ISSUE 20.52.1 • 2023-12-27 By Susan Bradley I’m hoping that the relatively well-behaved December updates are a good omen for the upcoming patching yea
[See the full post at: MS-DEFCON 4: A quiet December]
Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher
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Patch reliability is unclear, but widespread attacks make patching prudent. Go ahead and patch, but watch out for potential problems. |
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MS-DEFCON 4: A quiet December
- This topic has 66 replies, 26 voices, and was last updated 1 year, 3 months ago.
AuthorViewing 24 reply threadsAuthor-
First, thank you for sharing your deep knowledge of MS patching issues! But I take exception to your statement about no one printing anymore. A paperless workplace, or even a paperless home, is just not realistic yet, except maybe to strictly IT environments (and I have my doubts about that). Engineering firms prints thousands of pages every day. Drawings and other documents used to communicate exactly what must be built are printed several times for review, then printed for issuance to the contractor who will be building the electrical system, bridge, building, or whatever the construction package is for. Rather than a paperless environment, I know of more construction companies who cannot operate without printed drawings than ones who operate digitally. I actually cannot think of a single construction company who would even entertain the possibility of going paperless. This argument easily expands to many other industries, including medical, law, and others.
Yes, there are more ways to operate in a paperless environment, but the technology is just not there for many, if not most industries.
1 user thanked author for this post.
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I meant no one at Microsoft prints anymore. That’s why we keep having issues. We print-they don’t.
I missed this subtlety, as I suspect a lot of people also did, and I was worried about you until I read your response!
WPP sounds like something worthy of an entire issue of AskWoody, in particular, how many printers that currently work as well as Microsoft allows will become landfill as a result of this “improvement”.
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PS we still buy reams of paper at my office and at home.
Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher
1 user thanked author for this post.
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Next they’ll be changing keyboard keyfunctions from ‘Prt Scr’ to ‘Prt PDF’ /s
Hit or a myth, the paperless office is. – with a yoda dialectWindows - commercial by definition and now function...5 users thanked author for this post.
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Next they’ll be changing keyboard keyfunctions
Windows - commercial by definition and now function...1 user thanked author for this post.
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Judging from the photo in the BBC article, it looks like the new AI key is replacing the key with the mysterious icon that’s located between the right-hand Alt and Ctrl keys, a key I have never used and whose name or purpose I don’t even know. At least they’re not replacing a useful key and I can safely ignore it sitting there just like the one it’s replacing.
1 user thanked author for this post.
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It seems to replace the ‘properties’ keystroke on the keyboard.
(same as right mouse button/ mousepad button click)
for me it was useless also and never needed itWindows - commercial by definition and now function...1 user thanked author for this post.
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Judging from the photo in the BBC article, it looks like the new AI key is replacing the key with the mysterious icon that’s located between the right-hand Alt and Ctrl keys
Actually, it’s the right Ctrl key that’s being replaced with the new Copilot key.
Microsoft is deleting the right CTRL key, and replacing it with a new key
BTW, that key that looks like a square with several lines inside it that’s between the right-hand Alt and Ctrl keys on some keyboards, activates the “right click” Context menu (which may or may not display “properties” depending on exactly where the cursor focus is located when you click it.)
1 user thanked author for this post.
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Because I’m a stubborn female who wants Microsoft to clean up after it’s been messy.
Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher
6 users thanked author for this post.
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This is what I used to deprovision it a while back, it hasn’t appeared since, anywhere!
DISM/ SFC all good here on various W10 installs.Make an image 1st as a precaution
Within PS [as admin]get-appxpackage -allusers *Microsoft.ScreenSketch* | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-appxprovisionedpackage –online | where-object {$_.packagename –like '*Microsoft.ScreenSketch*'} | remove-appxprovisionedpackage –onlineWindows - commercial by definition and now function...1 user thanked author for this post.
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I’ve done both to completely remove it.
The first line is user-level-only second is system-level.
See how you get on with the first line only, if it reappears at next CU,
then do both to kick it out of the arena.Windows - commercial by definition and now function...1 user thanked author for this post.
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I still print at home too. Not nearly as much as I once did. My printer usage has been in a slow but steady decline all the way back to the chattering dot matrix printer days with the accordion-folded paper that even home users would buy by the big box.
I store as many documents and images as I can only electronically. But I still use a printer especially for some photos and cards enough to justify an Epson EcoTank all-in-one, which I love.
I share the aversion to having Microsoft manage printer drivers. I only want Epson doing that. So I’m happy with MS removing itself from the provision of printer driver updates.
I did the December 2023 update to Win10 today. This month’s update was the first one to set up for Windows Copilot. Fortunately I had entered into my email calendar a reminder to check for this today and follow these directions from Susan to block Copilot:
- Search for “gpedit” and right-click the top result to open the Group Policy Editor and Run as Administrator;
- Navigate to User Configuration | Administrative Templates | Windows Components | Windows Copilot;
- Double-click the Turn off Windows Copilot policy;
- Select the Enabled option.
1 user thanked author for this post.
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Ah, after reading this thread I’ve just noticed that Snipping Tool has sneakily reinstalled itself after this month’s Cumulative Update.
I’d originally removed it (along with most of the other useless bloat) after I did a clean install a few months back by using the Tools option of CCleaner.
It doesn’t appear in the list of Programs to remove in CCleaner Tools this time (which is why I hadn’t noticed it had come back because I check there often) but it’s in Programs and Features in Windows 10’s Control Panel and also in Apps under Settings.
But, if I try to uninstall it I get the error message in the top part of the attached image. If I use Microfix’s Powershell option I get the error in the bottom part. After Googling the top error it says this can result from corrupt or missing system files (which might have been caused by the way I originally removed Snipping Tool with CCleaner).
Oh well… looks like this is something else I’ll just have to ignore along with Windows Backup and the stupid “System” label cluttering up the Start Menu – I’ve found out how to remove that but I don’t bother because I’m sure it will just reappear with each month’s updates.
And Microsoft… please stop all of this nonsense and leave Windows 10 alone. I know you’re probably annoyed that the uptake of Windows 11 has been so dismal after 2 years but there’s no one to blame but youselves for that with the stupid hardware restrictions and trying to ‘sell’ Windows 11 as something new when it’s really just Windows 10 with things moved around (and now harder to find with a lot of things) – it’s really just change for the sake of change.
1 user thanked author for this post.
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What’s wrong with Snipping Tool? I use it quite a bit in printing.
HP Smart App, I don’t see that anywhere, is it hidden?
Nothing wrong with Snipping Tool but I would never use it and after a clean install of Windows 10 I’ve always deleted it along with everything else I don’t want.
Just for fun I also tried going into the Windows > System32 folder and deleting Snipping Tool directly. Nope… won’t let me do that (even in Safe Mode) because it’s ‘owned’ by “Trusted Installer” and all of the options to modify or remove it are greyed out.
MS sure don’t want it removed, do they? I wonder how much more junk that I’ve removed will slowly start reappearing (and become ‘unremovable’) between now and October 2025 in each month’s Cumulative Updates?
As I’ve said, I wish MS would just leave Windows 10 alone so I can at least have a reasonably stable, (almost) bloat free experience for the next 22 months. I suspect quite a few of us would like that.
1 user thanked author for this post.
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Have updated five of our Windows 10 Pro 64-bit 22H2 computers so far without a problem.
Well almost no problem.
After updating a workstation, I tried to scan some documents using Adobe Acrobat 10 2020 and a legacy Cannon MX870 all in one printer/scanner.
The computer did not recognize the scanner. Oh No! Did the Windows updates do something to the scanner’s software?
The MX870 is no longer supported by Cannon and the most current driver for the thing was released in January 2016. Downloaded and reinstalled the 2016 driver. Still no luck.
Then I went back to the keep it simple stupid approach to computer recovery – check the cables first.
Sure enough, the USB cable was loose. Tightened it and the computer and scanner are now playing nicely together. Apparently, the cable came loose while I was setting up a laser printer on the shelf below the scanner.
Dam it – I can’t complain about Microsoft as we move into the New Year.
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Without wanting to start a flame war, which myth is the longer-lived one? The paperless office or Linux on the desktop?
“The Paperless Office” was first used 45 years ago:
The term “The Paperless Office” was first used in commerce by Micronet, Inc., an automated office equipment company, in 1978.[4]
Paperless office — Wikipedia“The Year of the Linux Desktop” has been predicted for about 25 years:
It was 1998. Investors started throwing money at everything with the word Linux in the name, and software shelves at every store were CRAMMED with boxed copies of several distros (mostly Red Hat).
1 user thanked author for this post.
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December Win 10 updates in for a week now, no new problems, no obvious regressions in functionality, and performance is as good as it was. I honestly couldn’t hope for better.
I’m not swayed even a little bit by the hype that “updated software is always better” or that last month’s “better security” is now morphed to a “gaping security hole”. It may happen that updated software solves some problem – very occasionally – but the vast majority of updates bring more trouble than they help with, especially when Microsoft uses them to add ever more intrusive features. Why do I have well over 150 processes at a resting desktop now when I had 130 around a year ago? More (!) parts of Edge running (and it’s NOT my default browser), more services running for which it’s hard to track specific names/functionality, more bloat. Fortunately I have a lot of resources in this system.
I had actually imagined updating my (1 year old workstation) to Win 11 over the holiday break, but I don’t think I want to do that just yet. I mentioned it not seeming worse above; why break that trend?
-Noel
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Really a quiet month, at least as far as Windows updating goes… Only had one single pending update on each of my computers, i.e. December CU. Updated successfully both my Windows 11 Pro 22H2 and Windows 10 Home 22H2 machines, no trace of HP Smart app on either computer after the update, but the Snipping tool made its appearance on the W10 machine. Also, no trace of Copilot on both computers, either it’s because EU policies are preventing dribbling out of Copilot or I simply haven’t been hit by the dribbling process.
Other than the above, I noticed that the W10 CU took considerably less time to install compared to the W11 CU, in spite of the fact that the W11 machine has newer, faster hardware and it is has a much “fresher” OS installation compared to the W10 machine (direct installation of W11 22H2 back in April vs original installation of earliest W10 version in early 2016 followed by multiple feature updates across the years): thought it would make more sense for the W10 update to be slower, but nope that’s not the case. At least, both updates required only one single reboot to install.
1 user thanked author for this post.
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With the possible exception of the XP/Win7 service pack updates, I can’t remember any monthly updates taking this long to install. I’m responsible for 5 Win 10 boxes and am currently on #4. The first two boxes took 4+ hours each from start of download thru installation/restart phases. No. 3 is at 74% install after nearly 4 hours. Not looking any faster for Box #4! I’m running out of long weekend!
Happy New Year!!!
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KWGuy
Have you run Task Manager to see what apps are consuming CPU and/or Disk capacity?
Are you running third security software and/or a VPN? If so, see what happens if you shut them down.
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On box #4, be sure you don’t have “Metered connections” turned on.
On box #5, in the searcbox type winver and hit enter. If it reads Build 19045.3803, KB5033372 is already installed and you have Dec update already.
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Off the wall suggestion:
Reboot, Pause updates, breath in and out 10 times, Resume updates. That will cause Windows Update to rescan and download (?).
1 user thanked author for this post.
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Try it. What have you got to lose?
Might help to reboot your modem and router while you’re at it.1 user thanked author for this post.
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Many thanks, PK!
After a fresh Macrium image, I rolled the dice with a catalog update on Box #4. Not only was it successful, it only took 45 min from run to home screen. Sure faster than the 4-6 hours on my first three computers!
Since my #5 box doesn’t even recognize the need for KB5033372, I’ll wait a few days. I still haven’t eliminated the possibility of a MS issue.
I sincerely appreciate your time and advice. Your tip on pause/unpause updates to generate a re-scan was particularly beneficial. I’m filing that one away for future use!
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Well, install went smoothly for both of my Win 10 Pro 22H2 machines, with about 15 minutes each from beginning of the download until the prompt to reboot. Reboot took maybe a little longer than a minute with steady progress from 30% installed to fully installed and the login screen waiting for me to log in.
After logging in, I proceeded to make the changes to avoid having CoPilot activated by changing the setting within Group Policy for the User side of things and making the registry change for the Computer-wide side of things.
For those who may have installed the .admx file and .adml file provided here on AskWoody before you installed the December update (AND who edited the .admx file to change the word “User” to the word “Both”), you will want to go back into Group Policy to check your settings. You may very well find that the setting you had under Computer Configuration>Administrative Templates>Windows Components>Windows Copilot is now missing, as in no longer listed with a folder icon next to it like it was. That’s because the installer for the monthly update REMOVED your existing .admx and .adml files and replaced them with what is included with the monthly update. @PKCano has a good explanation of what happens here, where an experiment was conducted to see what would happen by using the .admx and .adml files supplied here on AskWoody and then installing the MS update that contains the same files. Don’t try editing the new .admx file to change the word “User” to the word “Both” unless you have a deep understanding of file security permissions, because you’re going to need to change the permissions for that file in order to be able to edit it. I simply found it easier to make the registry change mentioned for users of the Home edition of Windows in AKB 9000001. That simply involves adding a key in the HKEY Local Machine hive as described in the post. The change under HKEY Current User is made by using the setting in Group Policy.
I also changed the Group Policy setting for enabling optional updates to Disabled, which made the slider on Windows Update for optional updates both greyed out and set to the Off position. With the policy set to Disabled, I still have the little blue-colored link to “View optional updates” below the “Check for updates” button in Windows Update. Clicking that link produces the same results it always has for me, two Intel driver updates that have always been optional since I was on Windows 10 2004 (20H1 if you wish to call it that).
I hope this helps at least a few folks!
1 user thanked author for this post.
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At least they’re not replacing a useful key and I can safely ignore it sitting there just like the one it’s replacing.
An oversight on Microsoft’s part. Expect it to be corrected by the time you read this.
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