Newsletter Archives

• MS-DEFCON 5: A very quiet February

  Posted on February 22, 2022 at 02:45 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 19.08.1 • 2022-02-22

  

  By Susan Bradley

  For the first time in an extremely long time, this month of patching has been so quiet that I’m changing the patching status to the magical level of 5.

  All’s clear. Patch while it’s safe!

  Don’t blink, because it may not happen again. There are so few issues that it feels too quiet, like the calm before the storm. The only thing I’m tracking is a few reports on issues with the 2012 R2 print server, because it broke printing on DataMax label and badge printers. However, I’m not tracking any issues with standalone printers.

  Anyone can read the full AskWoody Plus Alert 19.08.1 (2022-02-22).

  AskWoody Plus Alert AskWoody Plus Alerts, MS-DEFCON, MS-DEFCON 5, Patch Lady Posts

• MS-DEFCON 5: Get your systems patched

  Posted on January 10, 2020 at 11:16 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  The problems this month — which is to say, the December patches — are relatively benign (as long as you aren’t manually installing WIn7/Server 2008 Security-only patches). If you’re running Win10 version 1903, life’s much simpler.

  Step-by-step instructions in Computerworld Woody on Windows.

  P.S. Yes, that’s an MS-DEFCON 5. Get ’em while the gettin’s good.

  Windows Patches/Security December 2019 Black Tuesday, MS-DEFCON 5

• MS-DEFCON 5: Rare opportunity to get Windows and Office completely patched

  Posted on March 2, 2017 at 10:22 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  With few outstanding patches, and all but one well-behaved, now’s an excellent time to get caught up.

  InfoWorld Woody on Windows

  Office Patches/Security, Windows Patches/Security February 2017 Black Tuesday, MS-DEFCON 5

• MS-DEFCON 5. Again. Get all Microsoft patches applied

  Posted on July 23, 2015 at 10:29 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  They did it again.

  I’ve been posting MS-DEFCON warnings for seven (eight?) years, and I can’t recall having two MS-DEFCON 5 months in a row. Now we have three in a row.  Hard to believe.

  If you don’t mind having a Windows 10 advertisement stuck in your system tray — it won’t jump up and bite you — just go ahead and install everything that’s offered. If the thought of an obnoxious Microsoft ad on your machine bothers you, skip KB 3035583 and KB 3022345.

   There are a few minor problems with SQL Server 2005, mentioned in my InfoWorld article, but for most of you it’s clear sailing.

  For the third month in a row, I’m moving all the way down to MS-DEFCON 5: All’s clear. Patch while it’s safe.

  The usual admonition applies: Use Windows Update, DON’T CHECK ANY BOXES THAT AREN’T CHECKED, reboot after you patch, and then run Windows Update one more time to see if there’s anything lurking. When you’re done, make sure you have Automatic Update turned off. I always install Windows Defender/Microsoft Security Essentials updates as soon as they’re available – same with spam filter updates. I never install drivers from Windows Update (in the rare case where I can actually see a problem with a driver, I go to the manufacturer’s web site and download it from the original source).

  Windows Patches/Security July 2015 Black Tuesday, MS-DEFCON 5

• MS-DEFCON 5: Get patched now

  Posted on June 29, 2015 at 08:48 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Yes, you read that correctly.

  I’ve been posting MS-DEFCON warnings for seven (eight?) years, and I can’t recall having two MS-DEFCON 5 months in a row. This is a first, and a great time to get caught up on all outstanding Microsoft patches.

  There were just a few minor problems with the June 2015 patches (the whole crop of them, not just Black Tuesday), and May 2015 worked out well, too.

  If you don’t mind having a Windows 10 advertisement stuck in your system tray — it won’t jump up and bite you — just go ahead and install everything that’s offered. If the thought of an obnoxious Microsoft ad on your machine bothers you, skip KB 3035583 and KB 3022345.

  For the second month in a row, I’m moving all the way down to MS-DEFCON 5: All’s clear. Patch while it’s safe.

  The usual admonition applies: Use Windows Update, DON’T CHECK ANY BOXES THAT AREN’T CHECKED, reboot after you patch, and then run Windows Update one more time to see if there’s anything lurking. When you’re done, make sure you have Automatic Update turned off. I always install Windows Defender/Microsoft Security Essentials updates as soon as they’re available – same with spam filter updates. I never install drivers from Windows Update (in the rare case where I can actually see a problem with a driver, I go to the manufacturer’s web site and download it from the original source).

  Windows Patches/Security June 2015 Black Tuesday, MS-DEFCON 5

• MS-DEFCON 5: Time to get patched

  Posted on May 31, 2015 at 14:01 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  I’m still amazed but this past month — the May  2015 Black Tuesday crop — has been one of the best-behaved mammoth bunches of patches I’ve seen.

  There were problems, to be sure, but most of them were confined to Microsoft’s insipid attempts to force Windows 10 upgrade advertising down our throats. Considering that was about 1% of all the patches dished out over the month, that’s not a horrible result. Misguided, yes, but not horrible.

  All of the May patches that appear to cause problems — KB 3020369, 3045171, 3057110 — have been fixed or nearly fixed. KB 3020369 can hang at “Stage 3 of 3” during reboot, but we’ve been reassured it isn’t a problem, if you just pull the plug.

  The April stinkers – KB 3048043, 3022345 — have been re-issued and re-issued and, in some cases re-re-re-re-issued. But they now appear to be stable.

  I continue to recommend that you don’t bother with KB 3022345. It’s a Windows 10 come-on. People who install it and then run SFC /scannow get treated to a report of broken system files, but we now know the system files are fine — it’s just that SFC doesn’t like KB 3022345. If you have 302234 installed already, thwack yourself on the forehead, but don’t uninstall it. Ain’t worth the effort.

  The other painful April patch, KB 303814, has been superseded by KB 3049563 on May 12. Another one bites the dust. The painful March IE patch, KB 3032359, was superseded by KB 3038314 in April. Once again, don’t use Internet Explorer unless you really have to. Microsoft’s abandoning it, and so should you. (Okay, I overstate the case, but only by a little bit.)

  So, I’m giving a green light except for KB 3022345, which is an embarrassment that will come back to bite us again. It’s not going to clobber your system, though, so don’t worry about it too much.

  In a rare occurrence, I’m moving all the way down to MS-DEFCON 5: All’s clear. Patch while it’s safe.

  The usual admonition applies: Use Windows Update, DON’T CHECK ANY BOXES THAT AREN’T CHECKED, reboot after you patch, and then run Windows Update one more time to see if there’s anything lurking. When you’re done, make sure you have Automatic Update turned off. I always install Windows Defender/Microsoft Security Essentials updates as soon as they’re available – same with spam filter updates. I never install drivers from Windows Update (in the rare case where I can actually see a problem with a driver, I go to the manufacturer’s web site and download it from the original source).

  Windows Patches/Security May 2015 Black Tuesday, MS-DEFCON 5

• MS-DEFCON 5: Get all of your Microsoft patches applied

  Posted on September 24, 2014 at 21:06 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  After last month’s monstrous Black Tuesday debacle, the September Black Tuesday patches had a couple of problems, but they’re resolved now. The two fourth-Tuesday patches are innocuous. It’s time to get caught up on patches, and it would be a good idea to advise your friends to get caught up, too.

  September saw two pulled patches, and both have been re-issued with fixes.

  It’s time to get caught up on all outstanding Microsoft patches. I’m setting the dial at MS-DEFCON 5: All’s clear. Patch while it’s safe. That doesn’t happen very often.

  I’m still ambivalent about installing Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 7.

  Get the patches installed by October 13 – October 14 is the next Black Tuesday, and I’m not expecting any significant patches to appear in the interim. (Although I may be surprised.)

  And the usual fine print:

  For those of you who are new to this game, keep in mind that… You should always use Windows Update to install patches; downloading and installing individual patches is a clear sign of impending insanity. I always install Windows Defender/Microsoft Security Essentials updates as soon as they’re available – same with spam filter updates. I never install drivers from Windows Update (in the rare case where I can actually see a problem with a driver, I go to the manufacturer’s web site and download it from the original source). I almost never install “Recommended” patches (reader Marty suggests that you uncheck the Windows Update box that says “Give me the recommended updates the same way I receive important updates”). If Windows Update has a patch but the box isn’t checked, DON’T CHECK THE BOX. It’s like spitting in the wind. I use Chrome and Firefox, and only pull out IE when I feel very inclined — but even if you don’t use IE, you need to keep up with its patches.

  Windows Patches/Security MS-DEFCON 5, September 2014 Black Tuesday

• MS-DEFCON 5: Get patched up

  Posted on February 5, 2014 at 20:06 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Microsoft cleaned up its act with the January 2014 Black Tuesday patches. Perhaps there’s some sort of karmic spring involved, but after a year of absolutely dreadful patches, the four doled out in January were relatively benign.

  I’ve heard no new screams about the December PowerShell patch KB 2506143, that caused problems. I’ve also seen no flare-ups about KB 2887069, another patch that gummed up the works in December. Microsoft may have fixed them.

  The late November .NET roll-up, KB 2858725, isn’t generating any more screams than .NET rollups usually encounter. The KB article is up to version 5. I say go ahead and give it a whirl.

  So this is one of the (rare!) occasions when I’m opening the flood gates and unabashedly advising that you apply all the outstanding Microsoft patches.

  I’m moving us to MS-DEFCON 5: All’s clear. Patch while it’s safe. (If I had an MS-DEFCON level 4.5, I’d be tempted to hedge bets a bit, but it’s rare that we hit a lull like this.)

  As usual, if you encounter a patch that isn’t checked for automatic delivery, DON’T CHECK THE BOX. Just let Windows Update install the updates that it’s determined to install. Don’t help it mess you up.

  Windows Patches/Security January 2014 Black Tuesay, MS-DEFCON 5
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