Death of the sys admin...

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February 4th, 2009, 12:57 PM
Cheap Scotch Ron

Death of the sys admin...

I think not...

Quote:

February 3, 2009 (Computerworld) Microsoft Corp. has ramped up a new Windows support assistant nearly three months after it quietly released the automatic repair and configuration tool.

Dubbed "Fix it for me," the tool is an adjunct to some of the support documents that Microsoft posts to its Knowledge Base (KB), the company's online collection of hot fix guidelines and trouble-shooting instructions. Those KB documents that include the automated support boast a button labeled "Fix it."

"Have you ever come across a Microsoft Knowledge Base article or been presented with a Windows Error Reporting solution and asked yourself, 'Why can't Microsoft just fix this for me?'" the "Fix it for me" blog reads. "Today, KB articles and WER solutions provide you with a list of steps that can be followed to resolve your issue," the post continued. "Our team's purpose is to automate the steps ... so you can click a button and have the issue resolved."

The blog also listed some of the Knowledge Base documents that boast a "Fix it" button, including one that prevents users from connecting a USB storage device -- useful in protecting against one of the infection vectors of the "Downadup" worm.

While the team posted just four "Fix it"-enabled documents in November and December 2008, it added 78 in January 2009, more than 30 of them last week alone.

Each "Fix it" is a separate, small download of a Windows installer package that when run, automates the manual steps spelled out in the appropriate KB document.

In a post last month to a message forum on the "WinVistaClub" Web site, someone who identified himself only as "Paul" and said he was part of the "Fix it" team at Microsoft encouraged users to send feedback on the feature to the group at the [email protected] e-mail address.

...Just another p.o.s. MS software package to shoot/repair.

I wonder how long it will take for a "Fix it" to be released to fix "Fix it". :drink:
February 4th, 2009, 01:11 PM
Cider

Good idea I think but can run into problems.

I haven't seen any of these yet though. Post link :P
February 4th, 2009, 02:52 PM
morganlefay

How many times do you have an error in the eventlo g and you click on that more info button...which takes you to the MS KB...and they have no info on it. They dont even know what the error means :rolleyes:

And do we want to willy nilly add "hot fixes" to production servers......with that clause

Quote:

. This hotfix might receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next software update that contains this hotfix.

and some hot fixes cannot be uninstalled.

thank you Microsoft....I just cant wait for my phone to start ringing when some user that "knows" computers starts trying to fix things.....without firstly understanding how it may affect 3rd party applications and services.

more $$$$$$$$ 4 moi :)

MLF
February 4th, 2009, 03:44 PM
dinowuff

LOL

Of course in order for the "fix it" tool to run you have to be logged on as local administrator or be a part of the Administrator Group.

I see the headlines now:

SANS - Internet Storm Center shortly after the mass release of M$ "Fix It" Tool

"A new bit of malware has inundated the Internet and is causing global havoc. According to [insert av - security company name] the Fubar.A virus uses the winfxor.dll as a hook into the popular "Fix iT' tool installed on all Microsoft O.S.

This malware actually fools the Fix It tool into believing that core system files are corupt and need to be immediately deleted. Since no user intervention is needed, everything from virtual enterprises to home PC's across the globe are destroying their own operating systems".
February 4th, 2009, 03:53 PM
morganlefay

Dino...I love your brain!!!

;)

MLF
February 4th, 2009, 05:20 PM
nihil

Cider,

Try here:

http://blogs.technet.com/fixit4me/default.aspx

The only problem as I see it is users who will go clicky clicky. If they don't really understand what there problem is and what the KB article is about that could cause all sorts of problems?

I haven't tried it yet but I was under the impression that they were just scripts attached to KBs rather than a "tool" that was loaded onto a PC?
February 4th, 2009, 05:22 PM
Cheap Scotch Ron

http://www.computerworld.com/action/...icleId=9127248
February 4th, 2009, 05:28 PM
morganlefay

you gotta check out the comments at the bottom of this thread

http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?...37244&from=rss

LOL

MLF
February 4th, 2009, 05:36 PM
morganlefay

I am gonna just quote

Quote:

Re:What happens....
by kjb542 (1411783) on Tuesday February 03, @05:11PM (#26717903)
Then you click on the "F*** It" tool, which surreptitiously installs Linux....

Re:What happens....
by PrescriptionWarning (932687) on Tuesday February 03, @06:44PM (#26718983)
Not to be confused with the "F*** Me" tool, which surreptitiously installs Vista

MLF
February 4th, 2009, 05:38 PM
Cheap Scotch Ron

lol...

Quote:

Not to be confused with the "F*** Me" tool, which surreptitiously installs Vista
February 4th, 2009, 06:09 PM
nihil

Well, I have downloaded one to have a look at it.

Quote:

Each "Fix it" is a separate, small download of a Windows installer package that when run, automates the manual steps spelled out in the appropriate KB document.

Sounds rather like the old days when you got an e-mail with a link and a password to get some of the more exotic MS fixes. They provided you with a script to run.

Or adding stuff to client logon scripts to change local desktop settings.
February 4th, 2009, 07:31 PM
gore

Thank God I found this "Fix it Permanently" application...Whew! That was close!

Fix it Permanently links:

http://www.freebsd.org

http://www.slackware.com

http://www.opensuse.org

I've got all of them up and working and the problems and chances of new ones from fixit4me just sort of disappeared. It was auto magically done for me. I didn't have to "click on anything" ;)
February 4th, 2009, 10:43 PM
nihil

I have heard of the "never ending story"............. those links look like three good scripts for the "never ending recession" :D

You know the rules? in a recession companies stick with technology they know and trust...............perversely, that should help MS with the Windows 7 launch.

Vista was a flop, and they cannot afford that to happen with Windows 7........... no more helping out Intel or Dell or whoever............... it's every rat for themselves these days. ;)
February 5th, 2009, 10:09 PM
keezel

Quote:

This seems like a great thing to try to hack. 5 bucks to the first one who gets the "Fix It" button to download and fire up an Ubuntu installer.

From the article's comments. Pretty in line with gore's recommendation, lol.
February 5th, 2009, 10:36 PM
gore

Yea, it is. The difference is, I didn't look at them or reply. I figured here people know me and understand my particular sense of humor and how I roll. On other places such as where that article is, I'm a nobody who no one knows, and they may not grasp any sense of humor, and may see someone who's just trying to flame fest.

Besides, I sure as hell wouldn't have recommended Ubuntu. Slackware maybe ;)
February 6th, 2009, 03:17 AM
keezel

Hah. Figures. I like Ubuntu dammit. Maybe I'll venture into Debian just b/c I'm already familiar with the repositories and file structure, but (call me crazy) I like an OS that works out of the box.
February 6th, 2009, 10:35 PM
westin

Quote:

Originally Posted by keezel

Hah. Figures. I like Ubuntu dammit. Maybe I'll venture into Debian just b/c I'm already familiar with the repositories and file structure, but (call me crazy) I like an OS that works out of the box.

I would have to agree. I have messed around with Slackware a bit on some VMs... It was kind of a pain to get up and going. It reminded me of how Redhat was about 10 years ago. Once I got it up and running the way I wanted, I thought it was a pretty good distro, but the ease of Ubuntu is very refreshing.
February 7th, 2009, 12:18 AM
gore

Ubuntu is... I don't know. I used it and it was alright for some stuff, but not having root and so on, was annoying. For ease of use, Mandriva and SUSE are really hard to beat. Both are incredibly easy to work with and on.
February 7th, 2009, 06:05 AM
keezel

Admittedly I'm biased because Ubuntu is the first distro I actually learned well. I've grown comfortable with sudo. I'll give Mandriva a fair shot though just to see what I'm missing.
February 7th, 2009, 11:14 AM
nihil

Hmmm,

From the original post:

Quote:

Dubbed "Fix it for me," the tool is an adjunct to some of the support documents that Microsoft posts to its Knowledge Base (KB), the company's online collection of hot fix guidelines and trouble-shooting instructions. Those KB documents that include the automated support boast a button labeled "Fix it."

From that I deduce that the topic is Windows and the support thereof?

Might I respectfully request that we try to keep threads on topic, particularly in these recessionary times when implications might well be very OS focused?

:)
February 11th, 2009, 05:09 PM
dinowuff

Quote:

Originally Posted by nihil

Might I respectfully request that we try to keep threads on topic, particularly in these recessionary times when implications might well be very OS focused?

No but you can slap Gore for us - yet again bringing *nix into a winblows discussion.

O.K. Maybe it aint Gore's fault. After all, he does live on the WRONG side of the state. And he still uses winblows 95.

http://www.antionline.com/images/ieimages/2008/01/1.gif
February 11th, 2009, 10:03 PM
gore

Wrong side? Are you on that Dutch side?
February 11th, 2009, 11:18 PM
nihil

Quote:

And he still uses winblows 95.

So do I................on a Cyrix 386 :D
February 12th, 2009, 02:12 PM
dinowuff

@Gore Yup Grand Rapids.

@nihil 386? I don't know how to respond to that.
February 12th, 2009, 06:42 PM
gore

I knew it. You and your damn wood shoes, no wonder you wanted to slap me. By the wa, I've been there. Thinking of throwing rock at Wisconsin without having to leave the state was funny enough. I also met some roadies for Gwar there once.