Newsletter Archives

• MS-DEFCON 3: Patch, but watch out for KB 3000850, KB 3011780

  Posted on December 4, 2014 at 21:36 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  It’s been another rough month.

  As best I can tell, most of the problems have been ironed out.

  It looks like Microsoft has fixed the problem with Windows XP and Server 2003 update that I talked about in this InfoWorld post. No notification anywhere that I can find, but MH says he’s tried updates on four machines today, and they worked.

  Installation problems with the Windows 10 Technical Preview patch released earlier this week, KB 3020114, has a workaround.

  KB 300853 has been re-issued. KB 2992611 has been re-issued. Both seem to be fixed. KB 3003743 only appears to be a problem on servers running multiple simultaneous RDP sessions — unlikely to affect you.

  KB 3000850 bricked computers running Avast antivirus. I can’t find any official notification from Avast that it’s solved the problem — if you know of any, please hit me in the comments. The problem’s so bad that Susan Bradley has recommended that you avoid the update. I repeat her warning: DO NOT install KB 3000850 just yet.

  Even if it’s offered to you, skip applying KB 3011780 on regular Windows computers. If you have a server, you don’t have much choice. But for everybody else, it’s just a pain.

  If you’re running Windows 8 and you don’t want to update to Windows 8.1, do NOT install KB 3008273. Its sole purpose in life is to get you to move from Win8 to Win81. (Personally, I run Win81 all the time and prefer it to Win8, but your opinion may vary.)

  There’s a holdover from last month: If you have a Windows 8 or 8.1 system that was upgraded in-place from Vista, do NOT install KB 3000061. Also from last month, the level of screams from  KB 2984972 appears to have died down.

  I’m moving to MS-DEFCON 3: Patch reliability is unclear, but widespread attacks make patching prudent. Go ahead and patch, but watch out for potential problems.

  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 KB 3000850, KB 3011780, MS-DEFCON 3, November 2014 Black Tuesday

• More patch problems reported with MS14-066/KB 2992611/WinShock…

  Posted on November 18, 2014 at 11:05 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  and much more confusion in the press. If you don’t have a web server and you’re worried sick about WinShock, you’ve been bamboozled.

  InfoWorld Tech Watch.

  Windows Patches/Security KB 299261, November 2014 Black Tuesday, WinShock

• Black Tuesday toll: KB 3003743 breaks RDP, IE11 vs EMET 5, security webcasts dead

  Posted on November 13, 2014 at 05:13 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  The, uh, good news just keeps piling on.

  InfoWorld Tech Watch

  Windows Patches/Security EMET 5, Internet Explorer 11, KB 3003743, Microsoft Security webcasts, November 2014 Black Tuesday

• MS-DEFCON 2: Huge pile of patches

  Posted on November 12, 2014 at 06:34 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  I do believe this month’s Black Tuesday includes the largest bunch of patches MS has ever produced. There are some oddities, and as usual I’ll be posting about individually identified problems as they come into clear focus.

  In the interim, you know the routine. We’re moving to MS-DEFCON 2: Patch reliability is unclear. Unless you have an immediate, pressing need to install a specific patch, don’t do it.

  Stay tuned.

  Windows Patches/Security November 2014 Black Tuesday