Inland, Dreaming of Waves

Breth? Breth who?

Here's the reply I got from Microsoft (my thoughts follow in square brackets, and the reply I made in an email is in curly brackets):

Hello Breth,

Thank you for contacting Microsoft Online Customer Service.

I understand that you wish to know how the automatic update was installed on your computer, without prior notification. I realize the importance of your concern and would be glad to assist you.

[Hello, Breth: I am an automaton programmed to use nineteenth-century English. Or else I went to a public school in India dating to the British colonial era.]

As a Customer Service Representative, I would like you to know that if the automatic (recommended) has been selected in automatic updates tab, then it will download and install them on your computers automatically. Some updates require you to accept an End User License Agreement (EULA), answer a question about the installation process, or restart your computer before you can install them.

[Breth, a lot of stupid people use the Internet. Most of them don't know how to manage their security settings.]

{Dear Naveen,

I do understand that if I had Automatic Updates checked, then the updates would install.

In fact, I had another option checked--the one in which Windows is supposed to notify me of the update and give me a chance to install it. Therefore, I was surprised when I noticed my computer restarting--the updates had been installed automatically, even though that was not what I wanted.

Beth}[Subtle, wasn't it? Hey, Naveen, BETH is my real name!]

For more information on automatic updates, please visit the following link:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/
security/update/downloadinstall.mspx

I hope the above information is helpful. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Thank you for using Microsoft products and services.

Naveen
Microsoft Online Customer Service Representative

If you have any feedback about your Online Customer Service experience, please e-mail my manager, Abhijit Rao, at ocsmgrs@microsoft.com

[That would be mean, wouldn't it? Besides, Naveen didn't reply to my second email. Niyas did. What's with all these employees with N-names?]

I just went and followed the directions Niyas sent me. Nothing new there, except that I learned to get to the Control Panel by typing "sysdm.cpl" in the Run box.

Aw, gee, ain't computers wonderful!

posted by Price of Silence @ 9:47 PM