wustat/wutrack.windows.com - What are they Used For? 106
An Anonymous Coward asks: "On Windows XP today when i ran 'netstat', I noticed an http connection to wustat.windows.com. Several minutes later when i tried again I had an http connection to wutrack.windows.com. A search on google yields few results. Since windows.com is registered to microsoft, it makes me curious to know what wustat and wutrack stand for and what their purpose is. Is it Windows Usage Statistics/Tracking?" Has anyone else seen this on their XP systems?
Windows Update (Score:2, Redundant)
Killa bees on a swarm (Score:5, Informative)
But seriously folks, that's to track updates for Windows Update. Basically it keeps a line of communication open so that if there is an update on the windows.com website, you will be notified ASAP.
Re:Killa bees on a swarm (Score:1)
Re:Killa bees on a swarm (Score:1)
Re:Killa bees on a swarm (Score:2)
Re:Killa bees on a swarm (Score:1)
Seriously, I can't remember why you ended up in the list.
Re:Killa bees on a swarm (Score:2)
That is just silly.
Ok, I can understand if an occasional connection is made to see if any updates are available, but I really doubt it is as you describe. Just think of it this way, just what kind of machine (or machines) would you need to have on the other end to handle a permanent keep-alive connection from every freaking PC on the planet? That just isn't realistic.
More likely, the user happened to see the connection open while the agent was talking (or had just completed and the connection was in a TCP CLOSE_WAIT state.)
There's really only one solution to this problem: (Score:4, Funny)
and if we're lucky, someone will pop around to see what happened to their server that we can tie up and grill mercilessly
Somebody catch this AC... (Score:1)
Hurry now! Don't dwadle! Don't let him get away!
*Looks at the topic (Score:1)
Re:Silence... (Score:1)
That's nice... (Score:1)
Re:There's really only one solution to this proble (Score:4, Interesting)
Authentication != Authorizaiton (Score:1)
I suggest you read some of it.
It's Quite Elementary (Score:5, Funny)
Step 1: Use Windows XP to gather information on and track its users.
Step 2: Annex the Fatherland.
Step 3: In a twist of brutal irony, step three is a hostile takeover of Apple.
Step 4: There is no Step 4.
Happy Microserfing!
Re:It's Quite Elementary (Score:1)
One last tip: Next time you decide to diss someone on Slashdot, try posting under something besides "Anonymous Coward." Thanks.
Re:It's Quite Elementary (Score:2)
Re:It's Quite Elementary (Score:2)
Auto... (Score:2, Insightful)
Windows Update? (Score:2)
- Steve
Re:The Immediate Assumption... (Score:3, Funny)
Microsoft deserves serious criticism: (Score:4, Informative)
Windows XP Shows the Direction Microsoft is Going. [hevanet.com]
Re:Microsoft deserves serious criticism: (Score:1)
I stand behind everything I said. (Score:2)
I stand behind everything I said. I did a scan of my article with a search program and found that I said nothing about QuickEdit. This was a mistake, there is a bug in QuickEdit that I forgot to mention. I have corrected the mistake, and updated the web page; Windows XP is buggier than I had said.
Perhaps you confused QuickEdit with Fast Paste mode. I had discussed fast paste mode:
"The fast paste mode that is in Windows 98 is gone in Windows XP. Microsoft employees say there is no plan to fix this."
This issue was confirmed in writing by a Microsoft employee, speaking officially.
START.EXE operates exactly as I said.
Perhaps you were just acting out your anger.
Re:Microsoft deserves serious criticism: (Score:1)
Does it happen with windows update disabled? (Score:4, Interesting)
If you disable it, does this still happen?
In fact, is this reproducible enough that it happens whenver you run netstat?
Re:Does it happen with windows update disabled? (Score:1)
Active Connections
Proto Local Address Foreign Address State
TCP bl-rh-bwaskiew:4145 msgr-cs70.msgr.hotmail.com:1863 ESTABLISHED
TCP bl-rh-bwaskiew:4201 images2.slashdot.org:http TIME_WAIT
Re:Does it happen with windows update disabled? (Score:1)
Re:Does it happen with windows update disabled? (Score:2)
In fact, looking at my current rules, I'm actually blocking very little of Windows' guts from seeing the web, yet not seeing any traffic. I've got rules for LSASS.EXE, SERVICES.EXE and Microsoft-DS (are of which are not enabled - I must have figured out how to turn them off), SVCHOST.EXE is allowed to perform DNS resolution, and that's it. I get prompts everytime an unknown/unrecorded app tries to access non-local IPs, and Microsoft's apps don't make
I have to admit, despite the rumours to the contrary, I think that Microsoft has probably cleaned up its act for real.
Re:Does it happen with windows update disabled? (Score:1)
It sounds like you are using an app on the windows box to do your firewall connections. It would be fairly trivial for Microsoft to make some connections without the software being aware. This would be real easy to do with existing products out there or possibly even have the vendor ignore those specific connections.
I'm not necessarily saying that is happening but that it is possible. If an external firewall says there are connections and software says there isn't then I'm going to believe the external one. I'm going to capture some packets and just see what is on the wire to find out for myself. I might just have to tighten up my outbound rules when I put XP on my testing partition.
Re:Does it happen with windows update disabled? (Score:2)
Hey, it's Microsoft *and* the Internet - you can't be too paranoid! You're correct in the assumption that I'm using a personal firewall app (Tiny Personal Firewall v2 [tinysoftware.com] infact), but I also have a hardware perimeter firewall to verify things with and it's all hunky dory.
As an aside, I'm still using v2 of Tiny PF, because I thought v3 was horrendously complex to get running smoothly. Has anyone out there persevered and come to the conclusion it's worth the effort, because on paper it seems like quite a good system?
Re:Does it happen with windows update disabled? (Score:1)
unsecure HTTP for Windows Update? (Score:3, Interesting)
Has any one w/ XP snooped the software update?
Break It and Find Out (Score:4, Interesting)
127.0.0.1 localhost wutrack.windows.com wustat.windows.com
Re:Break It and Find Out (Score:1)
Better Still (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Better Still (Score:1)
Re:Better Still (Score:1)
Besides I dont remember going into a contract that my DNS queries would yield the same results as microsoft's.
host files are great, more fun than firewalling
Re:Better Still (Score:1)
Host files, firewall, etc. as long as it doesn't make it out to the place it was intending.
Re:Better Still (Score:1)
for instance when one presses "search" from the internet explorer toolbar a panel opens on the left with the page
http://ie.search.msn.com/en-gb/srchasst/srchass
So at our company I put ie.search.msn.com in the local DNS and routed it to *our* webserver.
Thus we get a company themed search page with useful links tailored to each user or dept (based on cookies and/or IP). Even on new installs and laptops.
I use the technique to replace banner ads with our own banners. Seeing Dave's face when he got a "Get Back to Work Dave" animated gif banner when he visited slashdot was a peach. I'd re-routed images.slashdot.org to a local address and used the IP to choose the banner.
plenty of fun but productive too
disable it. (Score:4, Informative)
To turn off automatic updates for your computer:
Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click System.
Click the Automatic Updates tab, and then click Turn off automatic updating. I want to update my computer manually.
Re:disable it. (Score:3, Interesting)
Also if you wondering the reg edit is:
HKey_LOCAL_Machine\software\microsoft\windows\c
Change the following:
AUOptions - Data: (1)
AUState - Data: (7)
Enjoy,
Nothing sinister here (Score:2)
I don't think so.
WU (Score:1, Informative)
Just go into your "System" settings in the control panel, and then to the "Automatic Updates" tab and uncheck the box (Or change the settings to whatever suits your preferences)
This hardly seems like an interesting Ask Slashdot. For the first time in my years as a reader, this story smells a bit like aluminum foil on the head type knee-jerk paranoia.
active update? (Score:1)
Re:images.slashdot.org .. What is it used for? (Score:1)
Re:images.slashdot.org .. What is it used for? (Score:1)
Windows Update and Firewall programs. (Score:2)
If you are a paranoid individual, then try installing a firewall app... something like "AT Guard". Besides stopping windows from wasting your badwidth, it will also protect you from instruders, worms etc...