Nobody expects the borkish bank-wisition: When I said I wanted some notes from the ATM, I never thought I'd see...
(2021/05/28)
- Reference: 1622201413
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/05/28/bork/
- Source link:
Bork!Bork!Bork! A novel way of entering your PIN features in today's entry into the pantheon of problem-hit computers as a veteran Windows application makes its presence felt in the modern world.
It is common knowledge that Microsoft's Windows operating system lurks behind many an ATM nowadays. Nagging about upgrades and the odd screen of purest blue are not uncommon. However, Notepad showing its face is a new one on us.
Spotted by Register reader Ed at a well-known UK retailer one Saturday morning, we suspect that somebody at the mothership has opened a quick Notepad session for some text editing and forgotten that his or her antics can be seen on the screen of the ATM.
[1]Just can't let go of those Windows CE apps? Microsoft has a container for that
[2]We're afraid it might be terminal: Tesco top-up box looking less than tip-top
[3]'Windows Vista' spotted doing a whoopsie over EE's signage
[4]Beware the ghost of operating systems past: In which our hero is visited by an old friend
Thankfully, nothing appeared on the pristine white canvas that would send the security world into a panic and, unsurprisingly, our reader elected not to slot in a bank card to see what would happen. "I obviously had to have a go at all the buttons," Ed admitted, "just in case they let me do anything interesting, but unfortunately not!"
Let those among us who have never been tempted to jab a button or two when the opportunity arose cast the first stone.
[5]
Click to enlarge
Windows Notepad is approaching its 40th birthday, having been a fixture of the operating system since the first version. Microsoft has recently taken to tinkering with the poor thing and shoved it into the moribund Microsoft Store in order to make it updateable outside of Windows updates.
Why perfection needs polishing is anyone's guess. Heck, even the classic icon has received a beating at the hands of Fluent-wielding marketeers. Because, lets face it, why [6]test updates when there are bitmaps that need bothering?
[7]
[8]
Still, even if the modern version continues to suffer at the hands of Microsoft's programmers it is a relief to know that the original clearly lives on thanks to the ubiquity of Windows. And with modern ATMs adopting ever more gaudy screens to flog services to punters, the simplicity of an empty Notepad page is both pleasing to the eye and soothing for the soul.
Just don't go copying and pasting your PIN to remove the formatting, ok? ®
Get our [9]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2020/08/12/windows_ce_4ever/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2020/02/14/tesco_omnivend/
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2020/02/04/windows_vista_ee/
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2021/01/05/12boc/
[5] https://regmedia.co.uk/2021/05/24/bork_sainsburys_bank.jpg
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2021/03/16/microsoft_printer_fix/
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/columnists&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YLETmskrpw7gEm7Ju84M7AAAAM4&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/columnists&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YLETmskrpw7gEm7Ju84M7AAAAM4&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
It is common knowledge that Microsoft's Windows operating system lurks behind many an ATM nowadays. Nagging about upgrades and the odd screen of purest blue are not uncommon. However, Notepad showing its face is a new one on us.
Spotted by Register reader Ed at a well-known UK retailer one Saturday morning, we suspect that somebody at the mothership has opened a quick Notepad session for some text editing and forgotten that his or her antics can be seen on the screen of the ATM.
[1]Just can't let go of those Windows CE apps? Microsoft has a container for that
[2]We're afraid it might be terminal: Tesco top-up box looking less than tip-top
[3]'Windows Vista' spotted doing a whoopsie over EE's signage
[4]Beware the ghost of operating systems past: In which our hero is visited by an old friend
Thankfully, nothing appeared on the pristine white canvas that would send the security world into a panic and, unsurprisingly, our reader elected not to slot in a bank card to see what would happen. "I obviously had to have a go at all the buttons," Ed admitted, "just in case they let me do anything interesting, but unfortunately not!"
Let those among us who have never been tempted to jab a button or two when the opportunity arose cast the first stone.
[5]
Click to enlarge
Windows Notepad is approaching its 40th birthday, having been a fixture of the operating system since the first version. Microsoft has recently taken to tinkering with the poor thing and shoved it into the moribund Microsoft Store in order to make it updateable outside of Windows updates.
Why perfection needs polishing is anyone's guess. Heck, even the classic icon has received a beating at the hands of Fluent-wielding marketeers. Because, lets face it, why [6]test updates when there are bitmaps that need bothering?
[7]
[8]
Still, even if the modern version continues to suffer at the hands of Microsoft's programmers it is a relief to know that the original clearly lives on thanks to the ubiquity of Windows. And with modern ATMs adopting ever more gaudy screens to flog services to punters, the simplicity of an empty Notepad page is both pleasing to the eye and soothing for the soul.
Just don't go copying and pasting your PIN to remove the formatting, ok? ®
Get our [9]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2020/08/12/windows_ce_4ever/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2020/02/14/tesco_omnivend/
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2020/02/04/windows_vista_ee/
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2021/01/05/12boc/
[5] https://regmedia.co.uk/2021/05/24/bork_sainsburys_bank.jpg
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2021/03/16/microsoft_printer_fix/
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/columnists&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YLETmskrpw7gEm7Ju84M7AAAAM4&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/columnists&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YLETmskrpw7gEm7Ju84M7AAAAM4&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Mike 125
Actually MS have recently updated it: to 'handle' MS/Unix line endings.
And that really bugs me because it used to be an easy way to check the line endings!
PoC
ivan itchybutt
Looks like someone seeing if they can remotely run an executable to me... standby for more serious bork.
Old Windows
MacroRodent
The translucent window borders of Notepad suggest it is running either Vista or Windows 7.
I have absolutely no idea why MS would ever need to update anything about Notepad. I use it multiple times a day, every day, largely for rapid and simple format stripping from text (I have it on a shortcut key). If they change it more than a tiny smidge to do anything other than the bare minimum it already does, I'll just be keeping the old one somehow (as I already do with [1]calculator ).
[1] https://win7games.com/#calc