HID Non-User Input Data Filter (KB 911895)

I was not able to install:

Microsoft - Other hardware - HID Non-User Input Data Filter (KB 911895)

Windows Update offered this, and when installed, disabled the built-in
wireless network adapter on my HP laptop. Fortunately, I was able to roll
back windows XP using system restore, but sheesh!

Please don't off any more updates that disable my system. I lost two hours
trying to get my adapter to work before i gave up and did the ollback. This
isn't funny. People are trying to get work done out here.

This is a peer-to-peer newsgroup. No one here likely offered you anything
at all - and even if they did - it is your options to investigate it and
accept/deny the offer as you see fit. Accepting things you don't understand
is probably not something you should do anyway.

Robert Thomas said that Windows Update offered the update that tanked
his computer --he didn't say that it was anyone from google groups
offered it. Like Robert, I am totally frustrated with the constant
updates that all of the software programs push on us, and then claim
no responsibility when they scramble some part of our systems.

Fortunately, my MS update couldn't update the HID non-user data filter
gizmo, but the MS updater is still constantly announcing that it is
ready to be installed. I'm here because the MS website did not tell me
what the HID gizmo is --- but now I find that if it had installed, it
would have scrambled my system. Accepting updates that we don't
understand?? This HID update was placed in the MS auto-update. I have
auto-update turned off -- but IE8 is buggy, so I decided/hoped maybe
the update was to fix IE8. MS auto-update does not say what it is
going to install (probably there is some hidden way to figure out what
the updates are called, then track that to what the update does, and
then track that to known errors -- but that would require a lot of
time that I do not have right now.)-- it just flashes that we need to
update.

As Robert said, I have work to do, and tech problems are not my work.
I was a tech in grad school, and at that time -- tech problems WERE my
work. But now they are programmer errors that are preventing me from
doing my work.

Yes -- when I drove a Jag it required a lot of maintenance, but it was
worth it. Except that I finally decided that cars are not playthings.

I agree that computers aren't appliances, so I have Dell service 24/7
by 2 hours -- but this type of problem isn't covered.

Do you know about the iexplore.exe application error? -- IE8 but other
versions seem to have it too. I am running XP Professional -- it
reports a memory conflict, says I have to debug, then recycles to the
memory conflict again.

Actually he did, at least by implication: "Please don't off[er] any more updates".

Just because it caused problems for one person, doesn't mean it will cause
problems for everyone. Look up the KB article (911895) on Microsoft's site. If
you have one of the affected pieces of hardware, it is probably a good idea to
install the update.

Unfortunately, computers are not yet appliances. They can't be relied upon to
Just Work; they need maintenance now and then. That's just the state of the
art. Think of it like owning a car back in the early days of this century ...
either you learn how to fix it yourself, or you get someone else to do it for
you, because it *will* break down.

Unfortunately, software engineering as a science is still in a very early stage;
more akin to alchemy than chemistry, really. Put simply, nobody knows how to
make reliable software, except perhaps in some special cases.

Great customer service! We can tell Microsoft values it's people as customers!
How about Microsoft's responsibility to ONLY SELL SOFTWARE THAT IS SAFE AND
ACTUALLY WORKS WITHOUT NEEDING UPDATES EVERY WEEK?!

No wonder people are buying Macs.

Infamous hacker applauds the security of Microsoft software; less than
pleased with Apple and Adobe offerings

A response from "Me" without even the common courtesy or fortitude in their
own belief to give an actual name. Shows not only ignorance of facts but
lack of will.

Macs get updates. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222 (example)

As far as selling *anything* that is safe by anyone - rarely exists and
where it does - it is usually mundane and not as useful as most other
products.

Again - peer-to-peer. No one here (unless specified) represents Microsoft
in any fashion. Much like me - volunteers - people give of their time and
knowledge as they see fit, freely, to assist others where they can.

Sometimes people do not come here to get assistance - but to rant (see your
posting for an example if unsure what I mean.) I do not understand what
they hope to accomplish other than a release of whatever frustration
build-up they might have surrounding their own situation (and most of the
time - that is all it comes down to in all forms - they are looking for an
outlet for the frustrations and the trouble is usually with *their* system.)

Good luck with that - hope you got what you came for - even if you had to do
so anonymously by tacking onto a post started in July 2009/ending in
September 2009.

Perhaps it sooths the heart of the enraged beast to bark and wail into the
wind, but in the end, generally no one is listening who can provide solace.

I was a programmer for many years, and wrote and released code, sometimes
unaware of a bug that slumbered in some dark corner until awakened. When that
happened, we reviewed the code, made changes, tested, published and hoped the
fix worked.

Back in the day when we were on mainframe computers, updates from IBM and
major providers went through rigorous testing life cycles and were not pushed
out to clients until proper, standardized procedures were performed.

Today, the culture has demanded instant new functionality. In the background
is the driver, YOU and ME, who demand that productA stay ahead of productB.
Testing is performed at a rudimentary level by someone sitting at a virtual
desktop, in a virtual location with an address at 123 Elm Street, country
unknown. Anything beyond the first level of testing is performed by THE USER!
When something goes wrong, we sling invective into ahole in the ground, that
reverberates, falling on ears belonging to someone who might wish to help,
but in the end has focus split between trying to help, and at the same time
slinging one back.

The fact is, we can embrace and work with the culture, or sit in a corner,
stare at the blank wall and despair.

Microsoft does actually do this sort of testing, which is one of the reasons
there is often such a long delay between the original vulnerability report and
the release of an update. But IBM operating systems ran on IBM computers, and
generally weren't mucked about much by third parties: Windows runs on PCs from a
large number of third parties, and typically has all sorts of third party
software (malicious and/or benign) modifying its behaviour. There are just too
many variables nowadays for testing to be as effective as it once was.

It's always puzzled me a bit when people say things like this. Quite apart from
the hideous user interface (admittedly I've heard it's improved in the last few
years) my experience has always been the opposite - I've always found Windows to
be more reliable than MacOS.

I'm only working with Windows these days, but for five or six years I supported
both Windows and Macintosh teaching labs. As a matter of professional pride, I
really did try my best to hate both platforms equally, but I couldn't ignore the
fact that the Macintoshes gave me a great deal more grief.

My best guess is that the discrepancy comes from two factors:

1) Macintoshes, I suspect, become much less reliable in an enterprise
configuration than they are at home. If anything the opposite may be true for
Windows. This would kind of make sense if you think about it, because Apple
started out in the home market and Microsoft in the business market.

The enterprise sector isn't very significant for Apple, AFAIK - there are some
trades which generally use Macs but I suspect they are typically set up as
stand-alone machines, administered on a 1:1 basis; in other words, just like
home machines. So I'm not sure Apple put very much effort into support and
testing in the enterprise context.

2) Home PCs are often cheap and nasty hardware, whereas I've generally used more
reliable equipment. My experience suggeests that Macintoshes lie somewhere in
the middle of the range, not as good as the best PC hardware, but much better
than the cheapest stuff. Hardware faults are to blame for OS instability more
often than people think.

I agree, I have used a windows pc since they came out. and also have a mac.
And needless to say the proof is in the pudding. Windows has way to me
problems and i mean more than just the updates. MAC IS THE WAY TO GO. worry
fee

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/911895

Broken link???

Has anyone actually been able to discover what is within the update?

http://catalog.update.microsoft.com/...1-f95e9e17b6e6

(Microsoft search for
KB911895)

KB911895 is an all-purpose alias for all driver updates offered via Windows
Update.

Tip: Only obtain driver updates you really need from the device or computer
manufacturers' download page, not Windows Update.