Why most run Microsoft, not RedHat

[Erik Hemdal]

> On 19/04/07, Scott van Looy <scott at ethosuk.org.uk> wrote:
> > Today Dotan Cohen did spake thusly:
> > > Last semester in my physics course, right in the middle of a lecture,
> > > the professor's computer informed us that we had 4 minutes until
> > > reboot, due to updates that had automatically been downloaded and
> > > installed. He had to stop the lecture, reboot, and then find his
> > > place. During this time I took the opportunity to mention how
> > > rediculous that is, without mentioning that I don't use windows, and I
> > > was told that I'm stupid for not updating my own computer regularly.
> > > Apparently, reboots in the middle of work are common parts of the
> > > windows workflow. Worse, people accept that because it's the only way
> > > to be 'safe'.
> >
> > I've never seen Windows do that. What I have seen it do is say "Windows
> > will be restarted in 4 minutes [cancel]"

I've seen this reboot happen to me and to others.  It can be annoying to
say the least.  If you are in the habit of turning your computer off at
night, you can arrange things so Windows applies updates at shutdown to
avoid a forced reboot.  If you leave the machine running, say to collect
data or monitor an instrument, it will update and install at 3am by
default if the recommended settings are enabled.

> >
> > Cancelling lets you do it later. Being smug about linux lets you earn
> > lower marks ;)
> >
> 
> No cancel button. I even have a screenshot of it doing that to _me_
> once: about a week before I moved over to Linux for good. I'll gladly
> send you the screenshot. It's in Hebrew, but you can clearly see there
> is no Cancel button. And I find it hard to believe that Windows in
> English has a cancel button when Hebrew does not.
> 
> Dotan Cohen

My machines have a Reboot Later button when this occurs.  It means,
"Please come back and prompt for reboot in ten minutes."  The timeout is
specified in a Registry key.  There are several Registry keys that
control this behavior, or you can use the Group Policy Editor if you
have it in your version of Windows.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/mangxpsp2/mngaups.mspx

describes how you can control this.

Others have posted that System Restore also works.  It doesn't on most
of the systems I have to deal with.  

Erik