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The Joys of Windows Vista
Microsoft has come up with a novel solution to the issue of security in Windows Vista. The basic principle is don’t let the user do anything. You see, if users are prevented from any productivity whatsoever, they can’t screw things up right?
Take for instance User Account Control. This is a new “feature” (note the scarequotes), which asks the user for permission every time they try to do something:
so I had to get this photo with my digital camera. |
It works like this: When you double click on Firefox, you get this pop-up stating that it appears Firefox is trying to run. Do you wish to allow it? You click OK. You try to share a folder, and you get this pop-up stating that it appears something is trying to share a folder. Do you wish to allow it? You click OK. You double click an MP3 and get a warning that Windows Media Player is trying to run. You click OK.
Turning off this “feature” walks you through the depraved sadism that must exist in the minds of Microsoft Developers. I could really feel their contempt for me as a user when I first went to the Windows Security Center and found User Account Control listed there, set to “ON,” with no way to modify it.
There was, however, an unhelpful link below this meaningless status indicator reading, “How does User Account Control help protect my computer?”
How indeed. The help topic unhelpfully explained that User Account Control protects my computer by making me click “OK” every time I want to do something.
Truly fascinating, but as Benjamin Franklin wisely cautioned, “Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” So despite the immense security clicking all these “OK” buttons was affording me, I decided I would trade security for freedom and efficiency by turning them off.
The help topic on this “feature” had nothing to say about how to do that.
So, of course, I consulted that great oracle of how to’s for usurping Microsoft’s bureaucracy, Google, and found this article, which directed me to “User Accounts and Family Safety.” Where I was able to disable the feature, after, of course, being informed that something was trying to disable User Account Control and clicking OK.
Now every time I start Windows Vista, I get a helpful alert message warning me that User Account Control is turned off.
Windows Vista is extremely pretty though.
Comments
By MacAddik
May 8, 2008 8:53 AM | Link to this
Oh the joys of Microsoft….
Vista has many problems when it comes to allowing the user to control their own computer. Not to mention what you discussed in the blog, Vista also allows automatic VPN from your computer to Microsoft Support. So this means when you are not on your computer but it is connected through a direct connection to the internet, i.e. DSL & Cable, Microsoft can access your computer and uninstall and install, upgrade, and manipulate your computer without any user input (read your Terms of Agreement). This was probably integrated as you said b/c Microsoft assumes the user is an idiot, or maybe also because the OS is ridden with operating bugs and this allows them to send out the thousand updates it will need before it is running smoothy.
My suggestion, buy a Macintosh. A big misconception and worry to all you PC users is that “I need my Microsoft Word” or the dreaded “Powerpoint”. No need to stress, it comes on a Mac too! The OS is more intuitive, you can forget the crappy PC virus software, and you can even create artwork with using something other than Microsoft Paint.
By Ryan Somma
May 8, 2008 9:20 PM | Link to this
Macs are very pretty, and user-friendly, but I’ve been playing around with Ubuntu, user-friendly version of Linux. It’s not for everyone, but I’m working up the nerve to install it as a dual-boot to windows vista. : )