Patch Lady – Last call for your opinion

Just a heads up for any procrastinators…. I’ll be closing up the patching survey over the weekend and then will be writing up some overall thoughts regarding the feedback gathered.

As others have pointed out… this isn’t scientific.  It’s not a random survey taken with random people with margins of errors that can be quantified.  I’m asking in venues where people are hyper sensitized to patching…but that’s my point.  We are the deep in the weeds folks and this survey is to hear from you.  John Q. Public who doesn’t care about Windows updating is more than likely the typical Windows user of today… that is they use Windows at the office where it’s managed by someone or something and at home they have tablets and phones…. and NOTHING at home is on Windows any more.  It’s all Android tablets and Kindles and Rokus and Alexas and FireTV and…. you get the point.

A few years back I had a good friend that at least once a quarter called me to help him and other family members get out of a jam on their PCs.  And then the kids bought Macs and … you get the idea… I don’t talk to him that much regarding computers anymore.

The typical Windows user of old, is no longer the typical Windows user.  It’s no wonder that 7 still holds market share over 10.  Don’t get me wrong I really like 10, but for all of the fixes and changes in Windows update, it still very much feels like a work in process.  And the lack of communication and documentation doesn’t help.  Too often we assume based on what we see on the systems we control and don’t get any sort of confirmation of new changes or behaviors other than confirming with each other that we’ve seen that as well.

Case in point is the new “cumulative” process.  If you manually “MU” a Windows Server 2016 it will install KB4284880… the June 12th security/cumulative update.  Reboot and it will be offered up KB4284833, a June 21st cumulative update that includes the security updates from June 12th.  Say what?   I thought we are in the cumulative updating model for Windows 10/Server 2016?  (remember server 2016 GUI version is back on the 1607 release — it’s the equivalent of Windows 10 1607 LTSB).  Also it’s not on WSUS for those that do corporate patching.  So why the inconsistent “metadata” so that a cumulative update isn’t seen as cumulative?

I also noted recently that https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4284848 is called “Dynamic Cumulative Update for Windows 10” in my WSUS server.  Normally the use of “dynamic update” was used in the compatibility fix updates needed to fix blocking issues.  So exactly what meant by a dynamic cumulative update?  Normally the use of the word “dynamic” meant that the update had code in it to help you get from version to version.  But KB4284848 is for Windows 10 1803?  We’re not going to a new feature release yet.  And why are just about every Windows 10 release getting two updates a month now as the norm?

And speaking of dynamic updates — why can’t Microsoft provide a list somewhere of when issues have been resolved?  Case in point the issue with the additional drive letters that get triggered on OEM partitions after 1803 is installed.  I can’t tell you definitively if it’s been fixed or not through the dynamic updating process.  All it would take is to document in this KB what the fixed items are.

Bottom line there’s a lot of patching issues that could be resolved with plain old communication and documentation.  So here’s your chance to join with others and communicate to Microsoft.  Last call for the patching survey!  And look for my thoughts and conclusions on the topic.