Microsoft releases Internet Explorer 10 Update Blocker kit
If you don't want IE10 installed automatically, now would be a good time to deploy Auto Update Blocker
Microsoft has just released details and download instructions for the
Internet Explorer 10 Blocker Toolkit. If your organization uses
Automatic Updates
and you don't want IE10 installed on your machines automatically, now
would be a very good time to get the IE10 Auto Update Blocker deployed.
If your organization controls Microsoft's patches using
WSUS or
SCCM,
the monkey's already on IT's back to approve the IE10 update when it
appears: no need to run the IE10 Blocker Toolkit (unless you have WSUS
Update Rollups set for automatic installation, which is definitely not
recommended).
Fair warning: Microsoft advises that IE10 will be
pushed through Automatic Update and WSUS shortly after it hits RTM -- in
other words, in the near future. "Distribution of Internet Explorer 10
by Automatic Updates will begin slowly and take several months to
complete. Customers can expect to be offered the upgrade to Internet
Explorer 10 at any time in the months following the release of Internet
Explorer 10."
As best as I can tell, the IE10 Auto Update blocker
works much the same as the IE9 Update blocker. Like the IE9 Automatic
Update rollout, I expect IE10's rollout to start as a very slow trickle,
with plenty of drama, angst, and
bad information in the limelight.
The
IE10 update, once started, will proceed without any notification.
Microsoft says, "The automatic delivery process will notify users that
an update is available and allow users to choose whether to install
Internet Explorer 10. Automatic Updates will only offer Internet
Explorer 10 to users with local administrator accounts. Automatic
Updates will automatically download and install Internet Explorer 10
when it is available for Automatic Updates delivery. There will be no
notification or prompt to indicate the installation process."
If
you or any of your users are running the IE10 Release Preview (which
only runs on Windows 7), they'll get upgraded to the final version of
IE10 shortly after it appears, whether the IE10 Auto Update blocker has
been run or not.
Running the IE10 Blocker Toolkit permanently
prevents IE10 from being offered as an Automatic Update. It does not
prevent your users from downloading and installing IE10 manually.
There's an "unblock" routine included in the toolkit package.