I should really just rename my blog to “Ramblings from a guy that wants to love Microsoft but is having a really hard time doing so”. So yes here is my “stupid Microsoft” post of the day…

A friend of mine in the Netherlands (thanks Wim) just sent me a great link to a tool on Microsoft’s site. Its a tool you can download called Windows Service Pack Blocker Tool Kit. It does just what the name says, it keeps Windows Update from automatically installing new service packs as they come out. Now first I do think this is actually a good tool, it’s the why it’s a good tool that’s the problem. As readers here know we’ve definitely had our issues with Windows Update. It reboots you in the middle of work without much warning and the updates fail – a lot. It’s generally a pain in the ass. Managing corporate desktops you want to know everything that’s happening with them and have full control over that experience so I see that this tool could be great for many shops (including mine).

Here’s the problem. We shouldn’t be scared of a service pack. Microsoft, the largest software company in the known universe has had over a year to get Vista SP1 and XP SP3 out the door. They should be amazing. They should rock. It should have me posting “thank you Microsoft, Vista rocks now”. Instead they are already admitting they could fail. “Hey we know this might suck so here’s how you keep from installing it”. My guess is that Apple has never even contemplated such a tool. Why would they? People rush to install their updates yet are scared to death to install ones from Microsoft (me included in that). Why is this Microsoft, why?

Again I ask “Microsoft what are you doing to me”. Please stop making it hard for me to support you in our office, please?