Once again, Apple pushes unwanted software to Windows users

By siliconindia   |   Wednesday, 30 September 2009, 21:03 IST
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Bangalore: If you use Apple's QuickTime media player or iTunes, you need to keep an eye on apple's software update tool. Once again Apple is pushing update tool to push unwanted software onto users' machines without asking for permission. Apple's Software Update utility gets installed alongside Apple's Windows software, and is used to - wait for it - update any possible Apple programs you might have installed on your Windows machines. Updater or no, Apple is now using it to push new software onto users' machines without asking for permission. On top of that, the unwanted software is an enterprise tool and utterly useless to home users. The tool in question is the iPhone configuration utility, an enterprise utility to manage device profiles for iPhones, among other things. iPhone Configuration Utility allows a person to easily create, maintain, encrypt and install configuration profiles, track and install provisioning profiles and authorized applications and capture device information including console logs. The tool is likely to be listed in the update, selected by default. Whether you have an iPhone or iPod or not, whether you've ever connected one or not; it'll be there. The worse part is that it actually includes an Apache installation as well. Not only is this an enterprise tool, it's also new software that an updater should not concern itself with. This is not the first time Apple is using its Windows update tool to push unwanted software onto users' Windows computers. In March 2008, people who had QuickTime or iTunes installed on Windows were treated to an unwanted installation of Safari for Windows, which resulted in a storm of criticism for Apple. A month later, the company changed its updater to show a 'new software' section.

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