Patch Lady – 1809 could be worse

Just when you think you are having a bad day, someone comes along proving that things aren’t so bad after all.

Take in point the poor 1809 workstation release.  It came out of the gate and stumbled with loss of data issues.  It took six months to be declared “ready for business”.  It still doesn’t release preview releases on a regular basis.  It’s been called a fiasco.

But in reality, it’s not THAT bad.  It could be worse.   Seriously.  It could be Hyper V server 2019, the HyperV only release that allows folks to host other servers.  It came out and then was pulled back and has yet to be rereleased.

Today comes this post.

Microsoft Hyper-V Server has a new composition, and as a result we are finding new issues that are delaying the release.  We are working through solutions and apologize again for the delay. If you installed the original RTM version when it was available, you may not be offered updates via Windows update. Microsoft recommends installing the latest cumulative update (KB4489899) from the Microsoft Update Catalog. Microsoft remains absolutely committed to shipping Hyper-V Server – thanks to our wonderful community for your patience.

Let that one sentence sink in for a second….  “If you installed the original RTM version when it was available, you may not be offered updates via Windows update. ”

(note 1809 just came out with it’s C/D release on the April A release date)

Usage share numbers: Microsoft’s browsers down in March, but Win10 up

Gregg Keizer on the browser wars:

An uptick for Microsoft’s Edge browser wasn’t enough to offset Internet Explorer’s slide in March. Chrome, meanwhile, continued its relentless ascent.

Chrome’s around 68%, Firefox less than 10%, IE 7% and Edge 5%.

Gregg on Windows numbers: Win10 about 50% of all Windows machines, Win7 about 42%.

MS-DEFCON 4: It’s time to get Windows and Office patched

There’s only one patch you should studiously avoid this month — Win7’s KB 4493132, the “Get Windows 10” nag patch.

Other than that, the sailing’s clear.

Perhaps surprisingly, I’m moving my Win10 production machines to version 1809. Not because of the feature improvements, which are minimal at best, but because it adds six months to the amount of time I can delay 1903.

Step-by-step details in Computerworld Woody on Windows.

Where we stand with the March 2019 patches

Looks pretty good, but there are some oddities.

Details in Computerworld Woody on Windows.

Michael Horowitz re-discovers the refreshgwxconfig-B “Get Windows 10” scheduled task

I though this was all behind us, but:

GWX is back on Win7. Found scheduled task "refreshgwxconfig-B" that runs "schtasks" with argument

shgwxconfig-B, MicrosoftWindowsSetupGWXTriggersrefreshgwxconfig-B

Runs daily. Admin can not disable it. Folder is

MicrosoftWindowsSetupGWXTriggers @BleepinComputer pic.twitter.com/EMmTEmRF2U

— Defensive Computing – Michael Horowitz (@defensivecomput) April 1, 2019

Martin Brinkmann talked about the appearance of this scheduled task (among others) back in January, based on a report also documented by Horowitz. As Brinkmann said in January:

What is puzzling about all this is that GWX should not be running anymore on the system. Microsoft ended the Get Windows 10 campaign in 2016 and there is no reason to keep scheduled tasks or files associated with it on the system.

Is Microsoft preparing for another Get Windows 10 campaign? Is it a bug? Leftover files on a system that were never removed completely?

I just checked my clean Seven Semper Fi machine — it doesn’t have the nagware KB 4493132 patch — and it, too, has the scheduled task refreshgwxconfig-B.

Anybody know what’s going on?

We’re down for the count

Not completely down, per se, but close enough.

The Lounge isn’t working right. Our devs are working on it.

Update: Seems we had an 90 minute outage, but we seem to be back in business now (2:57pm server time)

Devs say the outage was related to our onboard Search routine, which has been disabled.

Woody’s Windows Watch: What to tell friends who use Windows 7

No, the earth isn’t about to tear asunder and demons aren’t poised to pounce. But there are some very simple, common-sense admonitions that every Windows 7 customer should know. Even your sainted Aunt Mabel.

With 40%-of-so of all Windows machines running Win7, there’s a lot of FUD, plenty of marketing, and little clear, unbiased thinking.

We’re taking this trip to Win7 End of Life together. Here’s how to get started.

Out this morning to Plus members in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 16.12.0.

Patch Watch: Most of the March patches look clean at this point

Susan Bradley’s back with her long-anticipated look at all of the patches that piled up last month. Although Win10 1809 still hasn’t been patched, the rest of the motley crew are in generally good shape — with some notable stinkers here and there.

Win(ter)10 1903 is coming. Here’s how to keep up.

Out this morning to Plus members in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 16.12.0.

The Hard Side: Fixing Wi-Fi problems with a mesh network

Lincoln Spector steps you through the reasons for buying and installing a mesh network. If you’re still struggling with pulling wires, dyspeptic routers, signal boosters and coathangers, you’re in for a treat. The units are small, install like a charm, and cost less than you think. Probably.

Lincoln steps us through installation of both the AmpliFi MeshPoint and the Linksys Velop — two different kinds of mesh networks, both of which work like a-ringin’ a bell. (Personal note: I installed a Google Mesh network years ago and it’s been a lifesaver. One of the best computer buys I ever made.)

Out this morning to Plus members in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 16.12.0.

Win10 Insight: File Explorer’s hidden treasures

Win10’s File Explorer can jump through hoops you likely didn’t know existed. From custom filters to manually modifying metadata, and many place in between, Win10’s File Explorer puts the “work” in workhorse.

Inside tips from Michael Lasky.

Out this morning to Plus members in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 16.12.0.

Windows Secrets merge imminent

We’re waiting on the developers to put their heads together, but in the next few days you should expect that WindowsSecrets.com will be melded into AskWoody.com. Imperfectly, yes, but the seams shouldn’t be insurmountable.

If you have a Windows Secrets account and haven’t yet set up an account on AskWoody.com, now would be a very good time to do so. If your AskWoody account has the same email address as your Windows Secrets account, the merge should go through quite easily: All of your WSL posts will be folded into your AskWoody account. The matching email address is key.

Here’s how things will proceed. WindowsSecrets.com will be shut down, with a redirect to AskWoody.com. (That means if you point your browser to WindowsSecrets.com, you’ll end up at AskWoody.com.) Shortly afterward, the frozen Windows Secrets database will be merged into the AskWoody database.

At that point, expect slowdowns. We’re moving a metric ton of data — tens of thousands of user accounts, many hundreds of thousands of posts — so don’t be surprised if things are sluggish for a day or even more. While the merge is under way, you’ll have sporadic access to your account and your posts. We may even shut down AskWoody.com for a bit to accommodate the traffic. And Google’s spiders will be crawling and re-indexing for weeks.

When things come back up, there will be instructions and help for making the leap. With a bit of luck it won’t be too jarring.

So remember… if you have a Windows Secrets account, get an account set up on AskWoody with an email address that’s the same as the one on Windows Secrets. (DON’T use an email address as your AskWoody username!) Don’t be too surprised when things turn sluggish. And realize that, at some point, Windows Secrets won’t be in Kansas any more.

There’s an overview of what to expect here.

Microsoft unexpectedly declares Win10 1809 ready for business

This with a list of acknowledged bugs almost as long as my arm.

Details in Computerworld Woody on Windows.

Yeah, I think somebody read Susan’s Hey 1809, we need to talk.