Newsletter Archives

• More problems installing the April Monthly Rollups if you have Avira antivirus

  Posted on May 12, 2019 at 07:06 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Remember the ongoing problems with the six (now nine) Win7/8.1/Server patches and the five-or-so incompatible antivirus programs? Bluescreens, extreme slowdowns and the like.

  Earlier this month, when we switched over to MS-DEFCON 4, I was a bit skeptical about Avira. Here’s what I said in the Computerworld article:

  In a private communication, an Avira spokesperson says that Microsoft is no longer blocking the problematic patches on machines running Avira.

  And in fact an Avira spokesman told me on May 2:

  Avira delivered an automatic update to all Windows users on April 17. MS also offers again all updates to Avira users. Unfortunately, MS has still not updated its KB article

  Microsoft’s snazzy new Release Information page was updated on May 3 to say:

  System may be unresponsive after restart if Avira antivirus software installed

  Microsoft and Avira have identified an issue on devices with Avira antivirus software installed that may cause the system to become unresponsive upon restart after installing KB4493472. Microsoft has temporarily blocked devices from receiving this update if Avira antivirus software is installed.

  Next steps: Avira has released an automatic update to address this issue. Guidance for Avira customers can be found in the Avira support article.

  The Release Information page marks the problem as “Mitigated.” But there are many folks who would beg to differ.

  @rhp52 has reported continuing problems getting the Win7 April Monthly Rollup installed while Avira Antivirus is running. Several posters have noted that Avira keeps updating versions — it’s now up to 15.0.1905.1249 — but no joy in Mudville.

  For now, it seems like the best advice for those running Avira antivirus is to:

  1. Make sure Avira is as up to date as you can get it.
  2. Download the Monthly Rollup (which file depends on the version of Windows that you’re using)
  3. Make a full system backup. I use EaseUS Todo Backup Free, but there are many alternatives.
  4. Disconnect from the internet
  5. Install the Rollup
  6. Reconnect.

  Any contrary opinions or experiences?

  Windows Patches/Security April 2019 Black Tuesday, Avira

• Confused by the second April Win10 1809 cumulative update and the second second update? You aren’t the only one.

  Posted on May 3, 2019 at 16:34 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  On May 1, Microsoft released the second cumulative update for the April cumulative update for Win10 1809. It’s KB 4501835, and it brings Win10 1809 up to build 17763.439. As I explained at the time in Computerworld:

  Oddly, in the Microsoft Catalog, the latest [KB 4501835] cumulative update is listed as:

  2019-05 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1809

  … whereas in the past, these 1809 laggards have been identified with the previous month. I would’ve expected “2019-04 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1809.” A foolish inconsistency.

  With me so far? It’s about to get crazy (and drive @PhotM nuts).

  On May 3 (today), Microsoft released its second second cumulative update for the April cumulative update for Win10 1809. (Say that ten times real fast.) It’s KB 4495667 and it brings Win10 1809 up to build 17763.475.

  Got that?

  Sooooo… what is this new update called? Why it’s the

  2019-05 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1809

  No, there’s no echo in here.

  Microsoft has apparently resolved, ahem, the discrepancy by renaming the former cumulative update

  2019-04 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1809

  without fanfare. If you check the Microsoft Catalog listings, you’ll see that it’s been renamed.

  @rpodric had a prescient tweet on this very subject earlier this morning, after the second cumulative update and before the second second cumulative update:

  @AskWoody

  Have you ever heard why MS doesn't actually label Win10 updates as it does Win7's? Otherwise, it's not super-easy, at least for me, to tell which is what type. pic.twitter.com/ey8Fcbp3VL

  — Rick (@rpodric) May 3, 2019

  and with that I think I’m ready for a drink. Thx @PhotM, @Kirsty

  Windows Patches/Security April 2019 Black Tuesday, KB 4495667, KB 4501835, Win10 1809

• MS-DEFCON 4: It’s time to install the April 2019 patches

  Posted on May 3, 2019 at 08:00 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  If you’re running Win7, 8.1, or any of the associated Server versions, you need to make sure your antivirus is up-to-date. But in general we’re ready to move forward, into the future.

  Detailed steps in Computerworld Woody on Windows.

  Windows Patches/Security April 2019 Black Tuesday, MS-DEFCON 4

• Microsoft releases the second “April” cumulative update for Win10 1809, KB 4501835

  Posted on May 2, 2019 at 09:56 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  UPDATE in Computerworld Woody on Windows.

  It’s the final version of Windows to get an “optional non-security” cumulative update this month. Er, last month.

  KB 4501835 brings Win10 1809 up to build 17763.439.

  All but one of the fixes is for the Japanese Era bug.

  I wonder if Win10 1809 actually fixes the bug? I’m still hearing that the other cumulative updates – the ones for different versions – didn’t.

  Windows Patches/Security April 2019 Black Tuesday, Japanese date, KB 4501835

• Where we stand with the April 2019 patches

  Posted on April 29, 2019 at 08:22 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  With the six dirty Windows patches knocking out five different companies’ antivirus packages, things have been a bit rocky. There’s an update, but it’s not a simple one.

  We still don’t have an “optional non-security” patch for Win10 1809, but that’s OK, you wouldn’t want it anyway.

  Details in Computerworld Woody on Windows.

  Windows Patches/Security April 2019 Black Tuesday

• Still no April second cumulative updates for Win10, or Monthly Previews for Win7 or 8.1

  Posted on April 23, 2019 at 14:13 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  10 am Redmond time on the third  fourth Tuesday of the month has come and gone, and… no patches.

  Is Microsoft messin’ with me?

  Or is there a deeper reason?

  I’m still willing to venture a guess that MS is having problems with its promised 1809-blocking “Download and install now” feature.

  Details and an update in my Computerworld Woody on Windows article.

  Windows Patches/Security April 2019 Black Tuesday

• Woody’s Windows Watch: More on April’s abysmal Win7 and 8.1 patches

  Posted on April 22, 2019 at 05:49 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  

  Six (seven?) patches. Four (five?) antivirus programs. Bluescreens. Slow-as-sludge systems. Conflicting advice. Delayed warnings. Hundreds of thousands of machines put through the wringer.

  The people who know what happened with this month’s conflicted patches aren’t talking.

  Here’s what we know, and why it’s important to you — even if (especially if!) you run Windows 10.

  Woody pokes at the mystery and throws some well-deserved shade in this week’s AskWoody Plus Newsletter 16.15.0, out this morning to AskWoody Plus Members.

  Windows News April 2019 Black Tuesday, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Woody's Windows Watch

• Yet another conflict acknowledged with this month’s Win7 and 8.1 Monthly Rollups, this time with McAfee Endpoint Security

  Posted on April 19, 2019 at 06:29 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  And the hits keep on rolling…

  Last night, Microsoft added a new “Known issues with this update” entry to both KB 4493472, this month’s Win7 and Server 2008 R2 Monthly Rollup, and to KB 4493446, this month’s Win8.1 and Server 2012 R2 Monthly Rollup.

  Microsoft and McAfee have identified an issue on devices with McAfee Endpoint Security (ENS) Threat Prevention 10.x or McAfee Host Intrusion Prevention (Host IPS) 8.0 installed. It may cause the system to have slow startup or become unresponsive at restart after installing this update.

  We are presently investigating this issue with McAfee.

  Guidance for McAfee customers can be found in the following McAfee support articles:

  McAfee Security (ENS) Threat Prevention 10.x

  McAfee Host Intrusion Prevention (Host IPS) 8.0

  Both of those links are to essentially identical pages, which state:

  Changes in the Windows April 2019 update for Client Server Runtime Subsystem (CSRSS) introduced a potential deadlock with ENS.

  Workaround: Disable any Access Protection rule that protects a service.

  The announcement’s strange, not so much for what it contains (we’ve had similar reports for Sophos, Avast and Avira), but for what it doesn’t contain.

  First, the corresponding Security-only patches don’t have the same admonition. With Sophos, Avast and Avira we also got warnings for this month’s Win7 and 8.1 Security-only patches.

  Second, there’s no announcement for Server 2018.

  Third… why did it take so long? The bad patch is ten days old.

  The first two points may just be sloppy documentation. Heaven knows we’ve seen a lot of that lately. But the third one has me scratching my well-scratched pate.

  I’ll have more on this in Monday morning’s AskWoody Plus Newsletter.

  Windows Patches/Security April 2019 Black Tuesday, McAfee
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