Newsletter Archives

• Closing the books on a buggy year

  Posted on December 16, 2024 at 02:41 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  PATCH WATCH

  

  By Susan Bradley

  We’re closing the patching year with an AI-related bug that — fortunately — is not related to Copilot, Recall, or any other AI-related product released by Microsoft in the last few months.

  In fact, you may not have heard of it at all. Called Microsoft Muzic, it’s a research project in understanding music via deep learning and artificial intelligence. It also introduced a vulnerability into your computer if you installed it.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.51.0, 2024-12-16).

  Patch Watch CVE-2024-49063, CVE-2024-49112, CVE-2024-49117, CVE-2024-49138, Exchange, Google Workspace, Hyper-V, KB5002652, Newsletters, Outlook, Patch Lady Posts, TPM, Windows 11 24H2

• TPM 2.0, required by Windows 11, is hackable. Upgrade now?

  Posted on March 20, 2023 at 02:43 CDT by B. Livingston • Comment in the Forums

  PUBLIC DEFENDER

  

  By Brian Livingston

  Researchers have discovered flaws in TPM 2.0, a security microcontroller that Microsoft requires on a device (with exceptions) before Windows 11 will install. If your computer is affected, a hacker could bypass TPM’s security to read some of your data or overwrite cryptographic keys that the microcontroller is expected to contain safely.

  The news isn’t all bad. There are many ways you and your devices may be immune.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.12.0, 2023-03-20).

  Public Defender Newsletters, Security, TPM, TPM 2.0, Trusted Platform Module, Vulnerability

• A single Registry line enables Windows 11 without TPM 2.0

  Posted on October 18, 2021 at 02:45 CDT by B. Livingston • Comment in the Forums

  ISSUE 18.40 • 2021-10-18

  PUBLIC DEFENDER

  

  By Brian Livingston

  Microsoft has published a new support document revealing a one-line entry anyone can add to the Registry allowing Windows 11 to install on devices that do not have the so-called TPM 2.0 chip installed on the motherboard.

  The Trusted Platform Module, as I explained in the September 6 AskWoody Newsletter, is a small hardware component that generates and stores cryptographic keys, among other things. Until the release of the recent support document, Microsoft had repeatedly stated that the 2.0 version of TPM would be a requirement before Windows 11 would install. In addition, Win11 has CPU and other hardware requirements above those of Win10, as set forth in Microsoft’s Win11 specifications.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.40.0 (2021-10-18).
  This story also appears in the AskWoody Free Newsletter 18.40.F (2021-10-18).

  AskWoody FREE Newsletter, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Public Defender AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Microsoft, TPM, Windows 11, Windows registry

• Update: Where does TPM live?

  Posted on July 26, 2021 at 02:44 CDT by Will Fastie • Comment in the Forums

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Will Fastie

  Trying to find out where Trusted Platform Module is implemented in Intel-based systems was harder than I thought. Intel finally, and helpfully, gave me some pointers.

  The problem is one of terminology.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.28.0 (2021-07-26).

  AskWoody FREE Newsletter, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Windows 11 AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Intel, Microarchitecture, TPM, Trusted Platform Module, Windows 11

• Surface Pro 2 customers deserve to know: Will MS release a TPM firmware update or not?

  Posted on July 13, 2018 at 10:17 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Here we go again.

  Microsoft has an ugly history with abysmal customer support for Surface devices. This time around, it’s a simple question about firmware support for the TPM chip in Surface Pro 2 computers.

  Will we get a straight answer? I won’t hold my breath.

  Computerworld Woody on Windows.

  Microsoft News Surface Pro 2, TPM