Newsletter Archives

• Where are we with the patches?

  Posted on April 30, 2009 at 14:36 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Reader BH writes:

  Before the current MS update release on Tuesday you were at Defcon 4
  and stated to install the patches. Did that statement include:

  Microsoft.NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 and .NET Framework 3.5 Family Update (KB951847)

  KB952004

  KB956572

  KB959426

  KB960803

  Update Rollup for Actice X Killbit for Windows Vista (KB960715)

  I have been sitting on these for awhile and wish to know what to do with them.

  Your post regarding loading the patches did not specify the above and all along you have been stating not to load the Net Framework and Active X Killbit updates for some time now.

  I follow your MS-DEFCON and only load when you say so and I would guess many others follow the same procedure. Wish you would incorporate a chart with each to the updates listed and what to do with them. It would only involve the lastest listing plus those from past months  that you do not wish us to update.

  Wish I had time to do that! But it would be a monstrous task.

  Here’s what I recommend:

  I’m still ambivalent about KB951847. It breaks a lot of stuff. The ActiveX Killbit rollup also breaks a lot of stuff. I talk about both here.

  KB952004 and KB956572 are MS09-012. You should’ve installed that already, but if you haven’t, wait.

  KB959426 is MS09-015. Same comment.

  KB960803 is MS09-013, part of the massive Internet Explorer patch. Same comment, especially if you use Firefox.

  In general, if you follow the MS-DEFCON level, you’ll apply patches when they’re safe, and avoid applying patches when they aren’t. There are always a few stinkers – the ActiveX Killbit and .NET Framework patches fall into that category – but by and large you can apply the patches, when they’re fully baked, en masse.

  For now, hold off.

  Windows Patches/Security KB 951847, KB 952004, KB 956572, KB 959426, KB 960715, KB 960803

• Do I need to patch Internet Explorer?

  Posted on April 26, 2009 at 06:41 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Reader DS writes:

  I’m using Firefox.

  I updated some of the April 2009 Black Tuesday patches, but haven’t patched KB952004, KB596972, KB959426, KB960803.

  Vista is running so good I don’t want to mess it up. Should I just go ahead and patch with finger’s crossed?

  Yep. The MS-DEFCON 4 status applies to everyone using Firefox. The April 2009 patches seem to be working. Unfortunately, you have to patch Internet Explorer even if you use Firefox, because IE is baked into Windows.

  Windows Patches/Security KB 596972, KB 952004, KB 959426, KB 960803