Since choice is always better than no choice i think the sensible thing to do would be to leave them up but make it very clear that there are pros and cons and maybe even risks involved. That way a user can make an informed decision as to whether or not this is for them. (Just my general opinion...i myself dont install anything i dont absolutely need, much less any non-official stuff...)
Voted YES for removal It's probly not usual, but they could make a change to an update before it's released. No sense in floating around updates before they've been signed off on.
The amount of replys stating "they aren't in Windows update so we dont need them" are bloody frustrating. If you don't know whats going on THEN DON'T JUST IGNORANTLY REPLY "YES REMOVE THEM" ANYWAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! These hotfixes are verified FROM MICROSOFT. NONE OF THEM HAVE VIRUSES. I have a virus scanner and they are ALL cllean. I don't want to bloody have to go to microsofts webpage and download each individual hotfix. You have to fill out a small form, then wait for an email, then extract the single password protected file. I damn well want these hotfixes for my computer and I damn well want to be able to download them ALL AT ONCE. It would take a single person a whole friggin week to search for and download each one individually off microsofts page. And contrary to popular belief microsoft operates on a dont fix unless they have a good reason to basis NOT a don't fix for a good reason one. Most the hotfix fix problems I wouldve just assumed were quirks of the operating system until the hotfix fixed them. Most of the them fixed problems so small that I wouldnt even have bothered to search for a fix. But now they ARE fixed I APPRECIATE IT. I wouldnt go back to the way it was before just because I didnt recieve the hotfix from Windows Update. Almost all of hotfixes wont EVER be released to Windows Update. SO STOP BLOODY USING "THEY ARENT AVAILABLE THROUGH WINDOWS UPDATE" AS AN EXCUSE TO VOTE TO REMOVE THEM. I repeat if you dont know what is going on dont bloody vote. Dont ruin it for the people that want and appreciate a trusted place/forum with trusted users from which download all the NON-Windows Update hotfixes in one EASY package!!!!!!!! Maybe it needs to be made clear that these so-called update packs are not really updates but Hotfixes. So yes ONLY the MOST IMPORTANT and NECESSARY ones will ever make it into Windows Update. But that DOES NOT MEAN the ones that don't are useless OR even un-needed for that matter. If you are happy the way things run with Updates and hotfixes straight from Windows Update then DONT DOWNLOAD the hotfix packs. SIMPLE AS THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If, like me you've noticed some quirks that you are sure Microsoft will be releasing a hotfix for, which they usually ALWAYS do. Then being able to get EVERY hotfix available, in one EASY file, is ALOT better then having to weed through the microsoft homepage. You can easily use 7-zip to open the *.MSU file as an archive and see for yourself EXACTLY what a particular Hotfix updates and YES EVEN IF IT IS MADE BY MICROSOFT. EASY. And if doing any of that is over your head then DONT DO IT AT ALL. SIMPLE!!!!!!! I don't even understand what the issue is here in the first place?????????????????? Have anyone been infected by any of the hotfix packs. NNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. They aren't any real threat greater than custom bios's or loaders. RIGHT? (obviously) Then removing them is almost akin to Censorship. And censoring windows 7 related software downloads on this page would be like how Youtube censors User-generated-content videos. Its like blocking peoples freedom of expression for the sake of the "corporations". Are we going to turn this place into that???? I sure bloody hope not.
NO THEY WONT MAKE A CHANGE TO AN UPDATE. AND they are floating around precisely because they HAVE been released. IF they end up updating an "update" they release a WHOLE NEW ONE and affix a V2, V3, V4....etc. ONCE AGAIN. IF YOU DONT KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON DO NOT JUST IGNORANTLY REPLY YES TO REMOVE THEM BECAUSE OF IT. You are ruining things for the people who actually DO know what they are for and how they work. OK?!!??!!?!!!!!!!!!!!?!?!?
What the HELL is going on here?!??!?!? Its almost feels like a conspiracy. Are that many people really that misinformed about how Microsoft's hotfixes and updates are distributed and released. The amount of ignorance is frustrating to the max. From the majority of the topics the users of this forum came across, to me anyways, as semi-1337 you know? leet/elite. And its like suddenly the exact opposite type of users all jumped out of the woodwork enmasse to vote "YES" in this thread. WTF IS THIS WORLD COMING TO?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? It must be the looming galactic alignment or something. I DONT KNOW. But its scary! That is certain
@jsday187 take a chill pill altho i do agree on most of your points, people generaly dont know what they are talking about. Real question should of the pool should be "do hotfixes bother you to that point, you are starting flameware in each topic even i absolutly dont care about them" (like some does). Even tho i DO agree that this hotfixes are not "needed" for avrage user, however it still SHOULD be users choice and not whole forum being under infulence under ~5 people are are spreading hatered about this hotfixes in each topic. edit: example of this hatred is, i posted updates 3-4 months ago and someone reped me down with "waste of time bandwidth". So guy ACTUALY opened topic (even tho it was clear from name what topic about), posted hate post in that topic and repd me down (not like i care about rep, however i do care about priciples) for 60ish MB update pack (like we would still be in times for 14.4kbits modems). Since that day i never posted any updates, simply because of princip. Im a proud dude and i dont tolerate someone acting like a retard towards me for no real reason, simply because i try to help and he doesnt "want" that help.
You're right. I think I'll just bow out now and let nature run its course. Before they are removed though I hope a link is provided to another forum as reputable as this one from which to download future hotfixes from.
Or just contact MS support itself, and get the update straight from them I really don't see why someone could not request the update from MS... it's not that any validation or other personal information is needed to obtain the update... just a valid email address (can be mailinator, mailexpire generated address) If it's pure laziness i prefer to remove them from these forums.... as these are mandatory
Right well to let you know what us Staff are discussing, we may stretch to a whole topic stickied with plenty of warnings. It would be up to a member to look after this, categorise and more. I will be keeping a close eye on it and I would expect updates to be packed into a RAR file in groups of 10 and we have a request form to request a certain update to keep it nice and neat. Anybody willing, PM me with why, how you would lay it out and any comments. @jsday187, if you do not calm down, stop triple and double posting you will be banned seeming as your infraction for abusive behaviour didn't mean anything. Comprendez?
Woho! I never thought this poll will go that emotional! It was a good experience though. We have decided to create one thread for it, because MDL is famous for enthusiasts and enthusiasts want to try for those updates. This I have learned. I think with one thread opened and a clear warning about, everybody can cope with. Sometimes you have to make clear that the world isn't black or white only. (Delete it yes or no). Thanks to all who have voted. Please post here if you want to manage such a thread.
That's a good solution, thanks to the mdl team. Edit: I would like to offer my help if it's required.