Patch Lady – scanning for updates

https://www.csoonline.com/article/3321140/windows-security/how-to-use-powershell-to-scan-for-windows-10-security-updates.html

I know many of you already know this…but in case you don’t.  That’s how to scan for updates on Windows 10 without installing them.

With video too!

(look for more of these security video tips coming to csoonline.com)

Deanna’s Freeware Spotlight: Intel Microcode Boot Loader v0.3

Some motherboard manufacturers have failed to release firmware updates to patch the Spectre vulnerability which allows speculative execution side-channel attacks (CVE-2017-5715, CVE-2017-5753, CVE-2017-5754). Eran Badit has created this on-the-fly workaround which requires the creation of a bootable flash drive that is left in the system. The patch is engaged on every boot. Get the zip file from OlderGeeks.com ->

https://www.oldergeeks.com/downloads/file.php?id=2626

Patch Lady – a bit of transparancy for 1809

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4464619/windows-10-update-history

Holy cow, we have a bit of transparency.  We have a new section in the update history page that lists current blocking items and eta of a resolution.

Including my lovely one of the mapped drives issue which they indicate they are working on for 2019.

Click on that link, scroll down for the section called Current status and just have a moment of zen and transparency:

Current status of Windows, version 1809, Windows Server 2019, and Windows Server, version 1809

Oh and as a reminder, if you do want to install 1809 early and be a beta tester, watch your antivirus as clearly a/v partners aren’t quite ready.

How to upgrade Win10 Pro to the version of Win10 that YOU want

We have enough experience with the settings now that I’m confident the “defer upgrades” approach to choosing a specific version of Win10 works.

But it’s a little tricky.

Details in Computerworld Woody on Windows.

Malicious Software Removal Tool update, KB 890830, throwing weird WinXP (!) EULA prompts

If I’d seen it once, I’d just disregard it as another bizarre Microsoft bug. But we have three reports now, like this one from @Morat:

I’m running Windows 7 Pro 32-bit. MSRT Nov 2018 KB890830 popup notice says, “Prerelease Version of Service Pack 2 for Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Home, Media Center, or Tablet PC Edition END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR PRERELEASE CODE”. What the heck… prerelease code for Windows XP?

There’s confirmation from @bsfinkel and from an anonymous poster.

Looks like there’s a bug in KB 890830 for 32-bit Win7 — Prerelease code for XP? Pshaw.

Thx, @Microfix

Patch Lady – 1809 and mapped drives

For those of you in a domain, who have Windows 10 pro versions, please make sure that you  have put in place feature update deferrals to ensure you don’t receive 1809 until you … and Microsoft … are ready for it.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4471218/mapped-network-drives-don-t-work-in-windows-10-version-1809

I cannot believe.. well I guess in this era of Microsoft I can believe… that Microsoft would release an update that would impact their customer base like this.  Yes, it’s documented, yes there are “workarounds” but there is possibilities that line of business applications will not be happy with these solutions given.

In Microsoft’s zeal to code for their future, they are putting bugs in their existing customers.  UNC paths and browser only may be the wave of the future, but to many small and medium businesses with older workforces (like mine) a mapped drive is the typical way that many firms still have their network set up.

Furthermore this bug is not listed as a known issue on the Windows 10 update history page (only the file association bug is) so I’m going to have to keep track of KB4471218 to see if this gets resolved in the future.

Bottom line ensure you have feature update deferrals in place.  And note that you can set a deferral for longer than the platform is supported on the Pro version.  For example Windows 10 pro only gets an 18 month window of support for security updates until you have to upgrade to the next feature release.  So you could put in place a 365 day deferral and then end up where your version (Windows 10 1703 for example) fell out of support last month.  Microsoft does not code the feature deferral process with Pro in mind, they have Enterprise and Education skus in their vision when they code the deferral process.

So be aware if you do choose a deferral period of 365 days, and you have Pro version, you WILL be deferring yourself into an unsupported condition and will need to either change the deferral to 0, or manually install the next feature release to get yourself to where you will receive security updates again.

And at the risk of sounding like a broken record, if you are a Home version, ensure you upgrade to Pro so you can defer feature upgrades.

Today’s post is a Two Pinocchio rated post.  Not simple and certainly NOT transparent.

Hoffman: Windows Isn’t a Service; It’s an Operating System

Yet another laser-sharp analysis from Chris Hoffman at HowToGeek.

“Windows as a Service” is failing. It’s obvious: Windows is not a service, and never was. It’s a desktop operating system, and it doesn’t need updates every six months. Even iOS and Android only get significant updates once per year.

You can’t patch the desktop like a phone.

Ever consider dropping back to the LTSB/LTSC version of Win10?

It ain’t easy.

Gregg Keizer explains everything you need to know about LTSC. Well, almost everything.