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Samsung to stop disabling Windows Update in 'a few days'

Samsung to stop disabling Windows Update in 'a few days'

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Earlier this week, news broke that Samsung had patched the software on its Windows PCs to stop them from automatically updating through Microsoft's default system. The patch in question required users to manually check for updates to Windows, which is a less secure (not to mention less convenient) approach than just having the updates install automatically. Samsung claimed that it was not blocking updates to Windows entirely, and framed the practice around the notion of choice. "As part of our commitment to consumer satisfaction, we are providing our users with the option to choose if and when they want to update the Windows software on their products," said the company in an official statement on the matter.

Today, it appears that Samsung is making the choice to walk back that stance. In another statement provided to Venture Beat today, Samsung claims that it "will be issuing a patch through the Samsung Software Update notification process to revert back to the recommended automatic Windows Update settings within a few days," essentially restoring the default function of Windows Update as recommended by Microsoft.

Microsoft uses the Windows Update tool to deliver new versions of Windows, updates to drivers, and perhaps most importantly, security patches to the system that protect users from malicious attacks. Samsung had implied that its reasoning for blocking the automatic install of the updates was to prioritize its own driver updates over Microsoft's, which may not work with Samsung's hardware. But for most users, security updates trump any driver concerns, and it appears that the uproar from both Microsoft and the Windows user community has forced Samsung's hand to change its ways.