Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!amdahl!tat00
From: tat00@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com (Tom Thackrey)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Why Can't Microsoft Write Protect Their Distribution Disks?
Message-ID: <33336@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com>
Date: 27 May 88 18:15:48 GMT
References: <175@optilink.UUCP> <978@hsi.UUCP> <5873@cup.portal.com> <992@hsi.UUCP>
Reply-To: tat00@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com (Tom Thackrey)
Distribution: na
Organization: Amdahl Corporation, Sunnyvale  CA
Lines: 21

I am perfectly capable of write protecting distribution disks before I
install the product.  Unfortunately, several products (including at least
one from Microsoft) want to write on the protected floppy.

The best reason for write protection by the vendor is to eliminate the
urge to write on the distribution disks.

My own frustration with distribution disks are these brain-dead setup
programs which 1) don't tell you what they're doing, 2) do non-obvious
things, like modify config.sys, 3) force you to completely re-install
the product to change the configuration, and 4) aren't as smart enough
to replace the previous version of their product without leaving a lot
of unused files around.

I realize that the vendors are trying to make their products installable
by neophytes, but, I'd rather deal with a complex procedure than a setup
program where I can't see what is going on inside.

-- 
Tom Thackrey tat00@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com <=> amdahl!tat00

[ My opinions are only my own. ]