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It is unethical and unacceptable to use your security update process to play games against your competitors.

By Andrew Pollack on 04/10/2007 at 11:46 PM EDT

For the 99 millionth time, I went through the Microsoft Windows update process, did their required reboot (Linux never seems to need to do that) and when I launch Notes what do I get but the old prompt "Lotus Notes is not your default email program...." dialog box.

Yes, Microsoft has apparently decided it is acceptable to set Outlook as your default mail program frequently as part of their "Security" update process.

As far as I am concerned, this is unethical behavior. The repeated abuse of this important update process does nothing but turn off users and reduce compliance with critical updates. There's nothing I hate more than being manipulated in any way and this is just one little tweak to that hot button of mine that pisses me off pretty regularly.


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re: It is unethical and unacceptable to use your security update process to play games against your competitors.By Craig Wiseman on 04/11/2007 at 09:07 AM EDT
This is odd, but I have not seen this issue, yet it seems to happen to you
quite frequently. I have Thunderbird, Outlook 2003, and Outlook Express loaded,
along with (of course) Notes 7.0.2. If you're using Office 2003, you might
want to check this KB: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/933450 to at least
explain the behaviour. What's odd is that I have an Office 2003 installation
similar to the set up covered and I don't see the issue.
You may not be using the Microsoft Update, but instead just the Windows UpdateBy Andrew Pollack on 04/11/2007 at 01:00 PM EDT
At some point there came an option on the "Windows Update" site to upgrade to
"Microsoft Update" which includes the Office products and such. If you haven't
done that upgrade, you're not getting all the patches.
re: You may not be using the Microsoft Update, but instead just the Windows UpdateBy Craig Wiseman on 04/11/2007 at 02:29 PM EDT
Thanks - I've done the update, and am using the mighty Windows update.

Your system has been updated. Would you like to restart? No.

Your system has been updated. Would you like to restart? NO.

Your system has been updated. Would you like to restart? NO.

Your system has been updated. Would you like to restart?
yeah, that's the one.By Andrew Pollack on 04/11/2007 at 04:03 PM EDT
You've got the "right" updates happening now.
re: yeah, that's the one.By Craig Wiseman on 04/11/2007 at 05:06 PM EDT
Just to be clear - I've been using Windows Update since it first came out.
Still no "default mail client" stealing behaviour. The KB I reference earlier
has steps to 'fix' the issue, but I can't say if they work.
re: It is unethical and unacceptable to use your security update process to play games against your competitors.By Jens on 04/12/2007 at 01:13 PM EDT
Yes, have seen that too, but not that frequent.

I got pissed off by another well known company with a similar - or even worse -
behaviour:

If you happen to have an HP scanner or Multifunctional something and you want
to send your scanned document directly by mail, there software is only able to
use Outlook or Outlook Express - regardless of what you have set as your
standard eMail program. Go figure ...... Outlook (Express) is popping up asking
for your configuration, if you have not used it ...... What a pitty. I have
customers, that simply are not able to use the functionality due to this "bug"
....


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