Windows update : Got Windows XP SP 2?



  • On the Windows Update front page:

    "Got Windows XP SP 2?"

    I'll overlook the grammar for now... but: why display this at all? This is the windows update site! It should be able to tell at a glance (or after very little effort) exactly what version / SP I am running, and then (if it finds I am running an unsupported version) just take me directly to the "more details..." page.

    (and please: no "TRWTF is using Windows") 

     



  • I may be proven wrong, but I don't think there is a way to determine what OS/SP you have via the browser.  Maybe through an active X control or something...





  • yah, user agent should always report properly. This isn't so much a WTF as a security and marketing deal.

    I'm a little miffed with windowsupdate right now, because i know for a FACT that MSIE7 is on there, and it's not listing it.



  • @Morbii said:

    I may be proven wrong, but I don't think there is a way to determine what OS/SP you have via the browser.  Maybe through an active X control or something...

    The Windowsupdate site under IE does exactly that. You're prompted onload to accept a little AX control to scan your computer for your Windows status.



  • i wish microsoft would just allow the user to select which update they like, and then allow a download of the individual update - i hate it when i need to format, and have to waste my bandwidth downloading all the updates again and again.



  • I think MS are covering themselves by not using the user agent since you'll get some low-tech pep spouting off about how MS are reading their systems information without permission.



  • @Tann San said:

    I think MS are covering themselves by not using the user agent since you'll get some low-tech pep spouting off about how MS are reading their systems information without permission.

     

    ... And then posting it here as a Microsoft Security WTF...



  • @Chii said:

    i wish microsoft would just allow the user to select which update they like, and then allow a download of the individual update - i hate it when i need to format, and have to waste my bandwidth downloading all the updates again and again.

    Ah, but you can do that... For example, here's the link to the full download of SP2 for WinXP:

    http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=049C9DBE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en

     Many other updates can be found here:

    http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/Browse.aspx?displaylang=en&categoryid=7 


     



  • Yep, I know.  Which is why I speculated about the ActiveX control (I wasn't absolutely sure it was via ActiveX).  Anyhow, my user agent reports Windows NT 5.1 - I run XP SP2 (which might mean the same thing).  However, relying on your browser to state this seems like it would create several wtfs.



  • @MasterPlanSoftware said:

    @Tann San said:

    I think MS are covering themselves by not using the user agent since you'll get some low-tech pep spouting off about how MS are reading their systems information without permission.

     

    ... And then posting it here as a Microsoft Security WTF...

    Exactly. WindowsNT 5.1 just identifies WindowsXP. There isn't a way (that I'm aware of) to gather the SP level without an ActiveX control, which they won't run until after you tell them to search for updates.
     


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