Newsletter Archives

• MS-DEFCON 3: Cleanup time

  Posted on April 22, 2025 at 09:29 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 22.16.1 • 2025-04-22

  

  By Susan Bradley

  After every Patch Tuesday, there is a period I call “cleanup time.”

  By the end of the week, side effects start to pop up. Even though Microsoft does not usually document its patches well, we at least know which updates have been released and have had a chance to read through the release notes.

  This time, side effects appear to be widespread. I have therefore set the MS-DEFCON level to 3. Patch as necessary but check your results carefully.

  Anyone can read the full MS-DEFCON Alert (22.16.1, 2025-04-22).

  AskWoody Plus Alert, MS-DEFCON Alerts, Blue screens of death, BSOD, CVE-2025-21204, CWE-59, KB5002623, KB5002700, KB5055523, KB5055526, KB5058919, KB5058920, KB5058921, KB5058922, MS-DEFCON, MS-DEFCON 3, Patch Lady Posts, Server 2025, Windows 11 24H2

• Seeing BSOD’s on 24H2?

  Posted on April 16, 2025 at 22:07 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  Microsoft posted a cryptic note on its Admin page that some Windows 11 24H2 PCs are experiencing BSODs after the April updates are installed (details in my forum post). I don’t have the April updates on all machines, nor has 24H2 been installed on every system, but I’m not seeing this in my environment.

  After reviewing my sources, it’s clear that not all 24H2 machines are afflicted. What it does point out is that Microsoft still has a serious problem with a lack of documentation.

  Are you seeing this on your Windows 11 24H2 machines?  I’m not!

   

  Windows Security Blue screens of death, BSOD, Patch Lady Posts, Windows 11 24H2

• MS-DEFCON 2: Windows 11 21H2 nears end of life

  Posted on September 7, 2023 at 02:45 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 20.36.1 • 2023-09-07

  

  By Susan Bradley

  On October 10, 2023, the Home and Pro editions of Windows 11 21H2 will no longer be supported by Microsoft.

  Anticipating next week’s Patch Tuesday, I’m raising the MS-DEFCON level to 2. When (and if) the dust settles, we’ll enter another period of safe patching toward the end of the month. I’ll say more then, but you should prepare.

  Anyone can read the full MS-DEFCON Alert (20.36.1, 2023-09-07).

  AskWoody Plus Alert, MS-DEFCON Alerts, BSOD, Downfall, KB5025885, KB5029331, KB5029351, MS-DEFCON, MS-DEFCON 2, Patch Lady Posts, TLS

• MS-DEFCON 2: Getting ready for 2023

  Posted on January 5, 2023 at 02:45 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 20.01.1 • 2023-01-05

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Once again, we are preparing for another year of patching.

  And to start out the year auspiciously, I must raise the MS-DEFCON level to 2. That’s because I’m recommending that updates to Windows be deferred until later in the month. Although Microsoft takes a long Christmas vacation, and the resulting January is usually limited to just security updates, it’s best to be very cautious until the issues that cropped up in December are resolved.

  Anyone can read the full MS-DEFCON Alert (20.01.1, 2023-01-05).

  AskWoody Plus Alert, MS-DEFCON Alerts, BSOD, Microsoft Lifecycle, MS-DEFCON, MS-DEFCON 2, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, Windows Servers EoL

• MS-DEFCON 3: Windows 10 22H2 may leave you blue

  Posted on December 27, 2022 at 02:45 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 19.52.1 • 2022-12-27

  

  By Susan Bradley

  I have a favorite Christmas song titled “We need a little Christmas,” from the Broadway musical “Mame.”

  The uplifting tone of the song expresses the pleasure and happiness we experience during the holiday. We don’t usually associate “blue” feelings with the season (except Elvis).

  Windows 10 could use a little of that holiday spirit. Unfortunately, two different patches for 22H2 appear to be throwing off blue screens of death for some — but not all — users. As much as I’d like to lower the MS-DEFCON level to the more serene level 4, so you can enjoy the holiday while applying updates, out of caution I am dropping it only one notch.

  Anyone can read the full MS-DEFCON Alert (19.52.1, 2022-12-27).

  AskWoody Plus Alert, MS-DEFCON Alerts, BSOD, MS-DEFCON, MS-DEFCON 3, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, Windows 10

• BSoDs can be a good thing — really!

  Posted on May 11, 2020 at 01:15 CDT by Tracey Capen • Comment in the Forums
  

  On Security

  By Susan Bradley

  If your system crashes with an infamous blue screen of death, consider it a cry for help!

  BSoDs have always been an ugly side of Windows. Almost invariably, when Windows takes a powder, it’s at a most inopportune moment: right when you’re on deadline, right when you suddenly remember you haven’t hit Save for a while, right when your system is rebooting from an update. I like to joke that computers somehow know when you have to get something done — and now would be a great time to crash or otherwise malfunction. But blue screens of death are honestly a good thing. They are trying to tell you something is wrong with your computer.

  Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 17.18.0 (2020-05-11).

  On Security AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Blue screens of death, BlueScreenView, BSOD, Crash reports

• When the universe BSODs

  Posted on February 10, 2019 at 05:44 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  

  I found this image on Pinterest. I’d love to attribute it, but don’t know where it came from, although the description says it’s from Odessa, Ukraine.

  Other BSOD

• Microsoft acknowledges Surface Book 2 blue screen bug in Win10 1803 second monthly cumulative update

  Posted on December 5, 2018 at 07:22 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  

  Is there a German word for when a manufacturer’s flagship hardware product bluescreens after installing the latest update to its flagship operating system?

  Computerworld Woody on Windows.

  Thx @b, @abbodi86, @PKCano.

  Windows Patches/Security Blue Screen, BSOD, KB 4467682, Surface Book 2
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