Newsletter Archives

• Horowitz: Defending against Win10 bug fixes

  Posted on October 21, 2018 at 09:19 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  One of my favorite security writers, Michael Horowitz, has a new blog post, Defending against Windows 10 bug fixes.

  Those of you who follow along on this site, or read my Computerworld articles (or can speculate as to the origin of the “MS-DEFCON” terminology) know how important it is to protect your Windows 10 (and, increasingly, 7) machine from Microsoft’s pushed problems.

  Software always needs bug fixes. Still, it is widely understood that Windows Update, which installs bug fixes for Windows, is itself dangerous. Too many bug fixes create new problems. It has gotten so bad that every techie paying attention knows to wait before installing the latest “updates.” Let someone else experience the inevitable bugs that new fixes create.

  Good stuff.

  Windows Patches/Security Win10 updating

• An open letter to Microsoft management re: Windows updating

  Posted on July 30, 2018 at 07:46 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  Susan Bradley summarizes the results of her two surveys, and offers many concrete steps to improving Windows patches.

  The big open question: Will Microsoft listen?

  Computerworld Woody on Windows.

  Windows Patches/Security Win10 updating

• Hassan: Windows 10 Won’t Waste Your Time With Unexpected Updates Anymore

  Posted on July 26, 2018 at 06:51 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Every time I see that hed I chuckle. The author of a story frequently doesn’t write the headline, so I’m not blaming Mehedi Hassan. I just find the whole concept … very funny.

  I won’t bore you with a recounting of the past year of Windows updates. Suffice it to say that we’ve seen patches, re-patches, pulled patches, re-re-patches and undocumented random re-issues of patches on roughly half of all workdays this year.

  Hassan’s assertion is that, in the new (1903?) beta version, Microsoft:

  is implementing a new cloud-based logic for the Windows Update system, in order to avoid unexpected updates when you really need to get work done on your computer. The update utilizes a predictive model that will improve over time in order to better understand when you are going to use your device. This way, Windows can make sure it’s not disrupting your work and install the update when you are actually expecting it to. It will consider contextual things like if you were currently using your device before restarting or try to predict when you move from your device to grab a coffee, etc.

  Let’s just say I’m a tad skeptical. And I would note that delaying a reboot until Microsoft thinks I’m ready would be fine — if I just had a hand in the decision, and could delay as long as I wanted.

  Thanks to all of you who sent me a link.

  Windows Patches/Security Win10 1903, Win10 updating

• How to get Win10 updating again

  Posted on July 7, 2016 at 10:22 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Interesting question from NC:

  I’ve a newish Dell machine which came with Windows 10 pre-installed.

  I’ve used your “metered connection” trick to stop updates. The last updates installed were 28th May this year.

  I have now removed the “metered connection” to grab new updates, but the updates are stuck on 0%.

  There seem to be lots of varied “solutions” to this problem on the internet, some of which look dubious. Do you have or know of the preferred approach?

  My first approach would be to ensure metered connection is turned off, then reboot. Try applying the updates manually (Start > Settings > Updates & security, click Check for Updates). What happens?

  Windows Patches/Security metered connection, Win10 updating

• Options for controlling update in Windows 10

  Posted on December 23, 2015 at 19:54 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Susan Bradley has an important analysis of how to stop the forced updates in Windows 10. The news isn’t particularly good, but it isn’t dire.

  Windows Secrets Newsletter.

  Windows Patches/Security forced updates, Win10 updating

• How Windows 10 will be updated

  Posted on May 5, 2015 at 07:00 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  I think.

  The story’s not as bad as I thought – although I’m certain many of you will disagree. Have at it in the InfoWorld comments. Some of the powers that be at Microsoft will be watching.

  InfoWorld Tech Watch

  Windows News, Windows Patches/Security Current Branch for Business, Win10 updating, Windows Update for Business, WSUS