March 2018 Office non-security updates have been released

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Microsoft has released the March 2018 Office non-secruity updates. These are NOT covered under February’s DEFCON-3 patching. Wait to install them unti
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SueW, abbodi86, Elly, woody

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Unless you are running a Click-To-Run version of Office.

Cheers!!
Willie McClure
“We are trying to build a gentler, kinder society, and if we all pitch in just a little bit, we are going to get there.” Alex Trebek

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This brings up, once more, this question of mine: I do not use Outlook. I have never used Outlook. I wouldn’t know what to do with Outlook. My relatives, friends, colleagues and other usual correspondents do not use Outlook. I never have had or found any need or reason to use Outlook. Do I need to keep on updating/patching Outlook?

Thanks.

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV

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Cascadian

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As a broad stroke answer, any application that you allow to reside on your machine should be kept up to date with all current patches. The other side of that advice would be to not allow any software to reside on your machine for which you have no purpose.

You have described a middle condition, which may require more accurate advice about the specific product Outlook. But since I also do not use it, I should let better experience answer us both.

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Karlston

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Cascadian,  I’m not too worried about the updating of Outlook in itself, which is a nothing task, but mainly with the unintended consequences, which recent experience suggests might be bad and, for those who do not use it, in return for nothing.

The potential issues would arise if Outlook were, in some way, part of Windows, same as IE11, for example. So one does not just update a browser, but the OS as well.

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV

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Cascadian

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It’s good advice to install only software that will be used, but IIRC since Office 2013 it’s an all-or-none approach. (Sadly) users can’t pick and choose which Office applications to install.

Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.

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Cascadian

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Not exactly true. I installed Office 2016 using a MSI Installer.
With that type of installer you can choose what elements of Office 2016 you wish to install.
With C2R Installer its All or Nothing.

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Bill C.

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Thanks to all of you for your comments and suggestions.

Actually, if I remember correctly, I can choose, or at least have been able to choose in the past, which Office programs to update simply by removing the tick mark next to their names, in the list of updates offered in Windows Update. Have done that with Outlook a couple of times, in years past. Then I stopped, because I was not sure if that was such a good idea. I wonder if that has changed since then. I’ll probably try again next time and see what happens.

I have Office 2010 running on Win 7 Pro x64, SP1.

Same story with Office 2016 on my new Mac, where I can leave things unpatched in Office simply by cancelling their patching as soon as it starts while letting others get patched.

I did that once already with Outlook, causing no problems so far that I have noticed. Same as Windows Update (unless I hid them), Office 2016 for Macs will keep on reminding me that I have patches waiting to be installed, which can be mildly annoying, but I can live with that.

The question bothering me is whether not patching Outlook, because I do not use it and do not need it, is a good or a bad idea.

I use of Office is just these three things: Word (for writing papers, reviews, proposals), PowerPoint (for technical presentations) and Excel (mainly for making graphs and tables that then I put in the Word and PowerPoint documents).

 

 

 

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Ooops! Forgot to login again (above)!

Anyhow: the Patch Lady explained why I can choose to install Outlook patches or not, in Win 7, when installing those for Office: I have Office 2010! That’s why.

 

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV

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I believe I understand both of you, OscarCP and Karlston, and agree that both of you have good points.

OscarCP, I did not read you as being concerned or worried about anything at all. Simply that you sought opinions yet again on a question that had been passed over before, so I offered mine.

Karlston, I agree it is a packaged suite. Some find that to be a feature, others see a burden. I see it as a package.

In both cases, I refer back to my statement. Where if on the other side you have chosen to have this suite installed/reside on your system; then go back to the first side where it is prudent to keep all installed software resident on your system fully patched. The overriding caveat of all topics on AskWoody, is to do that patching after the patch has proven worthy. There seem to be many recent comments that want to shorten that process, and jump ahead of the primary purpose of this blog.

Please Woody, continue your efforts to weigh the balance of all considerations before approving and describing recommended patching directions as you see fit. It is what attracted us all here in the first place.

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Karlston, woody

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Yes because malware can “call” on a piece of software installed on your computer.  So if there is an Outlook specific dll that is still vulnerable on your system and you hit a banner advertising specifically targeting unpatched Outlook files, you could get hit.  Just because you don’t launch the software doesn’t mean that you couldn’t be vulnerable.

As noted above if you have Office 2013 or 2016 retail these versions are “click to run” that is the entire blob of Office gets updated.  So you can’t choose to not update Outlook.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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Bill C., Cascadian, Lori, OscarCP, SueW, Karlston, woody, Elly

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Thanks, Patch Lady: good answer, as far as I am concerned.

Still worried, though, about the unintended consequences of patching something I do not need, because in recent times and in general terms, as if of public  knowledge around here, the consequences of patching just about anything in Windows have been running the gamut from: not too bad to annoying to dire.

So it comes down to betting on which proposition: to patch Outlook or not to patch Outlook, is likely to cause less trouble. At least for me (and I have Office 2010).

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV

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Ive installed on my Win7 test machine all the Office 2016 (11) updates listed (Not Language Pack) .
All seems to be ok.

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abbodi86

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This issue was fixed in KB4018296: Outlook 2016 never uses MAPI/HTTP when using Autodiscover with Exchange ActiveSync.

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Anybody notice presence issue problems after these patches?   I can’t see Lync 2013 presence info properly in names listed in the to: line of a new email in Outlook 2013.   Presence info shows up fine though in the Lync/Skype for Business client.

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Hi Again
Ive now run all 11 Office 2016 Update patches in all my Group A Win7 32 & 64 bit Fully Updated machines.
No problem observed in Apps that I use regularly
ie Excel, Word, Outlook, Project, Visio, Power Point and Publisher

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