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C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download : Not cleaned ?


nolme

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Hi,

 

I've seen that Windows Update cache it not deleted in repository folder :

C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download

 

Is this a reason to this ? If all Microsoft Updates has been done, this folder is useless.

 

++

Vincent

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I don't know whether other users have experienced the same thing but every time I clean that folder, it seems the Windows autoupdate function kicks in and starts to re-examine my entire system. And as long as that re-examination continues, my system is very slow in its responses.

 

So, I enable the Windows update function only for about one day after the second tuesday of the month when Microsoft has the new Windows updates available.

System setup: http://speccy.piriform.com/results/gcNzIPEjEb0B2khOOBVCHPc

 

A discussion always stimulates the braincells !!!

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Being on XP, I always now use "Dial-A-Fix" to flush the Software Distribution Folder.

 

Dial-A-Fix stops the following three services before the clear out, and then restarts them. If the author, DJLizard, thinks it's necessary to do this, then not doing it may have some side effects.

 

wuauserv: (Windows Update AutoUpdate Service)

 

BITS: (Background Intelligent Transfer Service)

 

cryptsvc: (Cryptographic Services)

 

Dial-A-Fix: (XP or older only)

 

You could do this manually of course.

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I once saw what looked like Apple sneaking onto me an iTunes update when it thought I was not looking.

It did it via BITS.

Apple caused enough grief with its Bonjour rubbish meddling with my profile, even though only my daughter wanted iTunes.

I promptly switched BITS from Automatic to manual, but chose not to disable so I could still accept Patch Tuesday updates at a time and place of my choosing.

 

I wonder how many BOTNETs are established courtesy of BITS allowing malware to sneak in under the radar ! !

 

Way to go M.$ ! ! ! !

 

n.b. I have not investigated the reality of my suspicions,

but think peddlers of dud software that steal my computer resources without permission deserve to be named and shamed, and M.$. should not be an enabler of such intrusions.

 

Incidentally I always purge the download folder every time I shut down, apart from when I have specifically authorized and downloaded an update which needs to install etc. on reboot.

I never have grief from unwanted notifications - perhaps because Automatic Updates are totally disabled until a week after Patch Tuesday (I like to see what happens to the early adopters before I risk it. )

 

Alan

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Alan, please Google "Background Intelligent Transfer Service" to see what it truly is. It has *nothing* to do with botnets, rubbish, Apple, or whatever.

By the way, using "M$" is not a good idea.

Piriform French translator

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Alan, please Google "Background Intelligent Transfer Service" to see what it truly is. It has *nothing* to do with botnets, rubbish, Apple, or whatever.

By the way, using "M$" is not a good idea.

 

I agree that BITS was not intended to use by malware,

and I first thought it was intended for use by Windows Updates,

but having seen iTunes make use of it I wonder what other non M.S. organizations can use it.

 

A few years ago System Administrators would NOT permit AUTOMATIC updates but chose

... Let me choose WHEN to install them

and they would evaluate the full impact on their company critical applications on test machines,

after which they knew what to reject if anything failed,

and only then would acceptable patches be installed on corporate machines.

 

Companies ground to a halt overnight because M.S. ignored the Update setting and installed anyway.

I think their excuse was that the Update authorization level showed that updates would still be needed,

and therefore they could safely ignore that setting because this is not going to effect anything,

other than some minor detail that could be an obstacle to future updates.

i.e. You forget to unlock the door so we have broken the hinges to let us get in ! !

 

Some while later a similar wide-scale disaster which was blamed on a massive set of urgent patches and too much traffic for the servers to cope, and downloads were resumed / restarted / whatever and eventually were complete and somehow due to all the disruptions nothing appeared on the surface, but at system shutdown an automatic install on shutdown was launched, and again systems had to be rebuilt the following day.

 

Twice I was offered Silverlight as part of a Security Patch Tuesday.

I declined at notification stage so it would not waste my time downloading.

Each time I found that although it did not install Silverlight it had delivered a multi-page EULA which seemed to authorize M.S. and sundry others (I guess any website that displays Silverlight stuff) :-

Access to information on my system ;

Authority to install other products without notification.

 

M.S. products have so many vulnerabilities to let in the bad guys,

that I have no reason to trust any new trap doors that increase M.S. to sneak in and "do me good";

where they can come in, others may follow.

 

Regards

Alan

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