who thought that restarting a machine
without confirmation could ever be acceptable software design?
Click to expand...


The many intellectually lazy home consumers who don't want to be
bothered with having to check for and install updates manually.
Oh well, must dash now. My new Mac's just arrived!
Click to expand...


Good luck with that.

--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot
 
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