MS-DEFCON 3: Get patched while everybody’s out of town

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Looks like Microsoft’s offices are clearing out for the long (US) weekend. It’s time to get your machine patched up. As you saw last month, these once
[See the full post at: MS-DEFCON 3: Get patched while everybody’s out of town]

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Good advice for the home user. Not the best for businesses managing a WSUS or similiar server to run patches on a Friday, that is asking for trouble.

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Thanks Woody.

I installed all outstanding updates (10 including an Office 2010 update) on one of my desktops this morning and will install them on the other one on Sunday if there have been no problems on the first machine by then.

I didn’t install KB3161647 as I don’t do the rollup patches, not wanting all the extra stuff that is included in them. Besides, I only stick to updates offered to me as important and don’t go looking for trouble!I don’t have any major delays with the update process beyond it sometimes sticking at 0% for a short while when downloading. I’ve yet to read of any update that improves that in any consistent way.

By the same token I don’t install unchecked optional updates and have therefore hidden both KB2952664 (previously hidden nagware being re-offered for the umpteenth time) and KB3162953 (I don’t have Silverlight installed). Naturally I have also hidden KB3173040 which is the latest nagware update.

So far so good!

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New update (KB3173040) is nag ware warning W10 free upgrade ending. It appeared in optional list and was unchecked and in italics; I just right clicked to hide it.
My update is set to check but let me choose and the treat recommended the same as important box is not checked.
Also, Definitions updates for Microsoft Security Essentials appear under the Optional Tab in Windows Update and are safe to allow.

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It’s a long weekend up here in Canada, too, Woody, only we started ours today (Friday).

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Happy Canada day!

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I just changed the main post. Thanks!

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I’m with Seff on this one. I also am reluctant and don’t plan to install KB3161647 not knowing what might be in the rollup patch. Today, however, was the first time I’ve experienced a significant delay in the update process. I installed nine Security updates after getting your Defcon 3 alert. It took almost two hours to get past the 0% download before it could install the updates. Now that I know this, I can just be prepared to wait in the future. Microsoft should be able to fix their update process without us having to install dubious patches. This isn’t an individual machine problem, it has to be at their end.

iPhone 13, 2019 iMac(SSD)

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While it’s true that MSE updates are safe to install, I personally prefer to install them through MSE rather than through Windows Updates. In fact I let them install automatically as part of the daily scheduled scan. Like Woody said with drivers, I trust separate applications (even if operated by MS) to run their updates more smoothly than can sometimes happen with Windows Updates, provided of course they have their own updating process.

Also, there are enough Windows Updates on their own without unnecessarily complicating things by adding in non-Windows updates, hence my always installing any Office update (I only ever get the mail junk filter one) on its own, after all the important Windows Updates have installed successfully.

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@woody “I strongly suggest you admins subscribe to the Patchmanagement.org mailing list, and subscribe to Windows Secrets Newsletter, where Susan has another important roundup of server-related problems.”

Absolutely!

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Woody,

As it looks at the moment, I think that your blog post has had some words in the Windows 7 advice section mistakenly removed, after “first install”:

“If you haven’t yet followed this month’s trick for speeding up Windows Update scans, you should first install KB 3161647 is by installing the update rollup KB 3161608 and seven other patches you probably don’t want.”

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Thank you, woody, for your hard work. I appreciate it very much.

Is there any unwanted addition to IE security patch? Also, are there any problems with security updates for home users?

As for KB 3161608, will it likely still be offered the next Patch Tuesday? I don’t know how the roll-up patch works. Anyway, is there any potential time bomb in this patch? I mean, Microsoft really want us to go Win10 and they have malicious feelings toward the Win7; so this could be a trap.

Thank you again, woody. Good luck to all of us!

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Making things so that updating suddenly takes forever, and the “fix” for it requires installing a brand new update each month, then getting people used to doing that process a few months in a row, and next ratcheting it up a notch by putting the fix into a “rollup” where you have to accept stuff you don’t want in order to get what you do want….
They appear to be playing games with people and wasting millions of hours (of waiting time) around the world. Not to mention computer life, internet connection cost, etc.
It’s unprofessional, irresponsible, and wrong.

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@Woody,
W7 SP1 x64 Quad Core
OK…here’s my dilemma.

“On the left, click the link that says Optional. Uncheck every box that you see, except “Windows Defender,” which should stay checked.”

KB 3161608 rollup is in Optional and it was unchecked when received.
Last month we installed KB 3161664 to solve the long scan for update problem.

If 1664 solved our long scan issue, should we be installing the Optional rollup update now, or wait until the next patch Tuesday to see if the long scan issue returns if the rollup is not installed? Especially since Optional updates are usually ignored and for good reason.

I believe my point is, why would MSFT make a patch that is supposed to “fix” the long scan for updates problem “Optional”? Beyond being annoying, it makes no sense.

Thanks

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Woody:

Reporting my current status on attempting to get the 2015 update (KB3020369) installed. First I tried the “checking updates” to get something “moving”. One unsuccessful (error code 80244019) after 45 minutes, and the next one took about 55 minutes or more. Finally clicked on unhiding KB3020369). Computer then went into the “checking updates” once again, so I shut it down. Waited a short time, and then tried again. This time the updates all showed, including the unhidden one.

When I clicked on “install”, it showed no activity on downloading at all. It’s still there now, and I’ll wait a short while longer before shutting it down again. I’ve been working on the mess for more than 2 1/2 hours.

Will report back if I’m ever successful in DL & installing the KB3020369, and then try to locate the KB3161647 which is not showing, nor is KB3161608. I’m not certain if this is ever going to be successful at this rate.

WHAT A NIGHTMARE!!!

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We don’t know for sure if the new patch will work next month. So, for now, you’re fine – don’t worry about it.

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You don’t need the rollup patch, unless you’re installing a completely new Win7 copy.

Microsoft seems to be bundling non-security updates with IE security patches. You need the security patches, and the non-security patches don’t seem to be hurting anything — especially if you don’t use IE.

I don’t think MS is going to time bomb anything at this point. We’re too close to the wire. They’re just going to get more obnoxious. Full screen purple ads mumble, mumble, mumble.

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Good point. Change made. Thanks!

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In regards the KB3161608 June Nonsecurity rollup for Win 7:
My last updates for June seemed to be reasonably fast without this, but as I do keep image backups for my 2 notebooks at home, I decided to follow your and Susan’s advice and installed the rollup [.msu file] after restoring the hidden, prequisite KB3020369 Servicing Stack Update. I figure I may have a similar/future issue that will force/require using future rollups.
After installing the updates, I found that the bundled KB3161639 has had issues with IE, and even though I of course do not use IE unless required, there are at least 2 or 3 problems that relate to the IE cipher suites after the rollup has been installed. I looked at several posting including “http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-networking/problems-with-kb-3161608-and-kb-3161639/2cd5ffb3-c203-4080-872f-73de1a96e080?auth=1” and in trying to avoid issues with it, for now I used the suggestion of avoiding some of the IE11 connection protocols outlined in one of the responses in trying to be proactive. I haven’t had any memory leak issues yet so I guess I’ll wait and observe to see how this all develops. Like most of you, I’m less than happy that MS is forcing users to choose between installing the rollup or not getting the KB3161647 WIN UPDATE CLIENT.
WOODY I really appreciate you and your sharper contributors for the help that I get in reading your discussions and feedback. Respectfully, JKWillie

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I was able to install KB3020369 but now I can’t get the standalone KB3161608 to install. I’m stuck on “Searching for updates on this computer…” on the Windows Update Standalone Installer. I’ve tried disconnecting my internet, rebooting, and uninstalling KB3020369 to go back. But there is no uninstall option now for KB3020369. This is so frustrating. It’s like a puzzle game every month.

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“[Y]ou should first install KB 3161647, which involves installing the update rollup KB 3161608 AND SEVEN OTHER PATCHES YOU PROBABLY DON’T WANT” [emphasis added].

What kind of trade-off is this, especially given that we apparently don’t even know what those other patches do? Moreover, Woody, your InfoWorld article says that it is “still too early to tell if this is a permanent fix, and won’t really know if Microsoft actually fixed the problem until July.” So seven unwanted patches might just end up fixing a problem for a few weeks?

This looks like a “download and pray” scenario. Woody, are you really giving an unreserved thumbs-up to this? I place a lot of weight in your recommendations, but I’d like to reconfirm your position on this situation before proceeding.

Thanks for all the invaluable advice that you provide to the PC community.

Best regards,

Marty

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Woody, you say that you never install drivers from Windows Update. Does Windows 10 really allow not to install a driver update marked as “important”?

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Good point. New drivers seem to be bundled in with the Win10 cumulative updates, so you don’t even have a chance to see them, much less block installing them.

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I haven’t seen any ill side-effects to the seven other patches. For those who want to just speed up patching this month, follow the instructions here:

http://wu.krelay.de/en/2016-06.htm [Note: Link updated on July 2.]

For those who want to roll the dice, in the hope that Microsoft has really fixed the problem, I say go ahead and install KB 3161608.

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When you reboot, pull the plug on the internet, and run the 3161608 MSU, what happens?

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Keep those cards ‘n letters coming….

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When I have upgraded to IE10 or IE11, it comes bundled with kb2670838. Prior blogs have stated this is a bad update. Is this still the case?

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@Woody

You have given the link for the May speed up patch. The June speed up patch info can be found on this link http://wu.krelay.de/en/

Thanks for this website and your hard work. Only found you this year but now a daily visitor.

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Woody: Checked everything on the reference link you provided and came up with the following data:

All of the KB’s on the first list were installed.

Of the second list NONE were installed, and it appears that some were “hidden”, however are not in the hidden list. Beginning to see that it’s not a good idea to hide anything because in many instances it just disappears.

For the last reference to KB3102810, My written notes reflect that it was “optional”, and that I hid it. It is not in the Hidden List.

Under these circumstances, are there any other steps which I may be able to take? I have spent innumerable hours researching these updates on the lists, and it does not appear that there are any that I may be able to utilize. I am at the point of desperation as I need these updates.

Any, and all help will be most appreciated. Not computer “literate”, so I’m at a serious disadvantage.

Thank you once again for all of your guidance and help, Woody.

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Woody
I have Windows 7 and I’m totally confused.
You say to speed up the Windows update to first install KB3161647 by installing the update roll up KB3161608 and to see the details in your Info world article.
You say in the article that KB3161608 is starting to roll out for Windows 7 users and to be patient.
I haven’t received any updates since the Black Tuesday updates that I received on 6/14/16
I have not updated any of these because I was waiting for you to give us the go ahead.
None of these are any of the ones that you mentioned.
I tried to run a “check for updates” but had to stop that after it ran for two hours and didn’t come up with anything. I don’t know how long it would have run if I hadn’t stopped it.
So my question is. Should I just be patient and wait for Microsoft to send me KB3161608 before running the 10 updates I received on 6/14/16 or what should I do?
Thanks
Sam

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Woody
You posted my question but never answered it. What should I do?
Sam

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I did the Windows security patches on the desktop and the laptop. It took a few minutes for the desktop to start downloading, but that could have been which server it reached. The laptop started right away. Go figure.

FWIW, updating MSE using its own updater while doing a Windows Update download caused MSE’s update process to hang. It worked fine after the reboot.

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The article is almost two weeks old. By now, 3161608 should be available to you — but you must have KB 3020369 installed, for 3161608 to even appear. I bet you still need KB 3020369 (per the article).

Check and see if you have KB 3020369 installed. If not, find it and install it, then go to the KB page, download and run 3161608. Some people find that the 3161608 installer runs much faster if you disconnect your internet connection before you run it.

Reboot, and you should find the check for updates takes minutes.

Remember when patching Windows used to be easy?

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I assume you’re running Windows 7.

If so, just follow the directions in this post: If your check for updates is horribly slow, install KB 3161608; run GWX Control Panel; run Windows Update, check the security patches and uncheck everything else.

That’s all you need to do. If you hid something previously, Windows may or may not need it. Don’t worry about it. I never recommend that people hide Win7 and 8.1 updates because Windows Update frequently comes in and clobbers everything anyway. (Win10 is a different story, with wushowhide.)

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Thank you! Change made.

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KB3161608 might get promoted to Important next main Patch Tuesday. At this stage this update is an out of schedule update, so it should be ignored for now.

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kb2670838 is a much-maligned patch that you need to install if you’re going to get IE 10 or 11 to work. The KB article was last modified on Jan 14, 2014, and it stands at revision 15. The list of problems and solutions goes on at length.

I think the problems have been ironed out, though. I don’t see any recent complaints. Mostly, the video drivers (and there are many) need to be updated. Yours has probably been updated sometime in the past 2.5 years.

So, yes, go ahead and upgrade to IE 11. Don’t use it, but upgrade.

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I hope I just answered it.

Remember, I look at every post (moderate it) before it appears here. I like to think that’s why the quality of posts on this blog is much higher than on others. It’s also why I allow anonymous posts. Sometimes it takes a few hours (or days) to sort through the backlog.

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Woody: Yes, I’m running Win 7. I do not have the KB3020369 as it was hidden last year (and disappeared). I also do not have the KB3161608 as it was never received. I understand that you must have the KB3020369 to install the KB3161608.

I have not been able to do any updating since June 10th, even the definitions.

I’m now making another attempt at downloading the updates. I did a “restore” on the last 4 updates I recently hid, and it’s been an hour already that the “check for updates” has been running.

I’m hoping and praying that all goes well. Don’t know where to go from here.

Thank you for your prompt reply.

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I bet that KB 3020369 suddenly reappears.

Here’s what you do. Just leave Win7 update chunking away, close the door to your office, have a beer and watch a movie. (I hear BFG is quite good.) Come back tomorrow morning and 3020369 will no doubt appear. Install it. Then download and manually install 3161608.

In the interim, don’t sweat it. There’s nothing terribly pressing out there right now. And all of Microsoft is out for the long weekend, so nothing’s going to happen until Tuesday at the earliest.

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It worked! I hadn’t tried rebooting with it off yet. Thanks so for the help on this Woody! You and your site rocks!!!

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Woody
I’m sorry if you thought I was in any way criticizing you. I was not. Believe me I for one appreciate EVERYTHING you do for all of us and the information and help you give us even on an individual basis. I am sure all your readers feel the same way.
I just thought that before you post something you moderate it and answer the question at the time of the posting.
Here is something additional for you in regards to my question. I had installed KB3020369 on 5/31/15. When I went back and checked what updates were there again KB 3161608 was there as an optional unchecked update. It was not there prior to that. It appeared in the 1/2 hour or so between our correspondences. I checked it and ran the update. It took about 1 1/2 hours to run.
I have to go out now but will run the other updates later this weekend.
If you want me to let you know how things go post back here and I will.
Once again thanks for all your help and please accept my sincere apologizes if you thought I was in any way criticizing you.
Sam

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Naw, I get dinged all the time. Rightfully so.

Yes, please, check back when you’ve had a chance to run it.

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Hi Woody,

I am running Windows 7. I installed updates per your recommendation except KB 3161608 because I haven’t needed to speed up my Windows Update scans – they are quick. I checked my installed update history & I do not have KB 3020369 installed yet I do have KB 3161608 in my list of Optional updates. You stated I would not get one without first installing the other – interesting. So my question is, do I go ahead & install KB 3161608 and then KB 3161647 if it appears?

Thx
Gail

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Naw. If you can live with your update speeds, there’s no reason to install either.

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Woody
As per our correspondence of yesterday I’m letting you know how the updates went.
After applying KB3161608 that I had just gotten yesterday. I had 10 updates left that were checked and marked as important.
They were KB3160005, KB3159398, KB3161561, KB3161664, KB3161949, KB3161958, KB3164033, KB3164035, KB3162835 and KB890830.
As per your instructions in the Blog for Windows 7 users I unchecked KB3162835 as it was not a “Security Update” or the “Malicious Software Removal Tool 64” for June 2016.
Please let us know if in the future you think we should update and run KB3162835 as it is marked as “important” and “checked” and I now have it hidden.
The whole process other than the KB3161608 update took about 20 Minutes to do.
The only thing that took about 1 1/2 hours was the KB3161608 update
I hope this helps some of your readers.
Sam

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Unless you live in Venezuela, Egypt, or remote parts of Russia, KB 3162835 won’t become terribly important any time soon. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3162835

Thanks for getting back to me/us! 20 minutes ain’t bad…

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Something’s been on my mind about these updates. I searched high & low & came up with bupkis.

Is the numbering convention simply sequential like at the deli where we take number & wait to get called on?

Does the group at M$ number these updates as they come along & then release them when they are ready regardless of number?

I’ve often thought there was a reason for the particular numbers used.

314 5739 for April
315 6059 for May
316 1949 for June

See what I’m getting at? Perhaps I’m seeing something that’s not there.

What’s the significance if there is any? Or maybe I should go lay down & let it pass.

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As far as I know, they’re completely random. Occasionally we’ll get a more-or-less sequential run, but it’s certainly unusual

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OK, thanks for the feedback. Now I can forget about numbering weirdness in my brain, whew.

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Just wanted to say that tonight I have learned by reading a different commenter’s post on AskWoody.com that my assumption that the roll-up KB3161608 was the ONLY current way to hasten the update checking process was incorrect: KB3161664 is apparently still an alternative stand-alone download we can do to speed up the Windows Update checking process for July’s updates, and it doesn’t require accepting unwanted updates like KB3161608 does. The post that helped me understand that is here: https://www.askwoody.com/2016/how-to-get-your-win7-updates-in-less-than-glacial-time/comment-page-1/#comment-91148

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Woody, if KB3161664 is still an option for speeding up the checking of June’s updates, you might want to mention KB3161664 as an alternative option for people who are wary of the rollup patch KB3161608 in the following part of your blogpost above:

“Windows 7: If you haven’t yet followed this month’s trick for speeding up Windows Update scans, you should first install KB 3161647, which involves installing the update rollup KB 3161608 and seven other patches you probably don’t want.”

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Apple seems to be doing the same thing with the next iOS iteration, pushing it out to older devices that really can’t handle all the new functions and will run slower and slower until people are fed up and buy a new model. Programmed obsolescence for profit.

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OK. I’ll update the advice.

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That’s quite correct, but KB 3161664 is only good for speeding up the June patches. It looks like 3161608 will solve the problem permanently. Of course, we won’t know for sure until later this month – and even then, it could all get screwed up in the future, of course.

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Once again us Vista users are experiencing the same problems as all the other Windows users. I cannot download and install he latest round of patches and nowhere on Microsoft’s Support site does it give a solution. I do not understand why the PC Manufacturer’s are not screaming at Microsoft concerning all the problems they are causing their customers. Dell and others must be loosing business to Apple because of Microsoft. I know my next computer is going to be an Apple.

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The major PC manufacturers aren’t about to stand up to Microsoft. Nor are the antivirus manufacturers. Just us little guys.

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@Render,

The following page from Microsoft shows 1,277 security bulletins in date order (1/11/2001 to 6/14/2016), with 86 pages of KB numbers.

I’m pasting that link here because as a non-techie, I found this Microsoft master list a little bit helpful last year when I was wondering if there were any particular reason for the different KB numbers,
and to help me figure out why some online references to the monthly patches (such as Susan Bradley’s writings) would often talk in terms of bulletin numbers rather than KB numbers (which I found awfully confusing).

It is:
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/bulletins

Their scheme is still confusing to me, but I do think that there must be some reason that they move to a new first-three-digit number after only taking up a little bit of the possible last-four-digit numbers of any one first-three-digit number…

For example, in looking at Microsoft list of the updates having the first three digits “315”, I counted roughly about 17 updates on pages 2 and 3 (there may be more scattered around):
1) 315 5784
2) 315 5451
etc.

However, with 4 digits possible in the second group of digits, theoretically they could go from
315 0000 to 315 9999.

Therefore, I suspect there is some reason they jump from 313 to 314, etc., after using just a handful of possible numbers in the latter section of the KB number.

–
Other things I noticed —

In the early pages, there are some KBs that do not have a number, and there are some that are just 5 digits long, such as 55362.

Also, the KBs that are 7 digits long, even in the very first few security bulletins in 2001, start with 282, 279 and such
(not with 001, 100, or whatever might seem more logical)

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Thank you!

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Good point pooh. That last part really hit the nail on the head about the 282. I had considered that they were special in some regard, like 2952664. Now I think it’s just me being overly curious. Thanks for chiming in, you added another way to look at it.

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>I know my next computer is going to be an Apple.

Why? They already embody many of the things Microsoft is taking heat for – privacy intrusion / pulling data to the cloud, walled garden “you can run what we say you can run” operation, and a general “we know better than you” philosophy of design.

If you get pleasure rather than pain out of being your own system integrator, Apple does not seem a good match. And we ARE here talking about system integration (controlling Windows Update seems the epitome of taking charge of what goes into your system).

About the only thing Apple seems to have – and it doesn’t seem absolute with regard to software quality, but at least pretty good – is a BIT more focus on excellence. At a premium price.

-Noel

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Just a data point:

My Win 8.1 x64 MCE test setup with the following updates hidden seems so far to be hanging together nicely:

KB2976978 – Win 10 Compatibility update for Windows 8.1 and Windows 8
KB3035583 – GWX
KB3046480 – Update helps to determine whether to migrate the .NET Framework 1.1 when you upgrade Windows 8.1 or Windows 7
KB3068708 – Update for customer experience and diagnostic telemetry
KB3080149 – Update for customer experience and diagnostic telemetry
KB3123862 – Updated capabilities to upgrade Windows 8.1 and Windows 7
KB3173040 – Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 SP1 end of free upgrade offer notification

-Noel

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Today I saw on the Wilders Security Forum’s Bork Tuesday thread a link to this article on Softpedia, which I thought was interesting. Here is an excerpt:

Jul 2, 2016
By Bogdan Popa

“More Users Go Back to Windows 7 Despite Aggressive Windows 10 Upgrades

Stats show that Windows 7 is recovering these days

Windows 10 is indeed growing, and this kind of makes sense, especially because Microsoft is pushing so hard for everyone to make the switch to the new operating system.

Furthermore, with the free upgrade offer aimed at Windows 7 and 8.1 users ending in less than 30 days, you would expect Windows 10 to experience significant adoption boosts these days.

And it does, but the only problem for Windows 10 is that Windows 7 shows signs of recovery too, with the operating system launched in 2009 reaching 49 percent market share once again and heading towards the 50 percent threshold.

Windows 7 still the king

Data offered by third-party market researcher Net Applications puts Windows 7 on the leading spot in the top desktop operating systems chart for June 2016 with a share of 49.05 percent while Windows 10 is the runner-up with 19.14 percent. Windows 10 has thus posted an important growth last month, jumping from 17.43 percent to 19.14 percent in just one month.

Windows 7 improved its share too, growing from 48.57 percent in May to 49.05 percent in June. This is the second increase in a row for Windows 7, after the operating system dropped from more than 57 percent back in July 2015, when Windows 10 was officially unveiled.

[….]”

from: http://news.softpedia.com/news/more-users-go-back-to-windows-7-despite-aggressive-windows-10-upgrades-505909.shtml

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From the Microsoft page, it looks like this update has also added some new time zones:

Aleutian Islands, Alaska Aleutian Standard Time (UTC-10:00) Aleutian Islands
Marquesas Islands Marquesas Standard Time (UTC-09:30) Marquesas Islands
Gambier Islands UTC-09 (UTC-09:00) Coordinated Universal Time-09
Pitcairn Islands; Tungsten, Canada; Clarion Island, Mexico; Clipperton Island UTC-08 (UTC-08:00) Coordinated Universal Time-08
Cuba Cuba Standard Time (UTC-05:00) Havana
Turks & Caicos Islands Turks And Caicos Standard Time (UTC-04:00) Turks and Caicos
St. Pierre and Miquelon Saint Pierre Standard Time (UTC-03:00) Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Tocantins, Brazil Tocantins Standard Time (UTC-03:00) Araguaina
West Bank and Gaza West Bank Standard Time (UTC+02:00) Gaza, Hebron
Hovd, Mongolia W. Mongolia Standard Time (UTC+07:00) Hovd
Tomsk, Russia Tomsk Standard Time (UTC+07:00) Tomsk
Eucla, Australia Australia Central W. Standard Time (UTC+08:45) Eucla
Lord Howe Island, Australia Lord Howe Standard Time (UTC+10:30) Lord Howe Island
Bougainville Island Bougainville Standard Time (UTC+11:00) Bougainville Island
Norfolk Island Norfolk Standard Time (UTC+11:00) Norfolk Island
Chatham Islands, New Zealand Chatham Island Standard Time (UTC+12:45) Chatham Islands

Microsoft says:

“We recommend that you install time zone updates on all computers, including both desktops and servers, for all users worldwide regardless of where the computers are physically located. The need for time zone information cannot always be anticipated, or its usage may not be obvious to the user.

While it’s important to keep time correctly on a computer’s local clock, consider also that many users interact regularly with users in other time zones through international phone calls and online meetings. Additionally, many Microsoft and third-party applications and services let users select their own time zone. Therefore, the servers that host those applications must have accurate time zone information.

Many other business scenarios also require accurate time zone information. These include coordinating travel itineraries, calculating hourly wages, and automating lighting and machinery.”

Since it’s possible (if not likely!), that I may go to some of those places (such as spots in Australia/New Zealand, the Turks & Caicos, Brazil, ?) and possible that I could one day have an online meeting/phone call with someone located in a place off the wider list, I think I’ll install this update.

I don’t see any reports that downloading the update caused people problems in June.

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Interesting, yes?

Win7 is up. Chrome is up.

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@Noel Carboni,

Oh, but _I_ DON’T
“get pleasure rather than pain out of being your own system integrator”
“(controlling Windows Update seems the epitome of taking charge of what goes into your system)”

— it’s very stressful and time-consuming for me.

I have only delved a little deeper into Windows 7/Microsoft/Windows Update in the past 16 months out of urgent necessity (because my computer was screwed up in the spring of 2015 by my running Windows Update openly, trustingly, obediently as I always had in the past, and to untangle the problem I had to work hard and do a lot of research (since I don’t have much tacit knowledge in this area), and then I slowly twigged that this was was going to be not just a one-time problem, but a recurring headache.

It’s only because (practically, financially, and time-wise) my computer and my little Microsoft systems/files/know-how that I’ve tailored to my needs for many, many years would be difficult for me to completely replace at short notice that I persist week-by-week in dealing with this continuous updates mess.

In saying this, I’m not sticking up for Apple – I don’t know much about that company or their products and I’ve always instinctively kind of disliked their brand, mythology, approach, cockiness, whatnot. Even their designs, which are supposed to be so incredible and I know that other people love them, don’t do much for me.

Given that I cannot easily or entirely replace my computing needs with the third alternative Linux (the reasons for which I’ve explained before on AskWoody.com), it’s down to the least-worst of the “big 2” operating systems.

I am typically, and proudly, a late-adopter of this kind of technology and I get as much use/life as I can out of my investments and set-ups. After 29 years of using Microsoft stuff, the situation would have to become really torturous for me to go off into the unknown by myself and start over, but that is nearly the point they have brought me to. I am hoping that they will back the heck off after their July deadline for adopting the “free” Win 10.

If it eases up enough that I can just use my current Win 7 set-up in relative peace until I can’t keep my hardware going anymore,
I know that I’m not going to accept Win 10, so for me it’s probably not a matter of “if”, but “when”, I make the move to an alternative operating system. To my mind, the farther in the future that moment is, given how difficult, time-consuming and expensive it would be for me, the better. So I slog on with this Microsoft malarkey week-by-week.

…With all the time I’ve spent on this topic and in futzing around with my computer in the last 16 months, I probably could have had some kind of additional college degree or educational certificate in something interesting (to me) or at least useful (to my life), or I could have written a book, or volunteered for charity, or gotten a second job. Madness.

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