Windows XP Online Updates screwing with my system???

[Garyvdh]

Has anyone else noticed this? The last batch of Windows Updates that were automatically updated to all my PCs and my laptop have been making changes to my system.... for e.g.

When I opened Firefox yesterday it told me that Firefox was not my default browser and did I want to set it to my default. The thing is it WAS my default browser before I let the updates install.

Then today when I booted up (after some more online updates last night on shutdown)... It tells me the same thing again... but now it has reset all of my Firefox defaults...everything was set back to default... I had to reset my home page and tab options... all the opening prompts from all my extensions had reset. Fortunately my passwords and bookmarks were all still there.

Why would Microsoft Updates do this? Is Microsoft trying to kill Firefox for unsuspecting users? Has anyone else noticed this?

[Rikus]

Never happened to me.
Both my laptop, the wifes pc and my kids pc are all set to auto update and I just asked them, no problems.

[Garyvdh]

Never happened to me.
Both my laptop, the wifes pc and my kids pc are all set to auto update and I just asked them, no problems.

and you use Firefox as your default browser as well?

[The_Techie]

Hasn't happened to me either?

[Rikus]

and you use Firefox as your default browser as well?

On all three machines, yes.
My son and I have our home-page as Google and the wife has Yahoo as hers.
No changes.
All 3 machines run XP-Home.

[Garyvdh]

ok, then there must be something else that is common to all my PCs that has caused this. Must be some particular software combination that I am using.

Thanks

[Franna]

The same thing occured on my Windows 2000 machine after loading the latest Microsoft updates, it asked for confirmation to use Firefox as my default browser.

[Garyvdh]

The same thing occured on my Windows 2000 machine after loading the latest Microsoft updates, it asked for confirmation to use Firefox as my default browser.

Yes, that is what has happened on at least 3 of the 5 PCs I own and on my laptop.

Windows XP Home Edition
Office Pro 2003
MSIE 7
Firefox (Default Browser)
VirtualCD 8
QuickTime Pro 7
Download Accelerator Pro 8
MSN Live 8
AVG Anti-Virus
AVG Anti-Spyware
Vodafone 3G Connect software
Adobe Photoshop CS2
Adobe Acrobat Reader 8
etc...

The systems were all originally updated using AutoPatcher on first install

[Rikus]

You running the latest FF on all?
Set to auto update FF?

[Garyvdh]

You running the latest FF on all?
Set to auto update FF?

Yes... all on auto-update running 2.0.0.3 and all extensions updated as well.

[The_Techie]

It probably has something to do with the software setups on the computers. It would explain why it affects some machines, but not others.

[Garyvdh]

Has anyone else noticed this? The last batch of Windows Updates that were automatically updated to all my PCs and my laptop have been making changes to my system.... for e.g.

When I opened Firefox yesterday it told me that Firefox was not my default browser and did I want to set it to my default. The thing is it WAS my default browser before I let the updates install.

Then today when I booted up (after some more online updates last night on shutdown)... It tells me the same thing again... but now it has reset all of my Firefox defaults...everything was set back to default... I had to reset my home page and tab options... all the opening prompts from all my extensions had reset. Fortunately my passwords and bookmarks were all still there.

Why would Microsoft Updates do this? Is Microsoft trying to kill Firefox for unsuspecting users? Has anyone else noticed this?

It just did it again... the last two days have seen some more online automatic updates on all my PCs that I use... .and once again the updates have reset my default browser back to Internet Explorer.

I am now firmly convinced that Microsoft is using it's updates to try and reset the default browser! Not a problem for those of us who know which browser we want to use... but MS is probably hoping it can switch browsers back to IE for users who may have had an alternative browser factory or office installed for them.

Does this amount to anti-competitive practice?

[arf9999]

My office PC and Home PC both gave me the warning regarding default browser, (despite links in other programs launching the correct browser). It definitely has to do with MS updates.

[Random717]

yip, same thing happened to my work pc yesterday...

[arf9999]

http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/asa/a..._defaults.html