I am so sick of greedy software!

Whenever you download an upgrade to certain pieces of software (or if it is automatically done "for" you), greedy software invariably decides that it must become the default program for opening all of the file types it knows how to open.

So it changes the settings in File Types in My Computer or Windows Explorer. The result is that the wrong application opens the file the next time I double click on it.

This used to be an infrequent problem, but now I am experiencing it several times a month.

Last week, I upgraded to the latest Netscape, and suddenly Netscape is opening programs which I wanted other software to open. Now today, Quick Time is suddenly opening every graphics or sound file, and I didn't even do anything with it. And Winamp has suddenly installed itself in my system tray.

Do we need sledgehammers to pound some sense into the heads of the greedy programmers who wrote this greedy software???? If not, how do we tell them to LEAVE OUR SETTINGS ALONE!

I know exactly what you're talking about. A lot of programs out there seem to think they are the only programs you'd possibily want to use. I can't imagine what makes software developers think this will make you use the software more...

I still remember back when I used AOL Instant Messenger. Whenever I tried to start Outlook Express, it would immediatly shut OE down and start itself up instead. Quicktime kept respawning copies of itself in my system tray, and Microsoft Word insisted on being my program of choice for editing web pages.

Unfortunatly, I don't know of any solution other than to stop using such programs and switch to alternatives. GAIM, for example, is a perfect alternative to AIM, and OpenOffice is an excellent alternative to Microsoft Office. I believe there is an alternative to quicktime out there, but I don't know the name. If something about a program bothers you, it makes sense to stop using it and try a different one.

My solution is to lock down my system (Zone Alarm) and I dont LET them upgrade, unless I WANT to upgrade. I agree with the problem you are having. But most of the time I do NOT want or NEED to upgrade. It is almost like they only upgrade it to keep themselves locked into your system and others out.

Actually, the best solution is this:

1. Always choose to perform a CUSTOM or ADVANCED installation of a new program. Stepping through the installation will allow you to make choices about the settings for the program, and one of those choices will almost certainly be whether or not you want the new program to have file types associated with it.
2. Should you find that a new program does not allow you to have choice about filetype associations, cancel the installation and discard the program.

I have the same feelings about quick time.

Also, I have to set Internet Explorer up a lot for LAN settings, and the amount of times it asks you to connect to the internet for this and that. On the rare ocasions that I make a mistake, it takes me ages to bloody undo it so I can access LAN. Before anyone says, I don't have a choice about using it at work, and don't use it at home.