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Nobody (at least not recently) has mentioned the role, if any, of https://www.safer-networking.org/spybot-anti-beacon/ in preventing, or at least minimising snooping telemetry by M$ or indeed others. Reviews are generally favourable but as usual range from “wouldn’t be without it” to “it screwed up my computer”.

Is anyone here using it or had experience of it?

@Woody side queries like this are another good reason why a proper forum would be useful, to identify separate subjects and be able to search for them. Some of the clubs I belong to use https://www.phpbb.com/ which I believe to be free open source.

Win10 22H2 Pro, MBAM Premium, Firefox, OpenOffice, Sumatra PDF.

I’ll take that as a compliment, though I’m starting from a low base

So just ignore the Quality update in WUpdate and retire to a rear trench?

Win10 22H2 Pro, MBAM Premium, Firefox, OpenOffice, Sumatra PDF.

I am looking after two third party machines (both Win7 x64) which I have consigned to Group A. Everything installed ok and only optional patches remain.

On my own two machines (one W7x32 and one W7x64) I have installed the Security Only patch KB3192391 and a separate .NET patch, but the Quality Rollup patch KB3185330 remains in WUpdate, whilst in Secunia there are also entries for .NET 3 and 4, IE11 and Silverlight 5, all quoting the same QR patch.

Anyone else seen this or otherwise able to comment, please?

Win10 22H2 Pro, MBAM Premium, Firefox, OpenOffice, Sumatra PDF.

Blimey it does work! Used
October, 2016 7
to get both x32 and x64 patches

Standing by for further instructions

Win10 22H2 Pro, MBAM Premium, Firefox, OpenOffice, Sumatra PDF.

+1 for those three patches.

Win10 22H2 Pro, MBAM Premium, Firefox, OpenOffice, Sumatra PDF.

That’s why I’m in the bunker

Win10 22H2 Pro, MBAM Premium, Firefox, OpenOffice, Sumatra PDF.

Got Silverlight (3193713) and .NET (3188740)

Also got Security+non-security Rollup (3185330) but not Security Rollup (3192391) – is that because the latter is contained de facto in the former?

Until further notice I’m retiring to the bunker with a hotline to Woody (to whom, many thanks once again).

Win10 22H2 Pro, MBAM Premium, Firefox, OpenOffice, Sumatra PDF.

Why do you say KB3138612 is ‘absolutely critical’? I have this on my list of hidden patches, there must have been a reason why originally (Woody? Susan Bradley?) but I can’t find it now.

For years now I’ve been installing (or hiding) patches as advised by Woody or Susan. This has kept me (and friends) from Win10 and also corrected the WU delay/no show. Given the forthcoming changes, at present time I have no intention of installing any of my hidden patches without good reason and have switched WU to ‘never check’.

It seems to me that roll-up updates mean that the only practical way forward is to be either in Group A (with delayed check/installation) or Group C (if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it). Group B smacks of ongoing work and heartache, of which I’ve had quite enough over the past twelve months or so.

Win10 22H2 Pro, MBAM Premium, Firefox, OpenOffice, Sumatra PDF.

“based on your feedback”

Nobody asked me! Linux or Mac or Android – that is the question .

Win10 22H2 Pro, MBAM Premium, Firefox, OpenOffice, Sumatra PDF.

Thanks for the suggestion, Spokes. I’ll take a look at Aquamail.

Bill

Sorry Bill, my mistake. The correct name is Mailbird. This works very well with Aquamail, which is my mobile email app. Apologies once more.

Win10 22H2 Pro, MBAM Premium, Firefox, OpenOffice, Sumatra PDF.

I used to use T’bird but because of mail syncing issues across pc and mobile platforms I’ve now moved to Aquamail on pc. That is fast to load, can be set to be ‘always on’ and has Google Calendar integration, so you might like to take it for a test run.

Win10 22H2 Pro, MBAM Premium, Firefox, OpenOffice, Sumatra PDF.

It looks like the latest Foxit Reader, 7.3.0.118, now integrates Foxit Cloud into the main program.

Thanks for the heads up! You can disable the Cloud tab via the Cloud settings. In the meantime I shall investigate Nitro and Sumatra.

Win10 22H2 Pro, MBAM Premium, Firefox, OpenOffice, Sumatra PDF.

As for another matter that irks many of you, the publishing schedule, let me assure you that you’re still receiving every week the same number of articles you received in the old-format, once-per-week Windows Secrets. They’re distributed differently—two to three articles per issue twice a week produces the four to six pieces per week that you were accustomed to receiving. Fred Langa is still writing LangaList Plus, as usual, and Susan Bradley is still producing the Patch Watch columns. Our other regular columnists continue to write columns. We continue to be very glad to work with all of them.

Just so you know, I continue to read all your posts here in the Lounge, too.

It’s good to know that Kathleen continues to read and post within the forum. Perhaps she can explain why we’re getting two ‘episodes’ each week covering only the same number of articles as previously, but in less accessible form, and paying more for it? Also perhaps comment on the possibility of getting access to Susan Bradley’s Patch Watch column only, on a (lower subscription) once/month basis? Like many others, I’m hoping things will improve, but making no plans to re-subscribe.

Win10 22H2 Pro, MBAM Premium, Firefox, OpenOffice, Sumatra PDF.

Well, I’ve had my latest newsletter, with the excellent Susan Bradley’s Patch Watch column. The rest can go hang, I either know about it or can find out elsewhere if/when I need to. The ‘Hitchhikers Guide’ is IMHO somewhat patronising – “We’ve received lots of feedback and support from you this week, along with many questions. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.” (But we’ll carry on just as we planned, spamming you twice a week with extraneous stuff). I’ll repeat my request for a paid for Patch Watch newsletter once a month. Otherwise I can’t see me renewing when my old subscription expires.

Win10 22H2 Pro, MBAM Premium, Firefox, OpenOffice, Sumatra PDF.

I have been a paid subscriber for a number of years. My main interest is the monthly Patch Watch articles plus occasional use of the forum. Some of the other newsletter articles are interesting but the information can usually be found elsewhere if necessary. So as I see it, I’m going to get eight newsletters a month instead of four, only one of which is of definite actionable importance to me for the maintenance of my small home network. What chance of a ‘Patch Watch only’ subscription? No doubt some folk will say that’s worth $25/year on it’s own, but that’s not the point – my gut feeling is that a lot of subscribers will be lost due to the ‘take it or leave it’ hike, and those remaining will have to take up the slack. Surely it’s better to pitch the subscription lower, or have a 2-level subscription, with a larger subscriber base, than lose numbers and, above all, goodwill?

Win10 22H2 Pro, MBAM Premium, Firefox, OpenOffice, Sumatra PDF.