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Flight delayed? So are these codec updates

A slice of Bolivian bork at Alcantarí International Airport

Flight delayed? So are these codec updates

Passengers anticipating delays at Alcantarí International Airport in Sucre, Bolivia, were met with an unexpected sight: a Windows 11 desktop demanding an update. The Windows desktop and its update prompt were spotted by eagle-eyed Register reader Phil Pearce while waiting for a delayed Boliviana de Aviación (BoA) flight. The update prompt was issued by the K-Lite Codec Pack, a collection of components designed to enable Windows to play various audio and video formats.

The presence of the K-Lite Codec Pack suggests that the passenger display is likely powered by a standard Windows installation rather than a specialized signage system.

The configuration of the display did not disable K-Lite's update notifications, nor was it arranged for them to run silently. As a result, the update prompt took center stage, appearing at an inconvenient time for passengers trying to catch their delayed flights. The desktop also displayed the Microsoft Store, Outlook, a weather widget, and several shortcuts, far more than one might expect a departure board to require.

The exposed desktop raises questions about why airport signage needs Outlook, especially considering Microsoft's propensity for preinstalling the app. While the wayward desktop provided some entertainment for delayed passengers, it also highlighted the potential inconvenience of unexpected Windows updates on critical systems.

Written by urgent.news from The Register's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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