Why did Microsoft Updates kill my document?!

[Dave Wreathall]

I was working for an hour or two on a document, but hadn't yet saved. Then
Microsoft Updates comes along and, while I'm distracted, automatically
restarts the PC. When it restarts, I've lost my document.

Isn't this a highly undesirable feature???

Dave Wreathall

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Well, first of all, you should never work "an hour or two" on anything
without saving. That's your first mistake.

You should never leave an unsaved document open when you leave the computer
(or are "distracted"). That's your second mistake.

The third mistake may be trusting Automatic Updates too much. When you allow
Automatic Updates to update entirely automatically, if restarting Windows is
required after the updates are installed, Windows presumably puts up some
messages boxes prompting you to save and close documents, but if you aren't
there to see them, then after some amount of time it shuts them all down for
you, willy-nilly.

If you can't discipline yourself to save early and often, then you should
probably set Automatic Updates to Notify, which prevents Windows from
downloading or installing updates without your permission. You can then
control the process and be sure that applications are properly shut down
before restarting Windows.

 

[Dave Wreathall]

Thanks. Sounds like it's 50% me and 50% Microsoft! I really don't think
Automatic Updates should be allowed to shut down applications without
prompting for a save. I'll now go and work out how to control them.

David

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I think it does prompt for a save, but if you're not there to see the
prompt, apparently there is a time limit after which it interprets silence
as permission.