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"Check for Updates" makes you a Beta tester "seeker"



 
 
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  #1  
Old December 12th 18, 06:22 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Kirk Bubul[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 173
Default "Check for Updates" makes you a Beta tester "seeker"

I just saw this article this morning. It says that if you click
on the "Check for Updates" In Windows Settings, you are asking
to be made into a Beta tester!

https://www.howtogeek.com/398226/now...osoft-smoking/

I think that this sucks.
Ads
  #2  
Old December 12th 18, 06:51 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Paul[_32_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 11,873
Default "Check for Updates" makes you a Beta tester "seeker"

Kirk Bubul wrote:
I just saw this article this morning. It says that if you click
on the "Check for Updates" In Windows Settings, you are asking
to be made into a Beta tester!

https://www.howtogeek.com/398226/now...osoft-smoking/

I think that this sucks.


Agreed.

They've basically just destroyed a pivotal control on the machine.

If you can't trust that button (in the same sense as you trust
a light switch), what can you trust ?

Paul
  #3  
Old December 12th 18, 09:27 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
VanguardLH[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,881
Default "Check for Updates" makes you a Beta tester "seeker"

Kirk Bubul wrote:

I just saw this article this morning. It says that if you click
on the "Check for Updates" In Windows Settings, you are asking
to be made into a Beta tester!

https://www.howtogeek.com/398226/now...osoft-smoking/

I think that this sucks.


If you were still using Windows 7, or still remember doing updates to
it, you would be used to Microsoft using their customers as beta
testers. Seems every month there is a "preview" update. Those who get
suckered into installing the preview updates are beta testers. The
update is in preview, just as it says, not released. At least in
Windows 7, I have a choice of what updates to install, and I always hide
the preview updates. Let someone else use their sole home PC as a beta
test machine.

Used to be you could choose to get just security updates, just feature
updates, or both. Before Microsoft released Windows 10, they started
rolling these together in the Windows 7 updates, so you couldn't get
just security updates and keep Microsoft from altering the feature set.

In Google Chrome, when you want to /check/ which version you have,
Chrome instead downloads the latest version. To Google, "checking" and
"updating" are the same. Instead of using the Options - Help - About
menu in Chrome, the trick to just check version is to go to
chrome://system. Mozilla was that way, too, for quite awhile but
listened to their customers and eventually let their users check the
version without forcing an update at them. Not much of a surprise that
Microsoft also thinks "checking" means "updating".

By the way, you haven't realized with Windows 10 that Microsoft has you
always a beta tester? You can disable all updating until you decide to
risk the state of your PC. Just disable the BITS and WU services, then
enable them *after* you have saved an image backup of the OS
partition(s). Who do you choose as the sysadmin of your computer: you
or Microsoft?
  #4  
Old December 12th 18, 09:29 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Zaghadka
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Posts: 315
Default "Check for Updates" makes you a Beta tester "seeker"

On Wed, 12 Dec 2018 11:22:54 -0600, in alt.comp.os.windows-10, Kirk Bubul
wrote:

I just saw this article this morning. It says that if you click
on the "Check for Updates" In Windows Settings, you are asking
to be made into a Beta tester!

https://www.howtogeek.com/398226/now...osoft-smoking/

I think that this sucks.


I noticed that, so I stopped clicking it. I would check the patch log and
see an update version that hadn't patched on my machine, but had
automatically patched on another one. My laptop seems to get these late
patches automatically. Clicking "Check for update" always triggered it.
Ignoring "Check for update" generally kept it silent until Patch Tuesday.

So I sort of figured out what is formally laid out in this article.

In one case, installing a D update screwed up my ability to get the next
B update, and it took several restarts to get the Patch Tuesday update
installed.

The lesson: Don't ever click "check for update" unless it's midday in
Washington state on Patch Tuesday. Windows will patch itself in the most
stable way if you stick to that rule.

--
Zag

No one ever said on their deathbed, 'Gee, I wish I had
spent more time alone with my computer.' ~Dan(i) Bunten
  #5  
Old December 12th 18, 09:39 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Neil
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 714
Default "Check for Updates" makes you a Beta tester "seeker"

On 12/12/2018 3:29 PM, Zaghadka wrote:
On Wed, 12 Dec 2018 11:22:54 -0600, in alt.comp.os.windows-10, Kirk Bubul
wrote:

I just saw this article this morning. It says that if you click
on the "Check for Updates" In Windows Settings, you are asking
to be made into a Beta tester!

https://www.howtogeek.com/398226/now...osoft-smoking/

I think that this sucks.


I noticed that, so I stopped clicking it. I would check the patch log and
see an update version that hadn't patched on my machine, but had
automatically patched on another one. My laptop seems to get these late
patches automatically. Clicking "Check for update" always triggered it.
Ignoring "Check for update" generally kept it silent until Patch Tuesday.

So I sort of figured out what is formally laid out in this article.

In one case, installing a D update screwed up my ability to get the next
B update, and it took several restarts to get the Patch Tuesday update
installed.

The lesson: Don't ever click "check for update" unless it's midday in
Washington state on Patch Tuesday. Windows will patch itself in the most
stable way if you stick to that rule.

+1

If one wants to take personal responsibility for updating their machine,
then they have to live with the consequences.

Still on 1803 on all Win10 machines, and for the most part they still
work (there ARE quirks and PITA issues).

--
best regards,

Neil
  #6  
Old December 12th 18, 10:42 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Paul[_32_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 11,873
Default "Check for Updates" makes you a Beta tester "seeker"

Neil wrote:
On 12/12/2018 3:29 PM, Zaghadka wrote:
On Wed, 12 Dec 2018 11:22:54 -0600, in alt.comp.os.windows-10, Kirk Bubul
wrote:

I just saw this article this morning. It says that if you click
on the "Check for Updates" In Windows Settings, you are asking
to be made into a Beta tester!

https://www.howtogeek.com/398226/now...osoft-smoking/


I think that this sucks.


I noticed that, so I stopped clicking it. I would check the patch log and
see an update version that hadn't patched on my machine, but had
automatically patched on another one. My laptop seems to get these late
patches automatically. Clicking "Check for update" always triggered it.
Ignoring "Check for update" generally kept it silent until Patch Tuesday.

So I sort of figured out what is formally laid out in this article.

In one case, installing a D update screwed up my ability to get the next
B update, and it took several restarts to get the Patch Tuesday update
installed.

The lesson: Don't ever click "check for update" unless it's midday in
Washington state on Patch Tuesday. Windows will patch itself in the most
stable way if you stick to that rule.

+1

If one wants to take personal responsibility for updating their machine,
then they have to live with the consequences.

Still on 1803 on all Win10 machines, and for the most part they still
work (there ARE quirks and PITA issues).


So you'll "never be a canary in our coal mine".

That's OK.

I think it would be better for Microsoft to have a "separate stream" control

The idea would be, a user could declare they we

"Release Insider" or
"Release Normal"

The "Release Normal" choice would mean the check For Updates button
would never deliver more than "Patch Tuesday" quality patches.

For me, that button to date, has been used as a means to
"get maintenance issues out of the way right now", so
there won't be any reboot requests in the middle of something.

I was on the phone last night (distracted by phone call) when
I hear "beep" from across the room. That's Windows 10 rebooting
"because I wasn't holding its hand", and my session was gone.

It's just a great OS, all round.

It's like living in an apartment building, where the elevator,
everyone knows "the cable is frayed" and they ride in the
elevator anyway.

Paul
  #7  
Old December 12th 18, 11:14 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Neil
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 714
Default "Check for Updates" makes you a Beta tester "seeker"

On 12/12/2018 4:42 PM, Paul wrote:
Neil wrote:
On 12/12/2018 3:29 PM, Zaghadka wrote:
On Wed, 12 Dec 2018 11:22:54 -0600, in alt.comp.os.windows-10, Kirk
Bubul
wrote:

I just saw this article this morning.Â* It says thatÂ* if you click
on the "Check for Updates"Â* In Windows Settings, you are asking
to be made into a Beta tester!

https://www.howtogeek.com/398226/now...osoft-smoking/


I think that this sucks.

I noticed that, so I stopped clicking it. I would check the patch log
and
see an update version that hadn't patched on my machine, but had
automatically patched on another one. My laptop seems to get these late
patches automatically. Clicking "Check for update" always triggered it.
Ignoring "Check for update" generally kept it silent until Patch
Tuesday.

So I sort of figured out what is formally laid out in this article.

In one case, installing a D update screwed up my ability to get the next
B update, and it took several restarts to get the Patch Tuesday update
installed.

The lesson: Don't ever click "check for update" unless it's midday in
Washington state on Patch Tuesday. Windows will patch itself in the most
stable way if you stick to that rule.

+1

If one wants to take personal responsibility for updating their
machine, then they have to live with the consequences.

Still on 1803 on all Win10 machines, and for the most part they still
work (there ARE quirks and PITA issues).


So you'll "never be a canary in our coal mine".

That's OK.

Thanks for your approval. ;-P

I think it would be better for Microsoft to have a "separate stream"
control

The idea would be, a user could declare they we

Â*Â* "Release Insider" or
Â*Â* "Release Normal"

The "Release Normal" choice would mean the check For Updates button
would never deliver more than "Patch Tuesday" quality patches.

Even easier would be to only supply updates for insiders if they've
signed up for that program and otherwise only issue updates for the
current version if requested by the user.

However, that still overlooks the reality that updates are not
necessarily appropriate for a particular hardware configuration, and
it's pretty much impossible for a user to know whether or not that will
be theirs because there's no way to know ahead of time what an update
will do.

So, you folks can play around all you want. I have work to do and don't
have time for the consequences of guessing wrong about such things.

--
best regards,

Neil
  #8  
Old December 13th 18, 06:35 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Satay Nutella
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3
Default "Check for Updates" makes you a Beta tester "seeker"

Kirk Bubul wrote:

I just saw this article this morning. It says that if you click
on the "Check for Updates" In Windows Settings, you are asking
to be made into a Beta tester!

https://www.howtogeek.com/398226/now...osoft-smoking/

I think that this sucks.



Microsoft laid off software testers four years ago (2014), as part of
its "reduction in force". Now Windows users like you are the testers.

Have you been testing your full quota of "preview" updates? :^)


https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexp...ates-overview/

| We also release optional updates in the third and fourth weeks of
| the month, respectively known as "C" and "D" releases. These are
| preview releases, primarily for commercial customers and advanced
| users "seeking" updates. These updates have only non-security
| fixes. The intent of these releases is to provide visibility into,
| and enable testing of, the non-security fixes that will be
| included in the next Update Tuesday release.

| Advanced users can access the "C" and "D" releases by navigating
| to Settings Update & Security Windows Update and clicking the
| "Check for updates" box.

  #9  
Old December 13th 18, 10:48 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Eric Stevens
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 911
Default "Check for Updates" makes you a Beta tester "seeker"

On Wed, 12 Dec 2018 12:51:23 -0500, Paul
wrote:

Kirk Bubul wrote:
I just saw this article this morning. It says that if you click
on the "Check for Updates" In Windows Settings, you are asking
to be made into a Beta tester!

https://www.howtogeek.com/398226/now...osoft-smoking/

I think that this sucks.


Agreed.

They've basically just destroyed a pivotal control on the machine.

If you can't trust that button (in the same sense as you trust
a light switch), what can you trust ?

Certainly not Microsoft, but then you never could.l
--

Regards,

Eric Stevens
  #10  
Old December 13th 18, 10:26 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Ant[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 873
Default "Check for Updates" makes you a Beta tester "seeker"

Kirk Bubul wrote:
I just saw this article this morning. It says that if you click
on the "Check for Updates" In Windows Settings, you are asking
to be made into a Beta tester!


https://www.howtogeek.com/398226/now...osoft-smoking/


I think that this sucks.


MS isn't the only company too in making us QA testers.
--
Quote of the Week: "While an ant was wandering under the shade of the
tree of Phæton, a drop of amber enveloped the tiny insect; thus she, who
in life was disregarded, became precious by death." --Martial, Epigrams
(c. 80-104 AD), Book VI, Epistle 15.
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org /
/ /\ /\ \ http://antfarm.ma.cx. Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )
  #11  
Old December 13th 18, 11:03 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Ant[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 873
Default "Check for Updates" makes you a Beta tester "seeker"

Satay Nutella wrote:

Microsoft laid off software testers four years ago (2014), as part of
its "reduction in force". Now Windows users like you are the testers.


MS isn't the only company too.
--
Quote of the Week: "While an ant was wandering under the shade of the
tree of Phæton, a drop of amber enveloped the tiny insect; thus she, who
in life was disregarded, became precious by death." --Martial, Epigrams
(c. 80-104 AD), Book VI, Epistle 15.
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org /
/ /\ /\ \ http://antfarm.ma.cx. Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )
  #12  
Old December 14th 18, 01:38 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Buffalo[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 686
Default "Check for Updates" makes you a Beta tester "seeker"

"Kirk Bubul" wrote in message
...

I just saw this article this morning. It says that if you click
on the "Check for Updates" In Windows Settings, you are asking
to be made into a Beta tester!

https://www.howtogeek.com/398226/now...osoft-smoking/

I think that this sucks.


Thanks for that alert. That is how I got the screwed up update in October.
Messed my system up somewhat.
--
Buffalo

  #13  
Old December 14th 18, 11:58 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
mechanic
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,064
Default "Check for Updates" makes you a Beta tester "seeker"

On Thu, 13 Dec 2018 16:03:57 -0600, Ant wrote:

Satay Nutella wrote:

Microsoft laid off software testers four years ago (2014), as part of
its "reduction in force". Now Windows users like you are the testers.


MS isn't the only company too.


For a more balanced view on the MSFT quality/testing process see
he
https://arstechnica.com/information-...-21st-century/
  #14  
Old December 15th 18, 04:07 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Ant[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 873
Default "Check for Updates" makes you a Beta tester "seeker"

mechanic wrote:
On Thu, 13 Dec 2018 16:03:57 -0600, Ant wrote:


Satay Nutella wrote:

Microsoft laid off software testers four years ago (2014), as part of
its "reduction in force". Now Windows users like you are the testers.


MS isn't the only company too.


For a more balanced view on the MSFT quality/testing process see
he
https://arstechnica.com/information-...-21st-century/


Lots of other big companies also dumped old waterfall to agile like
Symantec, Cisco, etc.

--
Quote of the Week: "While an ant was wandering under the shade of the
tree of Phæton, a drop of amber enveloped the tiny insect; thus she, who
in life was disregarded, became precious by death." --Martial, Epigrams
(c. 80-104 AD), Book VI, Epistle 15.
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org /
/ /\ /\ \ http://antfarm.ma.cx. Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )
  #15  
Old December 15th 18, 09:50 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-10
Char Jackson
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,449
Default "Check for Updates" makes you a Beta tester "seeker"

On Wed, 12 Dec 2018 12:51:23 -0500, Paul wrote:

Kirk Bubul wrote:
I just saw this article this morning. It says that if you click
on the "Check for Updates" In Windows Settings, you are asking
to be made into a Beta tester!

https://www.howtogeek.com/398226/now...osoft-smoking/

I think that this sucks.


Agreed.

They've basically just destroyed a pivotal control on the machine.

If you can't trust that button (in the same sense as you trust
a light switch), what can you trust ?


You can always trust that clicking the X will close the current window
without having you agree to anything without your knowledge. Oh, wait,
they once messed that up, too.

 




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