Microsoft Defends Silent Windows Updates

Microsoft is reconsidering its updating practices after coming under fire for "silently"downloading a Windows patch—even for users who had opted for notifications. Microsoft defended itself, pointing out that the silent fixes affected the update software itself, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. Skeptical opponents maintain similar situations in the past came with alerts.

A Windows product manager conceded Microsoft "should have been clear in our explanation of this process earlier," but the practice has raised serious concerns over privacy: "Writing files to a user's PC without notice is behavior usually associated with hacker websites," said an article in newsletter Windows Secrets. "The question being raised is, 'Why is Microsoft operating in this way?'" (More Microsoft Windows stories.)