Why?

[Hi Ho]

Why did so many people ignor the patch that would have made the blaster virus all but nonexistent? I've heard people on local talk shows that wanted to sue Microsoft for the virus. Microsoft warned about the security flaw 4 weeks ago and put the patch up. A lot of people ignored it. Why? If I see a warning like that I download it right away. When Windows says "New updates are ready to install" I install them. How hard is it?

[andyms18a]

its the old it wont happen to me syndrom
smoking kills but we still smok

[RJ]

Yeah the "it won't happen to me"-syndrom also applies to me. . actually it won't have happened to me if I wouldn't have forgotten to turn on my firewall ...
I download every service pack, and for the meantime I don't think anything will happen to me. Basically that is it why I don't regularily check the updates.

RJ

[morriswindgate]

The average response of a home computer user on a broadband connection> "Windows Update! What's That?"

[Redo40]

Originally posted by morriswindgate The average response of a home computer user on a broadband connection> "Windows Update! What's That?"

So True!

[edfair]

The more significant question is why more commercial sites were unprotected.
I suspect that that has to do with the history of MS updates causing more trouble that they solve. Not all, of course, but enough so that the professionals wait to see if the patch is going to be a problem.
And this also relates to the ongoing quality control issues with operating systems.

[silvergrin]

ive never used windows update, never installed a service pack, never updated my virus def's, or updated my firewall, never had a virus, or been hacked (as far as i know ) had a couple of high rate alerts today trying to connect through port 139, im guessing that was this crap worm going around?

[doctorgonzo]

What other product requires such heavy involvement? Do people have to haul their cars in every other week to the dealer to get a patch for the computer controlling the engine? Their coffeemaker? Their VCR?

People are used to the "set it up and forget it" model of consumer purchases. Actively managing something like an OS just doesn't happen.

[Hi Ho]

The average response of a home computer user on a broadband connection> "Windows Update! What's That?"

Windows update comes up in this little bubble every time there is a new update. And it keeps bothering me until I install it. There is no need to manually check the updates. Doesn't that happen to anyone else?

[doctorgonzo]

Originally posted by Hi Ho Windows update comes up in this little bubble every time there is a new update. And it keeps bothering me until I install it. There is no need to manually check the updates. Doesn't that happen to anyone else?

I turn off automatic update, because I disagree with its idea of what a "Critical Update" is. I want to know what I am downloading, and when it thinks I should download, for example, NVidia drivers that are several months old when I already have the newer ones, I say, "No thanks."

But by turning off the automatic update, I know that it is my responsibility to manually check for updates, which I do weekly or when there is a news story about a new update. If you do turn off the automatic updates without bothering to check manually, that's being a pretty big bonehead.

[Hi Ho]

If you click details you can see what you are downloading and choose which ones you want to download.

[el_novato]

I agree with morriswindgate.

My friend's pc was infected with it, as well as his brother's pc. When I asked them if they downloaded patches on a regular basis, their response was "What is that?"

So many people that are purchasing computers don't realize that it's like their car. It requires routine maintenance for performance to remain at its peak. Billy's patch would kinda be the equivalent to an automaker's "recall". Except he has WAY more!!