Samsung: Disable_Windowsupdate.exe

Bill linked to that same page 2 posts ago, Corrine :) I'm surprised it's only been seen once before now (that I can find).
 
I've made further contact with the user wavly and told him that we don't need any further information from his system, thanked him for his help, and all that sort of stuff.
 
I'm answering a lot of press emails, which feels really weird. I just got done with Forbes and ZDNet. Bit more to go.

Hopefully in their stories they mention Sysnative somewhere, because I stressed it.

-- Is there anything else we can reverse engineer about this to add to my blog post to give articles more stuff? I'm trying to think, but I'm pretty sure we've covered most of the bases.
 
Okay, most of them want to know how to "remove" this, because I told them that uninstalling SW Update won't get rid of everything. It still keeps the service running, the Samsung \ProgramData folder, etc.
 
You have not said anything not true so they cannot successfully sue you. But should they try, I am sure there are many good lawyers out there willing to take the majority share of the winnings from a countersuit.
 
The only thing I'm not understanding right now is if uninstalling it from the Add/Remove programs menu (like a traditional program would be uninstalled) gets rid of all of it. On my system, it doesn't, but I am unsure if that's because it's a non-Samsung environment, therefore the uninstall process is buggy.

Was wavly able to get rid of it by uninstalling it traditionally, or did that leave remnants too?
 
What's with the comments section of your blog, Patrick? I tried to post a comment, selected Google Account, clicked Preview, "Published" is displayed and the comment box was emptied. So, I tried again, same thing. Tried clicking Publish without previewing and the same thing happened.
 
What's with the comments section of your blog, Patrick? I tried to post a comment, selected Google Account, clicked Preview, "Published" is displayed and the comment box was emptied. So, I tried again, same thing. Tried clicking Publish without previewing and the same thing happened.​
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Weird, I'm leaving for the store real quick but I'll check when I get back.
 
Looks like comments are set up just fine, only require a Google account, and other people are commenting just fine.
 
From Microsoft:

“Windows Update remains a critical component of our security commitment to our customers,” a Microsoft spokesperson told VentureBeat. “We do not recommend disabling or modifying Windows Update in any way as this could expose a customer to increased security risks. We are in contact with Samsung to address this issue.”
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and from Samsung:

Updated @ 23:20 BST, 17:20 EST: We finally heard back from Samsung, though it isn't very informative: "We are aware of Mr. Barker’s claim regarding Windows 8.1 updates on our computers. We take security concerns very seriously and we are working with Microsoft to address this matter."
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Samsung silently disabling Windows Update on some computers | Ars Technica
 
Things are getting a bit out of hand! Patrick, where did Avira get the idea that you were helping in the WU thread? That was Brian and Ryan was involved behind the scenes (re-read the first two posts in this thread). In fact, didn't you see Richard's post on June 22 saying that he had contacted Microsoft as suggested by cluberti? That is called "responsible disclosure".

Microsoft MVP Patrick Barker discovered the issue when assisting a user with a Windows Update issue. According to him “it was figured out eventually after using auditpol.exe and registry security auditing (shown below later) that the program that was responsible for disabling Windows Update was Disable_Windowsupdate.exe, which is part of Samsung’s SW Update software.”
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Patrick never said in his blog that he was the person helping the user.
I think Avira are assuming the situation.
 
Yes, I know that having read the blog post but, although Patrick's article was good, a link to the original help topic could have helped dispel the misconception by Avira and others. After all, it was Brian who found the culprit file from the registry audit, Richard who tracked down the orcasservice and Stephen who found the SW Update file on the Samsung website.
 
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Corrine said:
Things are getting a bit out of hand! Patrick, where did Avira get the idea that you were helping in the WU thread?
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Just another wannabe journalist with a blog failing to do his/her homework or verify his/her facts before hastily joining the mix.

I note she also says,
Luckily the Samsung SW Update tool does not come with PCs by default: Users have to download it from Samsung’s website and install it.
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In the same paragraph, see cites VentureBeat but VentureBeat clearly says (my bold underline added),
The SW Update program helps you install and update your software and driver easily. In other words, this is the typical OEM tool that ships with your computer to keep all the manufacturer’s software and drivers updated, as well as any other included third-party software (read: bloatware).
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