Windows Media Player BLINDSIDE update!

Alan

Hello Shenan (and others),

To be fair to D. W. K. -- and others who might have inadvertently installed
WMP 11 -- there is NO indication of what the "update" to WMP 10 actually
involves.

If someone opens WMP 10 -- depending upon the Automatic updates settings,
which are accessed via Tools | Options and clicking on the Player tab, the
options presented are: "Check for Updates Once a Day, Once a week or Once a
month." (There is NO checkbox to NEVER check for updates.) -- the Windows
Media Configuration Manager will appear and the user sees a dialog box that
states: "A Windows Media Update is available. Do you want to update now?"
The options presented to the user are "Yes" or "Cancel".

If a user manually checks to see if there are any updates to WMP 10 by
clicking Help | Check for Player Updates, the user will see these
statements:
o - Windows Media Player 10 requires 1 megabytes (MB). Upgrading will take
approximately 0 minutes over a 28.8 KBps connection.
o - Click Next to begin the download and update or Click Cancel to postpone
the update.

There is NO indication anywhere that "updating" means an upgrade to WMP 11.

One can argue that "update" can be assumed to mean that WMP 10 will become
WMP 11.

However, I do think that Microsoft should be much more explicit and
transparent as to what a user is agreeing to if he or she decides to
"update" an application that is working perfectly as is.

Alan


"Shenan Stanley" <> wrote in message
news:.gbl...
> D. W. K. wrote:
>> I am furious with Microsoft!
>>
>> For the second time now I have been blindsided by Microsoft with a
>> notification regarding an "update to Media Player 10" which turns
>> out to be a stealth installation of version 11! I DO NOT
>> WANT VERSION 11!!!!!!!!
>>
>> This is disgusting! It was billed as a "Version 10" update and
>> there was no opportunity to cancel this prior to discovering it was
>> NOT an upgrade to 10 but a "forced down your throat" installation
>> of 11!
>> I would like to hear from someone at Microsoft as to why they have
>> decided to do this in this way! This is infuriating to say the
>> least! If you want to offer an update to MP11 then come right out
>> and say so! At least give someone the opportunity to say NO!
>>
>> I WILL NEVER TRUST ANY MICROSOFT UPDATES AGAIN!
>
>
> Uhm... If you just changed the way you get updates to 'download and
> notify' - you could choose what to install and read about each one -
> research a little (you know - put a little effort into it) and never
> install anything you do not want to...
>
> --
> Shenan Stanley
> MS-MVP
> --
> How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
>
>

V Green

"Alan" <> wrote in message
news:.gbl...
> Hello Shenan (and others),
>
> To be fair to D. W. K. -- and others who might have inadvertently installed
> WMP 11 -- there is NO indication of what the "update" to WMP 10 actually
> involves.
>
> If someone opens WMP 10 -- depending upon the Automatic updates settings,
> which are accessed via Tools | Options and clicking on the Player tab, the
> options presented are: "Check for Updates Once a Day, Once a week or Once a
> month." (There is NO checkbox to NEVER check for updates.) -- the Windows
> Media Configuration Manager will appear and the user sees a dialog box that
> states: "A Windows Media Update is available. Do you want to update now?"
> The options presented to the user are "Yes" or "Cancel".
>
> If a user manually checks to see if there are any updates to WMP 10 by
> clicking Help | Check for Player Updates, the user will see these
> statements:
> o - Windows Media Player 10 requires 1 megabytes (MB). Upgrading will take
> approximately 0 minutes over a 28.8 KBps connection.
> o - Click Next to begin the download and update or Click Cancel to postpone
> the update.
>
> There is NO indication anywhere that "updating" means an upgrade to WMP 11.
>
> One can argue that "update" can be assumed to mean that WMP 10 will become
> WMP 11.
>
> However, I do think that Microsoft should be much more explicit and
> transparent as to what a user is agreeing to if he or she decides to
> "update" an application that is working perfectly as is.
>
> Alan

Especially since the WMP 11 "upgrade" does nothing but
prettify the UI, remove lots of playlist organization stuff
that people liked, and shove more online stores down your
throat...

Upgrade, my a$$.


>
>
> "Shenan Stanley" <> wrote in message
> news:.gbl...
> > D. W. K. wrote:
> >> I am furious with Microsoft!
> >>
> >> For the second time now I have been blindsided by Microsoft with a
> >> notification regarding an "update to Media Player 10" which turns
> >> out to be a stealth installation of version 11! I DO NOT
> >> WANT VERSION 11!!!!!!!!
> >>
> >> This is disgusting! It was billed as a "Version 10" update and
> >> there was no opportunity to cancel this prior to discovering it was
> >> NOT an upgrade to 10 but a "forced down your throat" installation
> >> of 11!
> >> I would like to hear from someone at Microsoft as to why they have
> >> decided to do this in this way! This is infuriating to say the
> >> least! If you want to offer an update to MP11 then come right out
> >> and say so! At least give someone the opportunity to say NO!
> >>
> >> I WILL NEVER TRUST ANY MICROSOFT UPDATES AGAIN!
> >
> >
> > Uhm... If you just changed the way you get updates to 'download and
> > notify' - you could choose what to install and read about each one -
> > research a little (you know - put a little effort into it) and never
> > install anything you do not want to...
> >
> > --
> > Shenan Stanley
> > MS-MVP
> > --
> > How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
> >
> >
>
>

V Green

"Alan" <> wrote in message
news:.gbl...
> Hello Shenan (and others),
>
> To be fair to D. W. K. -- and others who might have inadvertently installed
> WMP 11 -- there is NO indication of what the "update" to WMP 10 actually
> involves.
>
> If someone opens WMP 10 -- depending upon the Automatic updates settings,
> which are accessed via Tools | Options and clicking on the Player tab, the
> options presented are: "Check for Updates Once a Day, Once a week or Once a
> month." (There is NO checkbox to NEVER check for updates.) -- the Windows
> Media Configuration Manager will appear and the user sees a dialog box that
> states: "A Windows Media Update is available. Do you want to update now?"
> The options presented to the user are "Yes" or "Cancel".
>
> If a user manually checks to see if there are any updates to WMP 10 by
> clicking Help | Check for Player Updates, the user will see these
> statements:
> o - Windows Media Player 10 requires 1 megabytes (MB). Upgrading will take
> approximately 0 minutes over a 28.8 KBps connection.
> o - Click Next to begin the download and update or Click Cancel to postpone
> the update.
>
> There is NO indication anywhere that "updating" means an upgrade to WMP 11.
>
> One can argue that "update" can be assumed to mean that WMP 10 will become
> WMP 11.
>
> However, I do think that Microsoft should be much more explicit and
> transparent as to what a user is agreeing to if he or she decides to
> "update" an application that is working perfectly as is.
>
> Alan

Especially since the WMP 11 "upgrade" does nothing but
prettify the UI, remove lots of playlist organization stuff
that people liked, and shove more online stores down your
throat...

Upgrade, my a$$.


>
>
> "Shenan Stanley" <> wrote in message
> news:.gbl...
> > D. W. K. wrote:
> >> I am furious with Microsoft!
> >>
> >> For the second time now I have been blindsided by Microsoft with a
> >> notification regarding an "update to Media Player 10" which turns
> >> out to be a stealth installation of version 11! I DO NOT
> >> WANT VERSION 11!!!!!!!!
> >>
> >> This is disgusting! It was billed as a "Version 10" update and
> >> there was no opportunity to cancel this prior to discovering it was
> >> NOT an upgrade to 10 but a "forced down your throat" installation
> >> of 11!
> >> I would like to hear from someone at Microsoft as to why they have
> >> decided to do this in this way! This is infuriating to say the
> >> least! If you want to offer an update to MP11 then come right out
> >> and say so! At least give someone the opportunity to say NO!
> >>
> >> I WILL NEVER TRUST ANY MICROSOFT UPDATES AGAIN!
> >
> >
> > Uhm... If you just changed the way you get updates to 'download and
> > notify' - you could choose what to install and read about each one -
> > research a little (you know - put a little effort into it) and never
> > install anything you do not want to...
> >
> > --
> > Shenan Stanley
> > MS-MVP
> > --
> > How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
> >
> >
>
>

Rock

"D. W. K." wrote

>I am furious with Microsoft!
>
> For the second time now I have been blindsided by Microsoft with a
> notification regarding an "update to Media Player 10" which turns out to
> be a stealth installation of version 11! I DO NOT WANT VERSION
> 11!!!!!!!!
>
> This is disgusting! It was billed as a "Version 10" update and there was
> no opportunity to cancel this prior to discovering it was NOT an upgrade
> to 10 but a "forced down your throat" installation of 11!
>
> I would like to hear from someone at Microsoft as to why they have decided
> to do this in this way! This is infuriating to say the least! If you want
> to offer an update to MP11 then come right out and say so! At least give
> someone the opportunity to say NO!
>
> I WILL NEVER TRUST ANY MICROSOFT UPDATES AGAIN!

If you want to hear from someone at Microsoft about this, you need to
contact them. This newsgroup, on the other hand, is a peer to peer support
group. All the folks who post here are volunteers. Occasionally an MS
employee will post here but on their own time, so I doubt you'll get a
response from MS here.

I stopped using automatic updates long ago. I go to the windows update site
manually, scan for updates, and review in detail what is offered before
installing them.

--
Rock [MS-MVP User/Shell]

Rock

"D. W. K." wrote

>I am furious with Microsoft!
>
> For the second time now I have been blindsided by Microsoft with a
> notification regarding an "update to Media Player 10" which turns out to
> be a stealth installation of version 11! I DO NOT WANT VERSION
> 11!!!!!!!!
>
> This is disgusting! It was billed as a "Version 10" update and there was
> no opportunity to cancel this prior to discovering it was NOT an upgrade
> to 10 but a "forced down your throat" installation of 11!
>
> I would like to hear from someone at Microsoft as to why they have decided
> to do this in this way! This is infuriating to say the least! If you want
> to offer an update to MP11 then come right out and say so! At least give
> someone the opportunity to say NO!
>
> I WILL NEVER TRUST ANY MICROSOFT UPDATES AGAIN!

If you want to hear from someone at Microsoft about this, you need to
contact them. This newsgroup, on the other hand, is a peer to peer support
group. All the folks who post here are volunteers. Occasionally an MS
employee will post here but on their own time, so I doubt you'll get a
response from MS here.

I stopped using automatic updates long ago. I go to the windows update site
manually, scan for updates, and review in detail what is offered before
installing them.

--
Rock [MS-MVP User/Shell]

GHalleck

Alan wrote:
> Hello Shenan (and others),
>
> To be fair to D. W. K. -- and others who might have inadvertently installed
> WMP 11 -- there is NO indication of what the "update" to WMP 10 actually
> involves.
>
> If someone opens WMP 10 -- depending upon the Automatic updates settings,
> which are accessed via Tools | Options and clicking on the Player tab, the
> options presented are: "Check for Updates Once a Day, Once a week or Once a
> month." (There is NO checkbox to NEVER check for updates.) -- the Windows
> Media Configuration Manager will appear and the user sees a dialog box that
> states: "A Windows Media Update is available. Do you want to update now?"
> The options presented to the user are "Yes" or "Cancel".
>
> If a user manually checks to see if there are any updates to WMP 10 by
> clicking Help | Check for Player Updates, the user will see these
> statements:
> o - Windows Media Player 10 requires 1 megabytes (MB). Upgrading will take
> approximately 0 minutes over a 28.8 KBps connection.
> o - Click Next to begin the download and update or Click Cancel to postpone
> the update.
>
> There is NO indication anywhere that "updating" means an upgrade to WMP 11.
>
> One can argue that "update" can be assumed to mean that WMP 10 will become
> WMP 11.
>
> However, I do think that Microsoft should be much more explicit and
> transparent as to what a user is agreeing to if he or she decides to
> "update" an application that is working perfectly as is.
>
> Alan
>


If fault is going to be assigned for updating to WMP 11, a significant
part must be given to the over-lulled, dumbed-down Windows users who
have become so dependent on Microsoft to dictate what software and apps
need to be installed into their computers, automatically and stupidly.
While Microsoft might not have given full disclosure to WMP 11, there
were sufficient doses of it on the web and in other newsgroups. These
write-ups were so ominous that upgrades from the basic WMP 9 that came
with Windows XP to either WMP 10 and WMP 11 were banned in our outfit.
Of course, one had to knew what was being said in the technical jargon
to issue such an order (and it wasn't just the cosmetic changes in
WMP 11 that lead to them).


As it always has been in the ancient past, the user should never proceed
so blindly. Sometimes the lesson gets forgotten but it only takes a mild
disaster to serve as a reminder.

GHalleck

Alan wrote:
> Hello Shenan (and others),
>
> To be fair to D. W. K. -- and others who might have inadvertently installed
> WMP 11 -- there is NO indication of what the "update" to WMP 10 actually
> involves.
>
> If someone opens WMP 10 -- depending upon the Automatic updates settings,
> which are accessed via Tools | Options and clicking on the Player tab, the
> options presented are: "Check for Updates Once a Day, Once a week or Once a
> month." (There is NO checkbox to NEVER check for updates.) -- the Windows
> Media Configuration Manager will appear and the user sees a dialog box that
> states: "A Windows Media Update is available. Do you want to update now?"
> The options presented to the user are "Yes" or "Cancel".
>
> If a user manually checks to see if there are any updates to WMP 10 by
> clicking Help | Check for Player Updates, the user will see these
> statements:
> o - Windows Media Player 10 requires 1 megabytes (MB). Upgrading will take
> approximately 0 minutes over a 28.8 KBps connection.
> o - Click Next to begin the download and update or Click Cancel to postpone
> the update.
>
> There is NO indication anywhere that "updating" means an upgrade to WMP 11.
>
> One can argue that "update" can be assumed to mean that WMP 10 will become
> WMP 11.
>
> However, I do think that Microsoft should be much more explicit and
> transparent as to what a user is agreeing to if he or she decides to
> "update" an application that is working perfectly as is.
>
> Alan
>


If fault is going to be assigned for updating to WMP 11, a significant
part must be given to the over-lulled, dumbed-down Windows users who
have become so dependent on Microsoft to dictate what software and apps
need to be installed into their computers, automatically and stupidly.
While Microsoft might not have given full disclosure to WMP 11, there
were sufficient doses of it on the web and in other newsgroups. These
write-ups were so ominous that upgrades from the basic WMP 9 that came
with Windows XP to either WMP 10 and WMP 11 were banned in our outfit.
Of course, one had to knew what was being said in the technical jargon
to issue such an order (and it wasn't just the cosmetic changes in
WMP 11 that lead to them).


As it always has been in the ancient past, the user should never proceed
so blindly. Sometimes the lesson gets forgotten but it only takes a mild
disaster to serve as a reminder.

Alan

I agree that users should be aware of what is about to be installed on their
PCs. It's for that reason that I have Auto-Updates turned off, so that *I*
may decide if I want to install any "update."

My point, however, is that in the case of the proposed update to WMP 10,
Microsoft does not indicate that it is about to install WMP 11 (maybe not
even then, as I've never given permission to proceed) until the user
actually begins the update process -- and by then it's too late.

Alan

"GHalleck" <> wrote in message
news:%.gbl...
>
>
> Alan wrote:
>> Hello Shenan (and others),
>>
>> To be fair to D. W. K. -- and others who might have inadvertently
>> installed WMP 11 -- there is NO indication of what the "update" to WMP 10
>> actually involves.
>>
>> If someone opens WMP 10 -- depending upon the Automatic updates settings,
>> which are accessed via Tools | Options and clicking on the Player tab,
>> the options presented are: "Check for Updates Once a Day, Once a week or
>> Once a month." (There is NO checkbox to NEVER check for updates.) -- the
>> Windows Media Configuration Manager will appear and the user sees a
>> dialog box that states: "A Windows Media Update is available. Do you want
>> to update now?" The options presented to the user are "Yes" or "Cancel".
>>
>> If a user manually checks to see if there are any updates to WMP 10 by
>> clicking Help | Check for Player Updates, the user will see these
>> statements:
>> o - Windows Media Player 10 requires 1 megabytes (MB). Upgrading will
>> take approximately 0 minutes over a 28.8 KBps connection.
>> o - Click Next to begin the download and update or Click Cancel to
>> postpone the update.
>>
>> There is NO indication anywhere that "updating" means an upgrade to WMP
>> 11.
>>
>> One can argue that "update" can be assumed to mean that WMP 10 will
>> become WMP 11.
>>
>> However, I do think that Microsoft should be much more explicit and
>> transparent as to what a user is agreeing to if he or she decides to
>> "update" an application that is working perfectly as is.
>>
>> Alan
>>
>
>
> If fault is going to be assigned for updating to WMP 11, a significant
> part must be given to the over-lulled, dumbed-down Windows users who
> have become so dependent on Microsoft to dictate what software and apps
> need to be installed into their computers, automatically and stupidly.
> While Microsoft might not have given full disclosure to WMP 11, there
> were sufficient doses of it on the web and in other newsgroups. These
> write-ups were so ominous that upgrades from the basic WMP 9 that came
> with Windows XP to either WMP 10 and WMP 11 were banned in our outfit.
> Of course, one had to knew what was being said in the technical jargon
> to issue such an order (and it wasn't just the cosmetic changes in
> WMP 11 that lead to them).
>
>
> As it always has been in the ancient past, the user should never proceed
> so blindly. Sometimes the lesson gets forgotten but it only takes a mild
> disaster to serve as a reminder.

Alan

I agree that users should be aware of what is about to be installed on their
PCs. It's for that reason that I have Auto-Updates turned off, so that *I*
may decide if I want to install any "update."

My point, however, is that in the case of the proposed update to WMP 10,
Microsoft does not indicate that it is about to install WMP 11 (maybe not
even then, as I've never given permission to proceed) until the user
actually begins the update process -- and by then it's too late.

Alan

"GHalleck" <> wrote in message
news:%.gbl...
>
>
> Alan wrote:
>> Hello Shenan (and others),
>>
>> To be fair to D. W. K. -- and others who might have inadvertently
>> installed WMP 11 -- there is NO indication of what the "update" to WMP 10
>> actually involves.
>>
>> If someone opens WMP 10 -- depending upon the Automatic updates settings,
>> which are accessed via Tools | Options and clicking on the Player tab,
>> the options presented are: "Check for Updates Once a Day, Once a week or
>> Once a month." (There is NO checkbox to NEVER check for updates.) -- the
>> Windows Media Configuration Manager will appear and the user sees a
>> dialog box that states: "A Windows Media Update is available. Do you want
>> to update now?" The options presented to the user are "Yes" or "Cancel".
>>
>> If a user manually checks to see if there are any updates to WMP 10 by
>> clicking Help | Check for Player Updates, the user will see these
>> statements:
>> o - Windows Media Player 10 requires 1 megabytes (MB). Upgrading will
>> take approximately 0 minutes over a 28.8 KBps connection.
>> o - Click Next to begin the download and update or Click Cancel to
>> postpone the update.
>>
>> There is NO indication anywhere that "updating" means an upgrade to WMP
>> 11.
>>
>> One can argue that "update" can be assumed to mean that WMP 10 will
>> become WMP 11.
>>
>> However, I do think that Microsoft should be much more explicit and
>> transparent as to what a user is agreeing to if he or she decides to
>> "update" an application that is working perfectly as is.
>>
>> Alan
>>
>
>
> If fault is going to be assigned for updating to WMP 11, a significant
> part must be given to the over-lulled, dumbed-down Windows users who
> have become so dependent on Microsoft to dictate what software and apps
> need to be installed into their computers, automatically and stupidly.
> While Microsoft might not have given full disclosure to WMP 11, there
> were sufficient doses of it on the web and in other newsgroups. These
> write-ups were so ominous that upgrades from the basic WMP 9 that came
> with Windows XP to either WMP 10 and WMP 11 were banned in our outfit.
> Of course, one had to knew what was being said in the technical jargon
> to issue such an order (and it wasn't just the cosmetic changes in
> WMP 11 that lead to them).
>
>
> As it always has been in the ancient past, the user should never proceed
> so blindly. Sometimes the lesson gets forgotten but it only takes a mild
> disaster to serve as a reminder.

D. W. K.

I DO NOT have automatic updates on!

"GHalleck" <> wrote in message
news:.gbl...
>
> D. W. K. wrote:
>
>> Thank you Shenan but... that IS exactly how my system IS set up right
>> now! That is exactly how every other update I get notifications about is
>> treated. The problem is with THIS particular Microsoft update! THEY have
>> chosen, for some reason, to send it out without ANY option to read
>> anything about it first. Also, why do they dishonestly disguise it as a
>> "version 10" update?
>>
>> DWK
>>
>
> Semantically, Media Player 11 is an "update" to Media Player 10 and
> there is no disguising this fact. But Shenan is perfectly correct in
> that one needs to take control of one's system and determine just what
> update should be installed and which others, not. The first thing to
> do is to turn off "automatic updates"