Window 10 1809 LTSC update question KB4589208

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I was updating my wifes laptop manually and noticed an update from March 2021 I had not installed and cannot remember why. I cannot find any notes about in the master patch list for March 2021. On an internet search I found this.

“Microsoft released microcode updates, designed to protect Windows 10 systems against Spectre-based attacks, for Windows 10 version 1809, Windows 10 version 1903 and 1909, Windows 10 version 2004, 20H2 and 21H1 this week.”

Should I install it of leave it alone. Has anyone had a problem with it?

Thank

Mark

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https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/march-patching-madness-begins/#post-2349450

Some don’t like to install Intel’s microcodes and claim it slows Windows.
You can hide it.

I installed the microcode and see no effect.

If you install and want to disable it you can do so at : https://www.grc.com/inspectre.htm

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69800

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oldguy wrote:

Microcode is effectively CPU firmware, reconfiguring some of the logic in the CPU. Once done, that’s it until the next release.

oldguy
I seem to have the idea in my head that the microcode must be reapplied each boot by the OS. The wikipedia article does not disagree with this as it describes a volatile memory chip that acts as an ancillary firmware.

🍻

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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“I installed the microcode and see no effect.”

I’ve just got to ask “Uninstalled how?”
<p style=”text-align: left;”>Removing the patch is rather shooting the messenger but leaving the suspicious ticking package on your porch.. bolted down with security screws..</p>
Microcode is effectively CPU firmware, reconfiguring some of the logic in the CPU. Once done, that’s it until the next release. It’s all a bit cloak and dagger as you can probably understand the malware / ransomware value of the CPU (as often the priciest component, potentially soldered in in the case of portable devices). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Microcode

Its often said those updates slow Windows as it’s often orientated around tweaking a clock divider setting  somewhere in the guts of the CPU down a cycle or two, as left as default it might result in certain configurations running a little too fast for the slower chips in some batches to meet Intel’s reliability figures. So yes, they slow us all down so the slow chips can keep up, but it’s usually a tiny amount.

I’d also wonder if Windows has some code which shims process timing (effectively calibrating process timings against the hardware’s operating speed ensuring code operates in an organised sequence), which is thrown out by the change – when we had the Windows XP/7 one which caused slow systems and a weird icon on the taskbar users couldn’t remove we found often the machines had failed other Windows updates long before the microcode update happened, and that reloading an image created on hardware with all the relevant Windows,  firmware and microcode updates installed worked as well as they did before. (That is to say, the firmware patch package was left in the image.) If the image was used on non-updated hardware, the  microcode patch seemed to apply without issues, which implies the effects were the result of an absent Windows update predating the microcode update.

Which means back to the original question, I would say as the patch has not been proffered it has either been superseded by a patch with a newer microcode version (or the update has been applied as a part of a BIOS update as happens with some vendors – the “laptop” bit with the likely soldered in processor would indicate that was  a sensible scenario here) or his processor simply doesn’t need it as it has newer microcode from the factory or is not affected by the problem as the patch only works with specific processors it is designed for.

 

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69800

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I guess my feeling is I make backups before update but having Micosoft messing with my chip does not instill confidence. But I remember now long ago I used inspectre. I will check it on the wifes laptop. I know at least understand whats going on. Thanks all

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69800 wrote:

having Micosoft messing with my chip

It has nothing to do with Microsoft. It is Intel’s update that you can download from your PC’s OEM or directly from Intel.

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I use Win10 LTSC 2019 (v1809) and have installed KB4589208 from MS Update Catalog on both Intel and AMD systems running LTSC 2019 and I’m not experiencing problems with it

KB4589208 is fine on my end

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Remember you can use the tool from  https://www.grc.com/inspectre.htm to enable/disable the Microcode patches.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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