Windows 7 security settings may leave PCs vulnerable to cyberattacks, page 1

For years now OS have been taking away choices from the user, and have taken over decisions which the user should be making, such as the fact that since Windows XP the OS decides when to download updates, when that should ALWAYS be a decision of the user.

Automatic updates is a feature of Windows (and other Operating Systems), that allows them to get software updates without the user actually doing anything. It is easily disabled in Windows 7 (and XP) by browsing to the control panel. You can also stop the "Automatic Updates", and "Background Intelligent Transfer", services to wipe out automatic updates absolutely completely, but this can cause incompatibilities if you try and manually update. And if you are sick of the nag on your taskbar after doing this, then disable the "Security Center" service also.

Start--->run--->type "services.msc" without quotes, press enter, disable Automatic Updates, BITS, & Security Center. Manually browse to the Windows Update website (www.windowsupdate.com) for updates, although you will have to temporarily enable them services again. Personally, automatic updates are a fantastic idea for the end user.

You love W7? Did you not read the article I excerpted and posted here?

That thing is a timebomb, and hacker heaven as soon as they find out how to use that vulnerability, if they haven't already found it.

As far as this being a problem - not really. It's far better than Vista where users would turn UAC completely off as soon as they get it. Or XP where there is no UAC.

From the article that you obviously did not read:

"It defeats the purpose of the whole system," says Voskuil. "Anybody can do whatever they want; all they need to do is get the user to launch code."

The medium setting plays directly to the strength of cyber gangs adept at tricking PC users into clicking on corrupted Web links arriving in email spam, Twitter microblog postings, Facebook messages and Google search results. The bad guys are also planting infectious launch code hidden in online advertisements display by popular Web sites, such as the New York Times.

Voskuil recommends immediately elevating your Windows 7 UAC default setting from “notify me only when programs try to make changes to my computer,” to the “always notify” setting.

So - it's pretty much the same as it's always been. The problem is the end user, not the OS. In any case, UAC is a nag on its highest setting, keeping it on medium gives you slightly better security than XP because it will now tell you if changes are being made, and OFF gives you the same problems with XP. I keep it on OFF because it's very easy not to run things that are clearly viruses, that, and it uses system recourses.

Windows 7, Windows vista, and Windows XP suck in many ways imo, although windows XP is still better than windows vista, or windows 7, imo.

XP might use less system recourses, however the GUI is archaic as is its memory management, and multi-core management. That, and no Direct X 11. Windows 7 is far better.

Also, I have never used Vista so I cannot comment on that.

Go Linux. More people who do that, will get more people making the OS's that much better, and Bill Gates will finally stop making crap that wants to take over computers like a rubber monster in a cheesy sci fi flick. Or go broke, one of the 2.

Linux is fantastic, however honestly it is absolutely terrible for the average user where it's absolutely laughable to compare it to even the 8 year old Windows XP, let alone Windows 7.

encyclopediadramatica.com... (Lunix)

The point is that OS shouldn't be set up the way they are, they should be more user friendly from the get-go,

They are user friendly from the get go. Windows 7 is light years ahead of Windows XP in that regard.

and the PC itself should have a small tutorial with most of the awnsers, instead of having to look for awnsers online.

In Windows 7...

Click start, type in HELP, press ENTER, and a tutorial comes up.

Click Start, type Updates, press ENTER, and you can change update policy.

Click start, type security, press ENTER, and you can change security policy.

You can also press Start, click CONTROL panel, then click on the most obvious thing. For example, updates are labelled "Windows Update".

To get to HELP AND SUPPORT, you can click start, then click HELP AND SUPPORT.

Getting Started tutorial was launched the first time I ran Windows 7, and then was on the Start menu for a few days.

i38.tinypic.com...

i36.tinypic.com...

This isn't rocket science.

s, and less user-friendly with time instead of the reverse?....

How can you criticize Microsoft for setting UAC on medium, for having automatic updates, while being less user friendly?

They changed the default UAC setting to be more user-friendly (unless you want a nag every time you try to do anything).
They included automatic updates to keep computers bug free, and also to minimize any software incompatibilities as newer software, or features, are added. Try running Windows XP RTM and see if any of your applications work and then talk to me about being "user-friendly".
They did include a tutorial with Windows 7. I think they did with XP but I have not used or installed that in a long time.
The GUI is significantly improved, for example, it has Windows Search on the taskbar. Pressing a button called "troubleshoot" will usually find and correct any problems also.
Windows Update has now been updated to include drivers. If you did not have this then you would have users wondering why their hardware doesn't work properly.
Windows 7 connects to networks far easier than XP.

The trend you are describing is actually the complete opposite of what you are suggesting. Also, you should not blame the Operating System because you did not use the Control panel, or even use the "help and support" feature which pops up on pretty much every single page in Windows XP. That is your fault.

Do you work for microsoft or something that you seem to take offence at the fact that the OSs have become less

Not everyone who disagrees with you is biased.

Maybe they are sick of people complaining about a product they have never used, obviously do not know a thing about, and just overall have no clue.

Do you work for Apple?

[edit on 27/10/2009 by C0bzz]