Re: Windows Update (again) unavailable for non Internet Explorer users

From: Kurt Seifried (kurt@SEIFRIED.ORG)
Date: 02/12/03

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From: Kurt Seifried <kurt@SEIFRIED.ORG>
To: NTBUGTRAQ@LISTSERV.NTBUGTRAQ.COM

    > Windows Update, the ONLY source for security updates, fixes and other
    > important files is AGAIN available only for Internet Explorer users -
    > netscape, opera and any others are locked out and urged to either
    > upgrade to Internet Explorer or use Microsoft download.

    Huh. Er.. No not really. Ok so I point Mozilla 1.3a (running on windows
    2000) at: http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ which redirects me to
    http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/thanks.asp which shows the
    following message:

    ==========================
    Thank you for your interest in Windows Update

    Windows Update is the online extension of Windows that helps you get the
    most out of your computer.

    You need to be running a version of Internet Explorer 5 or higher in order
    to use Windows Update.

    Download the latest version of Internet Explorer
    (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/)

    Once Internet Explorer is installed, you can go to the Windows Update site
    by typing http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com into the address bar of
    Internet Explorer.

    If you prefer to use a different Web browser, updates to Windows may be
    downloaded from the Microsoft Download Center.
    (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.aspx?displaylang=en)
    ===========================

    So I go to the Microsoft Download Center at
    http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.aspx?displaylang=en

    Et voila! downlods, patches, updates, drivers and more things then you can
    shake a stick at.

    > Microsoft Download is unfortunately useless, some six month ago flow of
    > security updates, fixes and other important files to Microsoft Download
    > stopped.

    Huh. You mean like:
    http://corporate.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp? If so yes, that
    site is dead as a doornail, MS could at least have put a redirect, but I
    mean really, going to windowsupdate points you to the right place so I can't
    see it being that much of a problem. If you mean
    http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/downloads/default.asp then it has a
    HUGE link to windowsupdate, which gets you on the right track.

    > This is hard to believe policy made by Microsoft management - why should
    > someone be forced to use Internet Explorer when in need of, let say,
    > operating system security update?

    Uh. No. You're not forced.

    > This is even bigger faux pas than recent media buzz about Opera being
    > serverd with invalid style ***.

    Do your homework next time.

    Molehill (one dead URL, useful and formerly important admitedly, but still,
    windowsupdate is pretty well known now)

    Mountain (aiee! MS forces people to use IE! evil! get the pitchforks and
    torches!).

    > Cheers
    > Daniel

    Kurt Seifried, kurt@seifried.org
    A15B BEE5 B391 B9AD B0EF
    AEB0 AD63 0B4E AD56 E574
    http://seifried.org/security/

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