Are Windows Important Updates Getting Silly? KB3006137

[Ketchup]

A couple months ago, I think it was a time zone update in some country in Asia (can't Microsoft make updates regional?) to today's update KB3006137:

"Update changes the currency symbol of Lithuania from the Lithuanian litas (Lt) to the euro (€) in Windows."

It was in Important updates on Windows 7 for me, called a Hotfix. The last Hotfix I received was KB2977728:

"Computer is on low memory when you move a video file in Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2."

See, I would consider that a Hotfix.

 

[ninaholic37]

Looks like Lithuania adopted the euro on January 1st, 2015.

I didn't even know MS used the currency symbols for anything useful in their OS, maybe for their Store stuff? I'm not sure why it would apply to Windows 7, maybe it's useful for upgrading from Windows 7 to 10 from Lithuania after the first year ends where MS will force Windows 7 users to upgrade to subscription model. :sneaky:

 

[Ketchup]

...upgrading from Windows 7 to 10 from Lithuania after the first year ends where MS will force Windows 7 users to upgrade to subscription model. :sneaky:

Since you mentioned that .... why are so many people insisting on this? I have read nothing official that Windows 10 is going subscription. I have read articles about how they are not though:
http://www.pcgamer.com/microsoft-windows-10-will-not-be-sold-as-a-subscription/

And that there will be a subscription for those who elect for it:
http://www.computerworld.com/articl...onthly-pricing-for-windows-subscriptions.html

 

[ninaholic37]

Haha, I don't believe it will either, was just contemplating the need for keeping track of what your country's currency is in Windows 7. Maybe Excel defaults to it? Or some Stock Market app? There was news of MS getting the trademark for the name "Windows 365", which sounds like "Office 365" but more broad. I also think switching to subscription would be suicide, might work for Enterprise though?

edit: Reading your second link now. Sounds like that idea could work out ok.

 

[matricks]

A couple months ago, I think it was a time zone update in some country in Asia (can't Microsoft make updates regional?)

For computers, time is far more than the clock in the desktop corner. If local timezone changes were only pushed to the region/timezone in question, computers with and without these updates would conflict about what time it really is in said region. Many kinds of communication and transactions depend on correct time on both ends, which includes knowing the correct time at the remote end.

 

[RampantAndroid]

Haha, I don't believe it will either, was just contemplating the need for keeping track of what your country's currency is in Windows 7. Maybe Excel defaults to it? Or some Stock Market app? There was news of MS getting the trademark for the name "Windows 365", which sounds like "Office 365" but more broad. I also think switching to subscription would be suicide, might work for Enterprise though?

edit: Reading your second link now. Sounds like that idea could work out ok.

Enterprise already has a subscription: for service of their systems and issues. They call it an SLA.

 

[Mushkins]

For computers, time is far more than the clock in the desktop corner. If local timezone changes were only pushed to the region/timezone in question, computers with and without these updates would conflict about what time it really is in said region. Many kinds of communication and transactions depend on correct time on both ends, which includes knowing the correct time at the remote end.

Back on topic, matricks has the right of it. A timezone update might seem trivial to you as a home user because you don't live in Lithuania, but mismatched times are a big deal. Heck, if system time is just a few minutes off, Kerberos-based authentication will fail completely which could bring a production environment to its knees in a corporate setting.

 

[josepdin]

So to change a currency or a time zone for Lithuania they have to flag the hotfix to require reboot?

 

[Insert_Nickname]

So to change a currency or a time zone for Lithuania they have to flag the hotfix to require reboot?

Its quite simple actually. The reason that it requires a reboot is simply that you can't update the registry with that sort of changes while running. It has to be updated then reloaded, and you can't do that on windows without restarting.

 

[Ketchup]

Does anyone know where this currency update would even come into play? I have never found the need to have Windows know what currency is in a specific country. Google does that just fine. Is this a Windows 8.1 update that was sent to all "just because"?

 

[denis280]

I don't Trust them.and from now on I don't make update no more

 

[quikah]

Does anyone know where this currency update would even come into play? I have never found the need to have Windows know what currency is in a specific country. Google does that just fine. Is this a Windows 8.1 update that was sent to all "just because"?

A program can query the regional settings of windows and apply them to the output. for example, you can set a cell in Excel to Currency and it will poll your windows setting for what it should use as the currency symbol. Same for number formats, date, etc.

Any properly internationalized Operating System will act the same way. There should be a locale setting in Linux that does the same thing.

 

[Ketchup]

A program can query the regional settings of windows and apply them to the output. for example, you can set a cell in Excel to Currency and it will poll your windows setting for what it should use as the currency symbol. Same for number formats, date, etc.

Any properly internationalized Operating System will act the same way. There should be a locale setting in Linux that does the same thing.

Thanks. Wouldn't those be at the program-level though (Excel for example)? Or does Windows treat these like fonts, as in being located at the OS level?

 

[DenyGFX]

Thanks. Wouldn't those be at the program-level though (Excel for example)? Or does Windows treat these like fonts, as in being located at the OS level?

It's only used for country specific layouts such as keyboards. Instead of getting a $ they get the euro sign instead. It's a hotfix for all regions, or so they say.

 

[quikah]

Thanks. Wouldn't those be at the program-level though (Excel for example)? Or does Windows treat these like fonts, as in being located at the OS level?

Not really. Say you want to print a currency amount. There will be some flag or function in the API that will be for currency. So you just say print(X, %c), %c means format as currency. The library that is used for printing will look at the OS level setting to see what it should use as the currency. This allows the programmer to be very generic about things that will be based on region.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

I just do not get the need to change the worlds PCs for what should amount to a localized need.

 

[Dahak]

I just do not get the need to change the worlds PCs for what should amount to a localized need.

1 - Pretty much what quikah said above

Not really. Say you want to print a currency amount. There will be some flag or function in the API that will be for currency. So you just say print(X, %c), %c means format as currency. The library that is used for printing will look at the OS level setting to see what it should use as the currency. This allows the programmer to be very generic about things that will be based on region.

2 - what if your business is based in the us or canada or japan and deal with that country it should reflect what the official currency is used by that country.

3 - its the official currency for that country now, and all devices/interactions/media etc should be updated to reflect that

Try to think of it in the reverse way, for example if the US changes the official currency to say OKMonry and the official icon for it is :thumbsup: would you not want all your computers to show the correct icon?