Can SP3 be considered as malware?

From bitter experience, I have learnt to always have Automatic Updates set to
"Notify me but don't automatically download or install them".

Anyhow - I recently performed a clean install of XP Pro/SP2, downloaded and
installed all the Windows Updates I could find for my machine excluding
kb905474 (not wanted and hidden) and then I was shortly after offered SP3.

I downloaded SP3, then made a Norton Ghost backup before installing it.
After the obligatory reboot, I was asked if I wanted to turn on Automatic
Updates or leave it til later - I opted for the latter. When I went to verify
my AU preferences, I found that the option had been set to automatic. Not
being 100% sure that updates were in fact set to just notify, I restored my
backup making sure that AU was set to notify only, re downloaded and
installed SP3 emphatically not selecting automatic updates, only to find that
the installation procedure of SP3 had again set it to automatic.

Isn't this how some malware behaves?

I also find that the hidden kb905474 is no longer to be found - has it been
now installed as an integral part of SP3?

Thanks.

fade2gray wrote:
> From bitter experience, I have learnt to always have Automatic
> Updates set to "Notify me but don't automatically download or
> install them".
>
> Anyhow - I recently performed a clean install of XP Pro/SP2,
> downloaded and installed all the Windows Updates I could find for
> my machine excluding kb905474 (not wanted and hidden) and then I
> was shortly after offered SP3.
>
> I downloaded SP3, then made a Norton Ghost backup before installing
> it. After the obligatory reboot, I was asked if I wanted to turn on
> Automatic Updates or leave it til later - I opted for the latter.
> When I went to verify my AU preferences, I found that the option
> had been set to automatic. Not being 100% sure that updates were in
> fact set to just notify, I restored my backup making sure that AU
> was set to notify only, re downloaded and installed SP3
> emphatically not selecting automatic updates, only to find that the
> installation procedure of SP3 had again set it to automatic.
>
> Isn't this how some malware behaves?
>
> I also find that the hidden kb905474 is no longer to be found - has
> it been now installed as an integral part of SP3?

I cannot say my experience has been the same as yours. If it is 'malware' -
it doesn't work the same way in all cases - so it's not very good malware.
My settings remained the same for AU on all systems installed upon thus far.
(Most of mine are 'download and notify' or 'do not download, but notify'.)

As for 905474 - no idea. This is the 'official' list:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946480

Never bothered me anyway, though.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

I strongly suspect that 3rd party software [Windows Live OneCare, Ghost,
an AV, or security suite] is what caused AU's settings to switch.

FWIW, the OOBE window in regards to AU's settings only appears when one
has NOT chosen the Duhfault AU setting previously.
That behavior occurred on my XP boxes but after I chose to 'Do it later'
AU retained the previously chosen ' Notify ' setting.
Reports from other XP Users show that on systems where the AU settings
were still Duhfault, no OOBE AU settings window appears.

BTW, KB905474 is NOT included in SP3.


MowGreen [MVP 2003-2008]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============


fade2gray wrote:

> From bitter experience, I have learnt to always have Automatic Updates set to
> "Notify me but don't automatically download or install them".
>
> Anyhow - I recently performed a clean install of XP Pro/SP2, downloaded and
> installed all the Windows Updates I could find for my machine excluding
> kb905474 (not wanted and hidden) and then I was shortly after offered SP3.
>
> I downloaded SP3, then made a Norton Ghost backup before installing it.
> After the obligatory reboot, I was asked if I wanted to turn on Automatic
> Updates or leave it til later - I opted for the latter. When I went to verify
> my AU preferences, I found that the option had been set to automatic. Not
> being 100% sure that updates were in fact set to just notify, I restored my
> backup making sure that AU was set to notify only, re downloaded and
> installed SP3 emphatically not selecting automatic updates, only to find that
> the installation procedure of SP3 had again set it to automatic.
>
> Isn't this how some malware behaves?
>
> I also find that the hidden kb905474 is no longer to be found - has it been
> now installed as an integral part of SP3?
>
> Thanks.

"MowGreen [MVP]" <> wrote in message
news:eV%...
>I strongly suspect that 3rd party software [Windows Live OneCare, Ghost, an
>AV, or security suite] is what caused AU's settings to switch.
>
> FWIW, the OOBE window in regards to AU's settings only appears when one
> has NOT chosen the Duhfault AU setting previously.
> That behavior occurred on my XP boxes but after I chose to 'Do it later'
> AU retained the previously chosen ' Notify ' setting.
> Reports from other XP Users show that on systems where the AU settings
> were still Duhfault, no OOBE AU settings window appears.
>
> BTW, KB905474 is NOT included in SP3.
>
>
> MowGreen [MVP 2003-2008]
> ===============
> *-343-* FDNY
> Never Forgotten
> ===============
>
>
> fade2gray wrote:
>
>> From bitter experience, I have learnt to always have Automatic Updates
>> set to "Notify me but don't automatically download or install them".
>>
>> Anyhow - I recently performed a clean install of XP Pro/SP2, downloaded
>> and installed all the Windows Updates I could find for my machine
>> excluding kb905474 (not wanted and hidden) and then I was shortly after
>> offered SP3.
>>
>> I downloaded SP3, then made a Norton Ghost backup before installing it.
>> After the obligatory reboot, I was asked if I wanted to turn on Automatic
>> Updates or leave it til later - I opted for the latter. When I went to
>> verify my AU preferences, I found that the option had been set to
>> automatic. Not being 100% sure that updates were in fact set to just
>> notify, I restored my backup making sure that AU was set to notify only,
>> re downloaded and installed SP3 emphatically not selecting automatic
>> updates, only to find that the installation procedure of SP3 had again
>> set it to automatic.
>>
>> Isn't this how some malware behaves?
>>
>> I also find that the hidden kb905474 is no longer to be found - has it
>> been now installed as an integral part of SP3?
>>
>> Thanks.

I think that we need to remember that the vast majority of computer users do
not have an understanding of the OS, hardware issues, updates, KB articles
or anything else that we computer savvy people take for granted. If that's
the case, setting to automatic is the right thing to do, or else no update
would ever get installed. Perhaps that's the reason for the behaviour you
describe. I don't know that for a fact, it could be one of so many reasons.
Personally, I wouldn't describe that as malware, since it meant no harm.

Maincat wrote:

<snip>
>
>
> I think that we need to remember that the vast majority of computer users do
> not have an understanding of the OS, hardware issues, updates, KB articles
> or anything else that we computer savvy people take for granted. If that's
> the case, setting to automatic is the right thing to do, or else no update
> would ever get installed. Perhaps that's the reason for the behaviour you
> describe. I don't know that for a fact, it could be one of so many reasons.
> Personally, I wouldn't describe that as malware, since it meant no harm.
>
>

Yes, the vast majority of Users have no inclination to become eXPerts
nor should they have to become one. What is dangerous though is that
driver or other 'toxic' updates come down and then they Disable AU.

Once Trust is broken it's *very* difficult to regain.

MowGreen [MVP 2003-2008]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============

This was a clean install - no 3rd party software had been installed apart
from the necessary motherboard, video and audio drivers etc. Because this is
a new PC with two hard drives (configured as a single RAID volume) and no
floppy, I installed XP from a customized installation disk.

I had used nLite to create an unattended installation disk, slipstreaming it
with the RAID drivers and latest Windows update pack and also configuring it
with various tweaks and setting automatic updates to notify and to skip the
OOBE. It was probably the latter that caused the original automatic/notify
problem, because performing another clean install, using a disk slipstreamed
with only the RAID drivers, allowed SP3 to install without further incident.

Thanks.

To whom are you replying?

WinXP SP3 - Read all prerequisites for a successful installation
http://msmvps.com/blogs/harrywaldron...tallation.aspx

Steps to take before you install WinXP SP3
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950717
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/


fade2gray wrote:
> This was a clean install - no 3rd party software had been installed apart
> from the necessary motherboard, video and audio drivers etc. Because this
> is
> a new PC with two hard drives (configured as a single RAID volume) and no
> floppy, I installed XP from a customized installation disk.
>
> I had used nLite to create an unattended installation disk, slipstreaming
> it
> with the RAID drivers and latest Windows update pack and also configuring
> it
> with various tweaks and setting automatic updates to notify and to skip
> the
> OOBE. It was probably the latter that caused the original automatic/notify
> problem, because performing another clean install, using a disk
> slipstreamed
> with only the RAID drivers, allowed SP3 to install without further
> incident.
>
> Thanks.

I assume you can see and have read the complete thread - I was assuring
MowGreen [MVP] that no 3rd party software had been installed ("Windows Live
OneCare, Ghost, an AV, or security suite"), at the point the original
problem had occured, and that I had now installed SP3 without any further
problems.

"PA Bear [MS MVP]" wrote:

> To whom are you replying?
>
> WinXP SP3 - Read all prerequisites for a successful installation
> http://msmvps.com/blogs/harrywaldron...tallation.aspx
>
> Steps to take before you install WinXP SP3
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950717
> --
> ~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
> MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
> AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
> DTS-L http://dts-l.net/
>
>
> fade2gray wrote:
> > This was a clean install - no 3rd party software had been installed apart
> > from the necessary motherboard, video and audio drivers etc. Because this
> > is
> > a new PC with two hard drives (configured as a single RAID volume) and no
> > floppy, I installed XP from a customized installation disk.
> >
> > I had used nLite to create an unattended installation disk, slipstreaming
> > it
> > with the RAID drivers and latest Windows update pack and also configuring
> > it
> > with various tweaks and setting automatic updates to notify and to skip
> > the
> > OOBE. It was probably the latter that caused the original automatic/notify
> > problem, because performing another clean install, using a disk
> > slipstreamed
> > with only the RAID drivers, allowed SP3 to install without further
> > incident.
> >
> > Thanks.
>
>

Hi there,

You are not sticking to your thread, not a good idea really.

You have changed the installation cd and have created the malware yourself I
guess and even found the solution yourself

I do not understand your question for that matter.

Best regards,
Michel Denie


"fade2gray" <> wrote in message
news52F5368-B80B-4220-B807-...
> This was a clean install - no 3rd party software had been installed apart
> from the necessary motherboard, video and audio drivers etc. Because this
> is
> a new PC with two hard drives (configured as a single RAID volume) and no
> floppy, I installed XP from a customized installation disk.
>
> I had used nLite to create an unattended installation disk, slipstreaming
> it
> with the RAID drivers and latest Windows update pack and also configuring
> it
> with various tweaks and setting automatic updates to notify and to skip
> the
> OOBE. It was probably the latter that caused the original automatic/notify
> problem, because performing another clean install, using a disk
> slipstreamed
> with only the RAID drivers, allowed SP3 to install without further
> incident.
>
> Thanks.

You're mowst welcome. Thanks for posting the details.

MowGreen [MVP 2003-2008]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============



fade2gray wrote:

> This was a clean install - no 3rd party software had been installed apart
> from the necessary motherboard, video and audio drivers etc. Because this is
> a new PC with two hard drives (configured as a single RAID volume) and no
> floppy, I installed XP from a customized installation disk.
>
> I had used nLite to create an unattended installation disk, slipstreaming it
> with the RAID drivers and latest Windows update pack and also configuring it
> with various tweaks and setting automatic updates to notify and to skip the
> OOBE. It was probably the latter that caused the original automatic/notify
> problem, because performing another clean install, using a disk slipstreamed
> with only the RAID drivers, allowed SP3 to install without further incident.
>
> Thanks.