Patch Watch: Recent updates to the Master Patch List; Win10 1809 still not ready; MS Security Intelligence Report

It’s a busy week for Patch Lady Susan Bradley:

• Win10 version 1809 still isn’t “ready for business” — but it’s hard to define the term
• Cleanup changes with the Win10 1809 update installer
• Microsoft’s just-released Security Intelligence Report
• And a full update to Susan’s legendary Master Patch List

If you’re in charge of patching a bunch of computers, this is your go-to central source of information.

(For everyday PC users, wait for the MS-DEFCON level to change.)

Out this morning to all AskWoody Plus members, in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 16.7.0.

Deanna’s Freeware Spotlight: Safe Startup

A simple program that warns you of recently installed programs that launch on startup. Think of Autoruns or the Task Manager’s Startup tab, with a much improved interface and simplified operation.

And it’s free.

Details in this week’s AskWoody Plus Newsletter 16.8.0, out this morning to AskWoody Plus Members.

Best Practices: Instant file transfers with Win10’s Nearby sharing

Starting with Windows 10 version 1803, you have the ability to share files between Win10 computers that are within 30 feet of each other — no cables, no Wi-Fi, no internet. All you need is a relatively new but increasingly common technology called Bluetooth LE.

Also RemotePC — a free app that lets you control your PC from any internet-connected device, including your phone or tablet.

Full instructions by Michael Lasky in this week’s AskWoody Plus Newsletter 16.8.0, out this morning to AskWoody Plus Members.

Patch Lady – need a fix for JUST Access 95 issues?

Greg pointed out to me that in addition to the update rollup previews that Microsoft released for 8.1/7 (etc etc) that included the fixes if you have Access 95, they also released catalog only versions that look to me to only have the needed fix ups if you are impacted by the Access 95 issues.

As he points out rather than…KB4487016 or KB4487028, instead you can grab KB4490512 from the Update catalog.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4490512/windows-8-1-update-kb4490512

Similarly for Windows 7, rather than KB1153232 or KB4486564 instead you can grab KB4490511

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4490511/windows-7-update-kb4490511

Finally for Server 2012, rather than KB4487024, grab KB4490516

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4490516/windows-server-2012-update-kb4490516

I tell ya it takes a village to keep up with this stuff.  I’ll add this to the master list and thank you!

Where we stand with the February patches

What an odd month.

We got a ton of bugs introduced in the Patch Tuesday patches that were — mostly, but not completely — solved by patches later in the month. Microsoft’s still holding back on Win10 1809 patches, which is good news — but 1809 isn’t “ready for business.” And the mystery update bulldozer patch KB 4023057 has come out of the closet, into the Catalog.

Details in Computerworld Woody on Windows.

We’re still at MS-DEFCON 2. As far as I know, there are no major security problems solved by the February patches, so let’s give things a rest for now. Those of you using Win10 Pro or Enterprise, who follow my recommendations, have already installed updates, and everybody else should sit back and enjoy the weekend.

UPDATE: And, of course, just minutes after the Computerworld article hit, Microsoft released KB 4482887 – the second February cumulative update for Win10 version 1809. Except they’re calling it the March 1 update. There’s an enormous list of 36 fixes. As usual for a second “optional non-security” cumulative update, you have to manually install it or click Check for updates.

Getting Started

With all of the new AskWoody Loungers brought in by way of the Windows Secrets Newsletter, I get lots of questions about getting started on the site. Here are three just right off the bat:

TP: I cannot find any way to post a question in the forum. I have searched for my topic and do not find an answer so I would like to post a question. Can you help me?

Excellent question. As you say, the first step is to look for your question, to see if it’s been asked (and answered!) before. You can use the Search box down on the right side. Or you can use your favorite search engine — in Google, you could say something like “sound doesn’t work site:askwoody.com”

If you find a topic that’s close to yours, you can add a post (called a “reply”) to that topic by scrolling down to the bottom of the page, filling out the “Reply To” box, and clicking Submit. The first few replies you Submit are moderated – reviewed by a living, breathing human – before they appear on the site, so be patient.

If you have something that’s a completely new topic (“What is the effect of gamma rays on man-in-the-moon marigolds?”), you need to find a home for it – a forum. Scroll down the list of forums on the right and click on the link to a likely-sounding forum (“Android for Windows Wonks”?). You see a list of topics. To add your own question – your own topic – to the list, at the bottom, type a short title, then describe your problems in the box. When you’re done, click Submit. Again, your first few posts will be moderated before it appears, and that can take time.

GL: How do I change my password?

In the upper right corner, click on your username or your picture (“avatar”). Then click Edit. The password change boxes are under “Account.” by the way, you can see the status of your Plus Membership subscription there, too, under

WB: How do I put a picture on my account?

Go to Gravatar, sign in, upload a pic, and you’re done. That’s all it takes. Gravatar (which is owned by the same people who own WordPress) links your WordPress account’s email address to their database on Gravatar. If the email addresses match, your picture appears — and not just on this site, but on every WordPress site.

HI: Why can’t I use my email address as a username?

You can.  After seeing some feedback from our more attentive readers, I’m not going to allow posts from accounts where the account name is an email address. There are GDPR considerations. Read on.

The accounts we imported from the Windows Secrets Newsletter mailing list all had usernames that are email addresses — that’s the only identifier we could pick up. There’s a danger in using your email address as a username. First, even if you try to mask it (by setting a Display name, for example), your email address appears every time you post something on AskWoody. All anyone has to do is hover their mouse over a post. Second, it’s not a good idea to spread your email address all over the place. Spiders — which very helpfully crawl the web and index things — may pick up your email address. Also, there’s lots of confusion when it comes time to change passwords — a “Who’s on First” experience when your username is also your email address.

I strongly recommend that you change your account if you have a username that’s also your email address. Since you can’t change your username directly (WordPress doesn’t allow it, for good reason), the only way is to contact me at CustomerSupport@AskWoody.com. I’ll step you through the changes. Your current subscription goes along to the new account. I guarantee it.

Your privacy is very important. To me.

UPDATE: Some of you are sending messages to CustomerSupport that come from email address that look like outlook_8350261C1BB1228. When I reply, those messages are bouncing back. If you haven’t heard from me in a couple of days, send me mail from a “real” email address! It’s Microsoft’s problem, but it’s knocking me out for several of you.

Now it’s your turn. Have a burning newbie question? Or an answer or recommendation? Click on the “Comment on the AskWoody Lounge” link up at the top of this post and fire away….

Mary Jo Foley: There’s a reason why MS is starting to test Win10 20H1 so early… and, no, it isn’t because they’re switching to annual releases

Crestfallen.

Yesterday, Mary Jo Foley published a report relying on her sources inside Microsoft about the surprising “Skip ahead” testing of Win10 20H1 — the version that isn’t due out until a year from now.

I had speculated that, maybe, somebody inside Microsoft had come to their senses, and they were using this as a way to move to once-a-year versions of Win10. Nope. At least, according to Foley’s sources:

Some people wondered if this was a sign Microsoft might be moving to one Windows 10 feature update per year (nope).

Crestfallen, I tell you. She has a plausible reason:

The Windows team is close to finalizing Windows 10 19H1. If schedules had all aligned, the core OS team would already be well on its way to finishing the new core platform release (codenamed “Vanadium”), targeted for internal delivery by June 2019, which would be the base of the next Windows 10 release [version 19H2 or 1909]. But the timing just doesn’t work out. As a result, my contacts say, the new plan is for the core OS team to skip its internal June platform release and just focus on the December 2019 internal release (codenamed “Vibranium”) — which will be the basis for the Windows 10 20H1 release.

Which makes me want to curl up and suck on my thumb.

It seems that the Azure tail is now wagging the Win10 dog.

Fred Langa: “What’s the cheapest way to network an external hard drive?”

Fred says, “How about $0.00?”

If that surprises you, check out Fred’s latest column on Langa.com.