Newsletter Archives

• Ongoing list of problems with this month’s Win10 Creators Update cumulative update KB 4038788

  Posted on September 19, 2017 at 11:44 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  @MrBrian has been knocking them back. Officially acknowledged:

  After installing this update, some users may observe performance or unresponsiveness issues on the first launch of the Microsoft Edge browser.

  Closing and restarting Microsoft Edge will alleviate this issue.  This issue may appear periodically.

  Microsoft is working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release.

  Some users may experience a black screen on their device for 5-10 minutes upon rebooting the OS. After this time, the user will regain use of their device. This issue is triggered on every reboot.  

  Microsoft is working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release. For more information see KB4043345.

  The .NET cumulative updates are a mess. As usual.

  Any others floating around?

  Windows Patches/Security 15063.608, Creators Update, KB 4038788

• 10 tricks to get Win10 Creators Update buttoned up and locked down

  Posted on August 9, 2017 at 06:49 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  General advice for taking control of Win10 version 1703.

  Computerworld feature.

  Windows Patches/Security Creators Update, Win10 1703

• Windows 10 Anniversary Update 1607 = end of the road for Clover Trail chips, but security patches continue

  Posted on July 19, 2017 at 20:09 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  No doubt you watched as the drama unfolded: Ed Bott at ZDNet reported on Monday that folks with older Atom Clover Trail based PCs — Atom Z2760, Z2520, Z2560 and Z2580 processors — were blocked from installing the Win10 Creators Update, version 1703. If you had the temerity to try to upgrade from 1607 to 1703 on one of these three-year-old machines, you were greeted with the nonsensical message:

  Windows 10 is no longer supported on this PC

  Uninstall this app now because it isn’t compatible with Windows 10.

  That sparked quite a furor online, where pundits were all over the map, trying to explain (and even excuse!) Microsoft’s callous behavior. Support for 1607 — the last version of Win10 available for these Clover Trail PCs — ends about a year from now. Folks who bought the Clover Trail PCs in the first wave of Win 8.1 mania, and upgraded to Win 10 (thank you, GWX), had unwittingly boxed themselves into a dark corner where security patches stopped in early 2018. Nevermind that Win 8.1 support goes to January 2023.

  Surprise.

  A couple of hours ago, Ed posted an emailed statement from Microsoft that explains the sorry state of affairs, apparently laying the blame on Intel’s doorstep:

  If a hardware partner stops supporting a given device or one of its key components and stops providing driver updates, firmware updates, or fixes, it may mean that device will not be able to properly run a future Windows 10 feature update…

  these systems are no longer supported by Intel, and without the necessary driver support, they may be incapable of moving to the Windows 10 Creators Update without a potential performance impact…

  The statement came with an amazing offer:

  To keep our customers secure, we will provide security updates to these specific devices running the Windows 10 Anniversary Update until January of 2023.

  That means Microsoft’s on the hook to support 1607 for five years more than originally anticipated. Not cool for the Softies, because Microsoft’s been planning on dumping older versions of Win10 every 18 months. Windows as a Service, ya know.

  While I welcome the announcement, I can’t help but wonder what’s going to happen with the next bunch of aging processors.

  I also wonder what kind of conversations transpired between Satya Nadella and Brian Krzanich. Looks like the old Microsoft-Intel wars are back in full swing.

  Microsoft News 1607, Clover Trail, Creators Update, Win10 1703

• Win10 Creators Update will not install on some Atom/Clover Trail computers

  Posted on July 17, 2017 at 09:00 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  A damning report from Ed Bott on ZDNet.

  UPDATE: Paul Thurrott has a contrary opinion in this tweet:

  “The following Intel processors are not CURRENTLY supported by the Win10 Creators Update.” Drivers ARE coming. https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-windows_install/intel-clover-trail-processors-are-not-supported-on/ed1823d3-c82c-4d7f-ba9d-43ecbcf526e9

  And Paul draws a sobering conclusion in his paywalled article Windows as a Disservice:

  Any company could, at any time, stop supporting any one component in any given PC. And if that end of support is serious enough—like Intel declining to update 3-to-4-year old bargain basement CPUs like those Atom chips at the heart of this matter—that means that Microsoft may be forced to no longer support Windows 10 on that PC. The lifetime of that device has come to a close.

  As I’ve said many times before, subscribing to Paul’s Premium service is well worth the $48/year (initial offer).

   

  Windows News, Windows Patches/Security Clover Trail, Creators Update

• Echoing the pace of the Anniversary Update, Microsoft releases KB 4020102, another big bug fix

  Posted on May 26, 2017 at 10:17 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Yesterday Microsoft released KB 4020102 , a big bug fix for the Win10 Creators Update, version 1703. That brings Win10 1703 up to build 15063.332.

  Nothing much to see here, folks. It’s a garden-variety bug fix, common with new versions — the result of accumulated pain from unpaid beta testers for version 1703. AdDuplex says that 18% of Win10 users are on 1703. Which, they say, is the same adoption rate that we saw with Anniversary Update.

  Patching Creators Update is proceeding at the Anniversary Update’s pace, as well.

  In the case of Creators Update, version 1703, there was an initial patch to build 15063.13 on April 5, a security patch on Patch Tuesday 15063.138 on April 11, and one to build 15063.250 on April 25. Then there was a security patch 15063.296 on Patch Tuesday, May 9. And now a general bug fix to 15063.332 on May 25. That makes five patches in seven weeks.

  For Anniversary Update, version 1607, we saw build 14393.10 on Aug. 2 (same date as general availability), build 14393.51 on Aug. 9 (Patch Tuesday), and build 14393.82 on Aug. 23, build 14393.105 on Aug. 31, build 14393187 on Sept 13 (Patch Tuesday), 14393.187 on Sept 20 – six patches in seven weeks.

  The more things change, the more they stay the same.

  Of course, you’re smart, you run Win10 Anniversary Update (or Win7 or 8.1), and you’ve actively blocked the upgrade to 1703.

  If you’re running Creators Update and have a problem with KB 4020102, be sure to let Microsoft know, on the Reddit thread.

  Windows Patches/Security Anniversary Update, Creators Update, KB 4020102

• Tell me again – how is the “new” Win10 updating method better than the old one?

  Posted on April 28, 2017 at 06:08 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Many of you know that I’ve been scratching my head about the announcement that the emperor has new… er, that Win10 1703 is getting a new layer of patches.

  I’m still scratching.

  InfoWorld Woody on Windows with special thanks (once again) to Susan Bradley.

  Windows Patches/Security Creators Update, KB 4016240, patching

• Time to install Creators Update?

  Posted on April 26, 2017 at 14:26 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  I’ve received many questions like this, from MT:

  I am currently on Version 1607 (Build 14393.953). Some time ago I enabled
  “Defer Windows Updates” per your instructions. Each month since then I have
  waited for your indication that it was ok to update. But now that the
  Creators Update is out, I am confused about how this will work.

  If I disable “Defer Windows Updates” and then I then run Windows Update,
  won’t I get the Creators Update installed?

  Or will it show up when I run wushowhide the second time? Thus giving me a
  chance to hide it.

  Thank you.

  Your best bet is to wait until Creators Update is declared “Current Branch for Business” – likely a couple months away.

  If you disable “Defer Windows Update,” you may or may not get Creators Update. At this point only 10% of Anniversary Update users have been upgraded to Creators Update, and Microsoft’s controlling the rollout closely.

  The easiest approach, if you’re using Win10 Pro, is to set Defer Windows Update. In Win10 Home, the options aren’t as easy.

  http://www.infoworld.com/article/3188869/microsoft-windows/todays-the-day-to-block-windows-10-creators-update.html

  If you’ve turned off all updating, via a metered connection, you’ll have to switch updating back on (perhaps turn off metered connection) before this month’s patches will appear.

  Windows Patches/Security Creators Update

• Creators Update supports multiple partitions on removable drives – but not very well

  Posted on April 22, 2017 at 15:02 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  New report from Günter Born about multi-partition support on USB drives, in the new Win10 Creators Update:

  we have an extension allowing Windows 10 Version 1703 to mount multiple partition on removable media and show the logical volumes within file manager. But the tools required to create such media structures are not updated in a proper way.

  I wonder what other wonders await?

  Windows News Creators Update, Multi-partition
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