Newsletter Archives

• Microsoft confirms bug triggering bluescreens in Win10 HP computers

  Posted on October 12, 2018 at 07:32 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Toldja so….

  The problem with WDF_VIOLATION bluescreens in HP computers after installing the latest Win10 1803 or 1809 cumulative updates isn’t, exactly, the fault of the updates.

  The problem lies in the interaction of those updates with an HP keyboard driver that Microsoft pushed as part of the update process.

  We have official confirmation now. KB 4468372 was just issued, and it says:

  Microsoft has identified an HP driver with known incompatibility with certain HP devices on Windows 10 versions 1803 and 1809.  On October 11, Microsoft removed the driver from Windows Update to reduce the number of devices affected. Additionally, we have released KB 4468304 to remove the incompatible driver from devices pending reboot. HP is actively working on this issue.

  I just don’t understand why Microsoft insists on pushing drivers — and why they don’t test their pushed cumulative updates with their pushed drivers.

  Sigh.

  Windows Patches/Security HP

• Bluescreens reported on HP machines with the latest Win10 1803 and 1809 cumulative updates

  Posted on October 11, 2018 at 10:08 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  But it isn’t at all clear if the bluescreen is due to the cumulative update, the freshly pushed HP keyboard driver, or something else.

  My guess is that there’s a conflict between the “HP Development Company, L.P. – Keyboard -7/11/2018 12:00:00 AM – 11.0.3.1” driver, recently pushed by Windows, and with the Win10 1803 and 1809 cumulative updates. But it’s only a guess.

  Computerworld Poirot on Windows.

  Windows Patches/Security BSOD, HP, KB 4462919, KB 4464330

• Did you install the latest Meltdown/Spectre BIOS/UEFI firmware update? Joke’s on you

  Posted on January 24, 2018 at 09:56 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  What an unbelievable mess.

  At least Dell, HP and Lenovo are withdrawing all of their firmware updates. But if you heeded their call — and ignored my warning — you’re now approximately 10 meters into deep doodoo.

  Computerworld Woody on Windows

  Windows Patches/Security Dell, Firmware, HP, Lenovo, Meltdown, Spectre

• Remember the HP Synaptics keylogger that was pulled last week? HP says it wasn’t a keylogger

  Posted on December 15, 2017 at 08:30 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  You can make up your own mind, of course, but last week I posted a reference to Catalin Cimpanu’s report of a massive replacement of HP Synaptics drivers.

  HP now says:

  Synaptics is aware of articles that were published where it was purported that there was a “keylogger” in our touchpad drivers. This is inaccurate. Our debug tool was mischaracterized in the articles as “keylogger”…

  Using a standardized risk scoring system, the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS), this debug tool scores approximately 2 out of 10, and is classified as a low risk. In today’s heightened sensitivity to security and privacy, Synaptics will take the precautionary steps of defeaturing the debug tool for production drivers to further prevent the tool from being used in an unintended and malicious way.

  I’m of the opinion (in my usual snarky way) that anything that walks like a duck and quacks like a duck certainly has ducklike qualities.

  Windows Patches/Security HP, Synaptics driver

• There’s a reason why you just got a driver update for your HP notebook

  Posted on December 9, 2017 at 06:38 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Looks like somebody forgot and left a keylogger sitting inside the Synaptics Touchpad driver, SynTP.sys.

  Full story by Catalin Cimpanu on bleeping computer.

  HP released a list of affected notebooks. The list is 475 models-long and includes 303 consumer notebooks and 172 commercial notebooks, mobile thin clients, and mobile workstations. Affected model lines include HP’s 25*, mt**, 15*, OMEN, ENVY, Pavilion, Stream, ZBook, EliteBook, and ProBook series, along with several Compaq models.

  Other HP, keylogger

• Windows 10 can be installed on an HP Stream 7 tablet

  Posted on January 28, 2015 at 11:58 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  In spite of WIMboot.

  See this HP support thread.

  t/h AR

  Windows News HP, WIMboot, Windows 10 build 9946

• HP and Palm – room for another phone OS?

  Posted on April 29, 2010 at 08:21 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  You’ve probably heard that HP has offered to buy Palm for $ 1,200,000,000. Pending regulatory approval and some other hurdles, the deal should be consummated this summer.

  John Fortt at Fortune has the best analysis I’ve seen:

  Today, HP’s small portfolio of iPAQ business smartphones and handhelds runs Microsoft’s Windows Mobile OS. Its soon-to-launch HP tablet computer runs Windows 7. Its DreamScreen digital picture frames run a homegrown flavor of Linux, and its netbooks come in both Windows 7 and Linux varieties. And its high-end calculators run another OS. Compare that to Apple, whose iPhones, iPads and iPod touches all run the same OS, and use the same app store.

  So now we have iPhone and Android, both strong contenders. Then there’s Windows Mobile, which always struck me as a me-too, but then I’m biased. Now we have webOS getting the money, if not the recognition, it deserves. Is there room in the mobile market for four OSs?

  Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer chances…

  Other HP, Palm