Acer Display update

[cameo]

I've just checked if there were any Windows updates out there for my
setup and noticed an optional one for "Acer - Display - ACER S271HL,"
even though I don't have any Acer hardware. So I wonder why such updates
show up for me. I thought Windows Update was smart enough to pick only
applicable updates for a given setup. Was I wromg?

 

[BillW50]

I've just checked if there were any Windows updates out there for my
setup and noticed an optional one for "Acer - Display - ACER S271HL,"
even though I don't have any Acer hardware. So I wonder why such updates
show up for me. I thought Windows Update was smart enough to pick only
applicable updates for a given setup. Was I wromg?

Yes! And when it does guess right, the driver they have for you is most
likely worse than the manufactures driver. I could write page after page
of all of the mistakes that updates has caused. But Google is good for
that too. ;-)

 

[Paul]

I've just checked if there were any Windows updates out there for my
setup and noticed an optional one for "Acer - Display - ACER S271HL,"
even though I don't have any Acer hardware. So I wonder why such updates
show up for me. I thought Windows Update was smart enough to pick only
applicable updates for a given setup. Was I wromg?

In fact, Windows Update isn't "always smart enough". Never take irrelevant updates
if they are offered. If you need advice, post a question in the newsgroup
appropriate for the OS you're using.

There was one case, where an update like that, affected the ability
to input using the keyboard of the computer. Which makes the computer
difficult to fix. And that update was offered to *everyone* at the
time. It was only by one person being affected, and warning others,
that other people were protected from peril. Eventually, about
a day later, Microsoft removed that item from Windows Update.
But if everyone had blindly taken that optional update,
there would have been a lot of computers to repair.

That one was a HID (human interface) driver, a filter driver for touchpad,
and for some reason, Windows Update concluded every computer needed a
copy.

Security updates are relatively safe. They have a pretty good track
record. But optional hardware driver updates, do not have a good record.

Paul

 

[BillW50]

Security updates are relatively safe. They have a pretty good track
record. But optional hardware driver updates, do not have a good record.

Paul

Security updates are endless and futile. For example, Microsoft updates
can be up to 7 years too late (1). A much more reliable way is using a
real time AV scanner. Which scans everything coming in and everything
before it is ran (no security patches required). The only major flaw
here is zero day vulnerabilities (in this case usually about 24 hours).
But that is where sandboxes comes in for the shorter time. And sandboxes
are found in lots of products like Avast (AV) and Maxthon web browser.

(1) "However, it can be easily shown that this window can be several
years long. For example in 2008 Microsoft confirmed a vulnerability in
Internet Explorer, which affected some versions that were released in
2001. The date the vulnerability was first found by an attacker is not
known, however the vulnerability window in this case could have been up
to 7 years."

Zero-day attack - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-day_attack

 

[Nil]

Security updates are endless and futile.

Vaccinations are endless and futile. For example, ya never know what
kind of flu is coming, so why bother?

Bathing, washing clothes, cleaning house are endless and futile. For
example, everything's just gonna get dirty again, so why bother?

Getting rid of that pesky lead paint is futile. For example, no little
kid has eaten any yet, so why bother?

Taking advantage of your auto manufacturer's safety recalls is endless
and futile. For example, your car hasn't caught fire yet, and the
brakes still work, so why bother?

 

[BillW50]

Vaccinations are endless and futile. For example, ya never know what
kind of flu is coming, so why bother?

Apples and oranges. Wouldn't one vaccination that covers everything far
better than just one strain which they sometimes get wrong anyway and
just wasted your time?

As that is exactly the security method I use. As it doesn't matter how
many security holes there are in an OS. As that method of protection
just doesn't work. And I think Microsoft knows this too. As they sure
don't place a high priority on them especially if they let them exist
for up to 7 years later.

Bathing, washing clothes, cleaning house are endless and futile. For
example, everything's just gonna get dirty again, so why bother?

No that is different as that is part of maintenance. But if you had a
Windows system that is impossible to be infected anyway, wouldn't that
be better than security updates while chasing after a carrot on a string?

Getting rid of that pesky lead paint is futile. For example, no little
kid has eaten any yet, so why bother?

No I am all for getting lead out of paint.

Are you for the EU suing Microsoft for about 500 million dollars because
they bundled Windows Media Player into Windows? The EU claimed that was
unfair and even though I am sure Microsoft spend a lot of money to fight
it, the EU still won.

So Microsoft ended up paying the fine and releasing a version of Windows
without the WMP. And a big whoop-de-doo about 3,000 people actually
bought this version. Sounds like Microsoft learned a hard expensive
lesson, eh?

Hell no! While Microsoft wrote the check for the fine, they didn't
actually pay for it. That isn't how big business works. Everybody who
buys Microsoft products pays for it. As Microsoft just adds it to the
cost of their products. So really, it wasn't a fine against Microsoft,
but a tax on everybody in the whole world who uses Microsoft products.
And frankly IMHO, the EU should be asked to pay for this crime.

Taking advantage of your auto manufacturer's safety recalls is endless
and futile. For example, your car hasn't caught fire yet, and the
brakes still work, so why bother?

How far do you want to go here? The older I get, the more I hate child
proof containers. While they are somewhat child proof, they are also
elderly proof too. I understand wanting to protect the home with
children in the home. But why protect those who doesn't have children
around and make them suffer too?

I have a real problem with one stupid person doing something dumb,
changing anything and making everybody else suffer for their stupidly.
As why not let the stupid one pay the price and leave the rest of us who
knows better alone?

 

[cameo]

In fact, Windows Update isn't "always smart enough". Never take
irrelevant updates
if they are offered. If you need advice, post a question in the newsgroup
appropriate for the OS you're using.

There was one case, where an update like that, affected the ability
to input using the keyboard of the computer. Which makes the computer
difficult to fix. And that update was offered to *everyone* at the
time. It was only by one person being affected, and warning others,
that other people were protected from peril. Eventually, about
a day later, Microsoft removed that item from Windows Update.
But if everyone had blindly taken that optional update,
there would have been a lot of computers to repair.

That one was a HID (human interface) driver, a filter driver for touchpad,
and for some reason, Windows Update concluded every computer needed a
copy.

Security updates are relatively safe. They have a pretty good track
record. But optional hardware driver updates, do not have a good record.

OK, thanks. I'll then just ignore that optional update.

 

[Char Jackson]

The older I get, the more I hate child
proof containers. While they are somewhat child proof, they are also
elderly proof too.

The next time you get a prescription filled, just let them know that
you don't want or need child proof containers. They'll be happy to
give you the easy open kind.

 

[Luv2Golf]

As that is exactly the security method I use. As it doesn't matter how
many security holes there are in an OS. As that method of protection
just doesn't work. And I think Microsoft knows this too. As they sure
don't place a high priority on them especially if they let them exist
for up to 7 years later.

Does every sentence need to start with AS?


PT Taylor

 

[GreyCloud]

Apples and oranges. Wouldn't one vaccination that covers everything far
better than just one strain which they sometimes get wrong anyway and
just wasted your time?

Take a flu shot to get the flu. Never had a flu shot in my life and
have never gotten the flu. The problem with flu shots, as my family
doctor pointed out, is that there are so many strains of the virus. The
usual flu-shot only covers one strain, not many.

 

[Paul]

Take a flu shot to get the flu. Never had a flu shot in my life and
have never gotten the flu. The problem with flu shots, as my family
doctor pointed out, is that there are so many strains of the virus. The
usual flu-shot only covers one strain, not many.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flu_shot

"Each injected seasonal influenza vaccine contains three influenza viruses:

one influenza type A subtype H3N2 virus strain,
one influenza type A subtype H1N1 (seasonal) virus strain,
and one influenza type B virus strain"

"Worldwide, seasonal influenza kills an estimated 250,000 to 500,000
people each year."

"The majority of deaths in the industrialized world occur in adults
aged 65 and over."

"Getting infected by influenza itself increases both the risk of death
(up to 1 in 10,000) and increases the risk of developing Guillain-Barré
syndrome to a much higher level than the highest level of suspected vaccine
involvement (approx. 10 times higher by recent estimates)."

There. Now you can make an informed choice. It's for old people.

Paul

 

[Nil]

Apples and oranges. Wouldn't one vaccination that covers
everything far better than just one strain which they sometimes
get wrong anyway and just wasted your time?

Yes! Sign me right up for that vaccination that protects me against
flu, measles, polio, tetanus, AIDS, and the common cold!

On second thought, naw, don't bother - my system is impossible to be
infected.

Are you for the EU suing Microsoft for about 500 million dollars
because they bundled Windows Media Player into Windows?

Nice straw man ya got there!

How far do you want to go here? The older I get, the more I hate
child proof containers.

Another nice straw man!

 

[Ken1943]

I've just checked if there were any Windows updates out there for my
setup and noticed an optional one for "Acer - Display - ACER S271HL,"
even though I don't have any Acer hardware. So I wonder why such updates
show up for me. I thought Windows Update was smart enough to pick only
applicable updates for a given setup. Was I wromg?

I got that also, for 2 netbook's.
NEVER install drivers from ms update.


KenW

 

[Andy Burns]

NEVER install drivers from ms update.

Now *that* I can agree with, I can think of three occasions where driver
updates have caused issues ... I usually try to get them straight from
the chipset manufacturer, rather than the system manufacturer.

 

[cameo]

Now *that* I can agree with, I can think of three occasions where driver
updates have caused issues ... I usually try to get them straight from
the chipset manufacturer, rather than the system manufacturer.

The problem is that sometimes MS is the only place you can get
updated drivers. Such as for HP laptops that originally came with 32-bit
Vista and you update to 64-bit Win7.

 

[Ken1943]

The problem is that sometimes MS is the only place you can get
updated drivers. Such as for HP laptops that originally came with 32-bit
Vista and you update to 64-bit Win7.

After many years, I wonder if driver updates are the best way to go. They
may not really improve anything. On my desktops,which I build, I may
update lan/wlan, audio drivers and Nvidia video drivers. Looking at the
last Nvidia drivers information, I see nothing but game info and I don't
play games. At least not on my machines. LOL


KenW

 

[Ken Blake]

Take a flu shot to get the flu. Never had a flu shot in my life and
have never gotten the flu.

That's like saying "Never worn a seat belt in my life and have never
been hurt in an accident."

The problem with flu shots, as my family
doctor pointed out, is that there are so many strains of the virus. The
usual flu-shot only covers one strain, not many.

True. A Flu shot doesn't guarantee you won't get it. What is does is
greatly reduce the risk of getting that strain that is going around at
the time. If you don't want to reduce that risk, that's fine, but I
certainly do.

 

[Bob I]

The problem is that sometimes MS is the only place you can get updated
drivers. Such as for HP laptops that originally came with 32-bit Vista
and you update to 64-bit Win7.

If the OEM had the hardware modified to their specs and then modified
the drivers to match the hardware then you will have an issue installing
"updated" drivers that don't match the hardware. Microsoft provides
"generic" drivers that come from the hardware manufacturer, if you
install an "updated" generic driver from Windows Update, you most likely
will "downlevel" the capabilities of your installed hardware, on the
otherhand IF you were running the default drivers that came with the OS,
THEN updating from WU will/may improve some feature.

 

[blank]

Apples and oranges. Wouldn't one vaccination that covers everything far
better than just one strain which they sometimes get wrong anyway and just
wasted your time?

As that is exactly the security method I use. As it doesn't matter how
many security holes there are in an OS. As that method of protection just
doesn't work. And I think Microsoft knows this too. As they sure don't
place a high priority on them especially if they let them exist for up to
7 years later.


No that is different as that is part of maintenance. But if you had a
Windows system that is impossible to be infected anyway, wouldn't that be
better than security updates while chasing after a carrot on a string?


No I am all for getting lead out of paint.

Are you for the EU suing Microsoft for about 500 million dollars because
they bundled Windows Media Player into Windows? The EU claimed that was
unfair and even though I am sure Microsoft spend a lot of money to fight
it, the EU still won.

So Microsoft ended up paying the fine and releasing a version of Windows
without the WMP. And a big whoop-de-doo about 3,000 people actually bought
this version. Sounds like Microsoft learned a hard expensive lesson, eh?

Hell no! While Microsoft wrote the check for the fine, they didn't
actually pay for it. That isn't how big business works. Everybody who buys
Microsoft products pays for it. As Microsoft just adds it to the cost of
their products. So really, it wasn't a fine against Microsoft, but a tax
on everybody in the whole world who uses Microsoft products. And frankly
IMHO, the EU should be asked to pay for this crime.


How far do you want to go here? The older I get, the more I hate child
proof containers. While they are somewhat child proof, they are also
elderly proof too. I understand wanting to protect the home with children
in the home. But why protect those who doesn't have children around and
make them suffer too?

I have a real problem with one stupid person doing something dumb,
changing anything and making everybody else suffer for their stupidly. As
why not let the stupid one pay the price and leave the rest of us who
knows better alone?

Absoluely agree with most of this Bill. I am highly suspicious of continual
Windows updates that gradually (almost imperceptibly) disable functions on
my earlier M$oft programs, such as removing the help from Office Word 2000,
which worked perfectly in all other respects and was perfectly good enough
for me.

 

[blank]

Does every sentence need to start with AS?


PT Taylor

Better than the worn-out 'So' that so many posters start every sentence
with...