Revisiting nonsecurity fixes, plus XP’s countdown

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	PATCH WATCH Revisiting nonsecurity fixes, plus XP’s countdown
	By Susan Bradley Redmond must be focused on its April 2 Build 2014 developers’ conference and the release of Windows 8.1.1 — there are no new updates this week. Use this reprieve from patching to follow up on some lingering update problems and a new Word zero-day threat.

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The full text of this column is posted at windowssecrets.com/patch-watch/revisiting-nonsecurity-fixes-plus-xps-countdown/ (opens in a new window/tab).

Columnists typically cannot reply to comments here, but do incorporate the best tips into future columns.[/td]

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I have been getting your paid newsletter for some years now & have loved the help you give in keeping us safe on the net. However now that XP is being unsupported sadly as I love it, my son has put Linux Mint on my PC. Which means your newsletter will not be of relevance. Do you think you will be adding support for these OS’s any time soon as I would think many people will go over to these free ones. Microsoft is too greedy for the likes of pensioners who cannot afford to stop using a great OS because they don’t wish to support it & hope you will buy the new one. It is getting so costly. What do you think? Can you be of help or is there too much to keep up with Windows?

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I’ve never been able to discern any practical difference between the Hold and Wait recommendation categories.

Now the KB2862330 USB drivers security update is listed as Hold in the newsletter, but Wait in the master patch watch chart.

Why not simplify decision making for readers by only using Wait and eliminating the identical but less obvious Hold category altogether?

Bruce

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SusanBradley,
I can’t believe that you don’t have more “Thanks”!
I also can’t believe that I have not been thanking you previously and more often.
I guess most of us take your diligence for granted but it should not be.
I think you have finally convinced me to install EMET in my primary system but first I have to get my head around the 42page user’s guide (currently reading page 12).
Thus far and from what I read, I am inclined to think this EMET is better security and exploitation prevention than installing an add-on A/V into my system (over the Microsoft Defender and some other tactics that I use that are not the conventional means to thwart off threats).
Thank you sincerely for all your efforts all these years!:D

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Susan Bradley, re fix it for malicious RTF files, Word 2010: when I click on the link, I am offered to enable Microsoft Fix it 51010 and disable fix it 51011.
I don’t know what to do as I can’t find out what the difference is between them. Any help appreciated.

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Enable is the fix and disable removes it.

Bruce

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I still do not know where to find the decisions made as to install or hold off non-security patches by Susan Bradley. I seem to go around in a circle here…

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@Chez:
Say you have a trusted RTF (rich text file) document from years past and say that you want to open it so that you can convert it to some other format for safe keeping.
Since you seem savvy enough to have downloaded BOTH the ‘Enable’ and the ‘Disable’ Microsoft Fixes and you have already patched your system w/the Enable Fix (which prevents opening of RTF files); you would temporarily use the Disable Fix to open your trusted RTF file and when finished converting it to another compatible format (e.g. *.doc, *.docx, *.pdf, *.htm, or *.txt), you would re-patch your system with the Enable Fix again once you are finished.
Oh yeah, why waste your time going “around in a circle”? >> just trust what Susan Bradley recommends!

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