Google Update No Longer Runs In Background

About time... maybe I'll consider installing Chrome again.

marcus1060

@paintbox: same to you too, eh

Good. :)

Crashproof

Way to go Google. Wish some other software vendors were like this (Apple, Adobe & laptop crapware bundlers - I'm looking at you!). If everyone assumes "systems these days have gobs of resources", then systems these days will have none left for the user.

I'm with you. Update the Firefox way; *when I run the program*.

Load up Chrome, it should see if there is an update. Google feared (or so their propaganda stated) that if there was a security problem, they wanted to fix it right away. So it would constantly check for updates. But if I'm not using Chrome, it shouldn't be a drag on my resources.

I only have it installed so I can verify CSS across different browsers. It's going to be damn hard to get a XSS bug when I'm only every looking at localhost.

Think I'll go change my scheduler to run once a week.

@ethanthekiwi: Some OSs have update systems built in so that all programs can be updated through a single system. Most Linux distributions do and it's fantastic. When I want the latest version of Firefox, OpenOffice, or VLC I simply load up "Update Manager" in Ubuntu and check/install new updates. The system isn't perfect, but it's WAY better than the way it's handled on Windows.

@AlainT: It shouldn't run, not only did GoogleUpdater.exe run at ALL times in task manager, but I checked my Kaspersky Network monitor and sure enough, it was dialing out when I wasn't even running the programs. I uninstalled Updater, deleted scheduled tasks, disabled all msconfig related to it. And people install Chrome on their machines? Yea right. I think I'll leave some of this junk in my virtual machine instead...

@mherlihy: I think most OS's allow for update software to run constantly. You can turn them off in Windows.

ethanthekiwi

@kettlewhistle: I dislike the fact that you have to click three times in order to update extensions before you even open your browser. I wish it did it during or after so that you can get on the net more quickly.

ethanthekiwi

@Merricat: it is not "one updater to check them all". it works only for google products. Other companies have their own updaters.

maybe a logical solution would be, windows to update the installed software.

AlainT

@Phoshi:
yes. i prefer those applications to update themselves(like firefox does) instead of constantly staying in the memory. it is not like adobe , java ,apple and google using one updater, instead all of them leave their updater in the memory all the time . its annoying.

AlainT

@600Followers_GitEmSteveDave: NoScript does

People need to calm down and get a little perspective in life. The point of checking for updates in the background, regardless of whether you use the program hourly or three times a year, is so that when you DO use it, you aren't sitting there for ten minutes waiting for the update to hit.

And I would MUCH rather prefer the centralized Google method of having 'one updater to check them all' than the 'each program handles it's own'. Every program checking on their own means evey program is a potential vector for someone to take advantage of a bug in the network library or the updater to do something nasty. And I would much rather trust the library utilized by a program whose specific purpose in life is to hook up to the network and check for updates than I would a the one cobbled together out of example code to work for a paint/photo management program or a 3d modeling program.

Woohoo! This just made my day. Do I need to do anything or will automatically change itself?

gpzbc

One of the biggest drawbacks to running a windows OS is just the prevalence of bloatware. Some may disagree, but I think 30 updaters running in the background should be included in that. The purpose of my computer is to run what I need to work on at the moment, not to constantly check for updates, index files, scan every access attempt for malware, search my network for new media or computers, report anonymous usage data back to some developer, etc. etc.

mherlihy

@600Followers_GitEmSteveDave: Adblock sure has

GldRush98

Google is truly made by geeks, for geeks.

sensory

@kettlewhistle: i actually hate the way firefox does it. it makes it really hard to run as a standard user in Windows, because it wont even check for an update unless you are an admin. I wish it would check at LU priviledges, and then ask to be elevated is there is an update available.

natenovs

Why can't they make it work like Firefox? When there's an update, it will check and grab it WHEN THE BROWSER IS RUNNING and at no other time.

kettlewhistle

@AlainT: So you'd rather every application had a slight overhead, than 1 running every so often? Nah.

@600Followers_GitEmSteveDave: Yes that's what the article says. However, look at your machine and you'll find that there are two "GoogleUpdateTaskUsers" tasks. One runs every 24 hours, one runs every hour.

fiji.siv

GoOgle [and every other piece of software] should have at least the option, and have it as an install default, of updating WHEN MANUALLY REQUESTED and not as an automated request AT ANY frequency. Automated updates should require an intelligent, conscious, human decision.

So when are they going to remove the update process from running on OS X and just check when the app start like every other application. I open Picasa maybe 3 times a year, having an update process run for that is bothersome, I might just trash it. Bad form google

BowieCado

@AlainT: anything from apple...

syko21

@AlainT: Except Adobe, Java, Windows, etc...

@fiji.siv: every "so many" hours.

@GldRush98: I hope you disabled all the google scripts running on most webpages, like this one. YOU DIDN'T! AHHHH!

Too little too late.
I already removed all Google products from my computer and won't be installing any ever again.

GldRush98

Nice change but is it necessary to check for updates every hour? I changed my tasks to check every 24 hours.

fiji.siv

it shouldn't run at all. All other applications update without needing a seperate updater.

AlainT

Its just google trying to win us over in their attempt to completely take over the internet. *adjusts tin foil hat and goes back to gmail*

Dilpickle1

PS Forgive this off-topic, but happy Canada Day (yesterday) to all my fellow hosers.

paintbox

Thanks Google. Mighty neighborly of ya. :)

paintbox