Seems Windows Update installs spyware now, KB5021751 Options

[Christian J]

How Microsoft is looking for old versions of Office
"There’s a curious Microsoft update which is checking for older versions of Office that are either out of support (Office 2007, Office 2010) or will soon stop getting updates (Office 2013 expires in April 2023). Microsoft isn’t being entirely open about the update and the private data being grabbed from customers."

Microsoft is checking everyone's bags for unsupported Office installs
"Microsoft wants to know how many out-of-support copies of Office are installed on Windows PCs, and it intends to find out by pushing a patch through Microsoft Update that it swears is safe, not that you asked."

[pandy]

But don't they do things like this all the time? I don't see it's any worse because they don't install an update at the same time.

[Christian J]

But don't they do things like this all the time?

I hope not. Isn't there a difference if Windows checks for updates for itself and other installed MS programs? In that case it makes sense to tell MS what you have, so you can get the proper updates. But in this case it's not about updating the MS Office programs in question (since they are already out of support) which means they are not MS's business anymore. If MS wants stats the proper way should be to ask users in a voluntary survey.

Gaming client Origin used to violently scan the user's HDD in search of games already installed, don't know if it actually phoned home afterwards though: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origin_(servi...tions_of_spying

I don't see it's any worse because they don't install an update at the same time.

Me neither, the problem is that they use Windows Update to force this on users in a sneaky way. Next maybe they'll activate your webcam to check who is really using your Windows copy.

[pandy]

I think they've always had control of Office versions and the like.

Well, they won't find Office on my computer.

[Jason Knight]

They've actually done this for a while, though not as "thorough" a scan. And there have been benefits.

Like how there's a stealthy little patch they applied that makes Office 97 run properly and stable under Win 10 and 11, when it was unstable with graphical glitches under V through 8.


Not that Office 97 is my office suite of choice or anything.

Honestly I don't consider this too different though from what happens when I apt-get update, apt-get upgrade. Certainly no less creepy than what Apple does on their updates.

But then I trust Apple about as far as I can throw the USS Iowa. After 4 decades of watching them take a steaming dump on consumers with vendor lock-in and wild unfounded claims of "product quality", I still don't get where / why anyone would light money on fire for their products. The way most people talk about "evil Microsoft" I look at Apple and go Delta Alpha Foxtrot Uniform Quebec.

This post has been edited by Jason Knight: Jan 26 2023, 07:04 AM

[pandy]

I hope not. Isn't there a difference if Windows checks for updates for itself and other installed MS programs?

Don't you remember when we did updates manually? Microsoft update or Windows update or what it was called. There was a link on the start menu that led to the update page. There all available updates to MS stuff were listed and IIRC also the versions you had. I think they did need to know that. Maybe a very old program version needed incremental updates. No way I believe they didn't save and cherish that data.

[Christian J]

Certainly no less creepy than what Apple does on their updates.

Indeed, didn't Apple want to scan photos on everybodys' phones recently? https://www.wired.com/story/apple-icloud-ph...pause-backlash/

[Christian J]

Don't you remember when we did updates manually? Microsoft update or Windows update or what it was called. There was a link on the start menu that led to the update page. There all available updates to MS stuff were listed and IIRC also the versions you had. I think they did need to know that. Maybe a very old program version needed incremental updates.

To quote myself: "in this case it's not about updating the MS Office programs in question (since they are already out of support)".

No way I believe they didn't save and cherish that data.

Makes it even stranger that they want to run this survey now, if they already have that information. Maybe they plan to delete those old Office programs from people's computers, just like they did with MSIE (which was outrageous by itself)?

[pandy]

To quote myself: "in this case it's not about updating the MS Office programs in question (since they are already out of support)".

Missed that. Maybe it's about marketing. They just want to know how many outdated programs there are out there and wants to be more aggressive about getting people to update.

Makes it even stranger that they want to run this survey now, if they already have that information. Maybe they plan to delete those old Office programs from people's computers, just like they did with MSIE (which was outrageous by itself)?

Because they want to know what we have now and not 10 years ago?