Newsletter Archives

• How to get rid of the “Your upgrade to Windows 10 is ready” lock on Windows Update in Win7 and 8.1

  Posted on August 21, 2015 at 14:57 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Those of you who signed up for the Windows 10 upgrade but changed your mind, may be able to crawl out.

  A slight refinement of the method I posted earlier on AskWoody.

  InfoWorld Woody on Windows

  Windows Patches/Security Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Your upgrade is ready to install, Your upgrade to Windows 10 is ready

• When is a Service Pack not a Service Pack, KB 3081444, and other Windows 10 imponderables

  Posted on August 19, 2015 at 17:14 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  So what comes after RTM? A whole lot more than you might suppose.

  InfoWorld Woody on Windows

  Windows Patches/Security Cumulative Updates, KB 3081444, Service Packs, Service Releases, Win10 RTM

• Microsoft releases MS15-093/KB 3088903 patch for IE

  Posted on August 19, 2015 at 10:31 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  It’s an out-of-band patch, and reinforces the fact that you shouldn’t be using Internet Explorer.

  InfoWorld Woody on Windows

  Windows Patches/Security KB 3088903

• Should I install the IE patch?

  Posted on August 19, 2015 at 09:54 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Interesting question from reader TJ…

  Good morning, Woody!

  I have not been installing ANY patches until everything has been cleared for installation (other than the definition updates, and monthly malware removal tool).

  My question relates to the IE updates (which I do not use). Is it safe to install these updates when they are issued? I never use the IE, however keep it updated.

   I should “know the answer”, however I’m a newbie to your website and have never picked up on this question.

  THANKS ONCE AGAIN FOR ALL OF THE GREAT WORK YOU DO FOR US ALL.

  TJ – You should patch IE every now and then, but never use it. If you HAVE to use IE, and there are a few of you out there, then, yep, I’d get the latest patch installed. Otherwise, sit tight for a few days and let’s see if anything breaks.

  In general, use anything but IE – Chrome, Firefox, or Edge on Win10. It’s not that IE is a “bad” program. It’s OK. The problem is that it’s targeted so frequently and so well.

  Windows Patches/Security Internet Explorer patching

• How to get rid of the “Your upgrade to Windows 10 is ready” lock on Windows Update in Win7 and 8.1

  Posted on August 18, 2015 at 13:22 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  So you signed up for the Windows 10 upgrade and, now that the bits are ready, you’re getting cold feet. I understand that.

  Just one little problem. Your Windows 7 or 8.1 machine won’t install any updates until you install Windows 10. Windows Update may say “Your upgrade to Windows 10 is ready,” and, if you check for updates, you get “Windows Update cannot currently check for updates, because you must first restart the computer so that a previous installation can be completed.”

  You may get a message that says, “Your upgrade is ready to install” and then, “Great, we’ll get the upgrade started.” 

  I’ve seen hundreds of posts (and more than a few emails) from people stuck in the same boat.

  I’ve been playing around with this problem for a couple of weeks, and think that maybe — maybe — this approach may work. Please test it. The worst that’ll happen is that you’ll end up in the same position, after 20 minutes to an hour of hassle, for which I apologize.

  Try this:

  Step 0. Wait until you have a spare hour. This is something good to do before you head out to a meeting, to lunch, or at the end of the workday.

  Step 1. Turn off Automatic Update. Go into Windows Update and choose this setting: “Check for updates but let me choose whether to download or install them.”

  Step 2. In Windows Update, if you have the option (many won’t), click Show all Available Updates. Right-click on Upgrade to Windows 10 and choose Hide Update.

  Step 3. In File Explorer, right-click on your C drive and choose Disk Cleanup. When Explorer comes up for air, click the box marked Clean up System files. When the list appears, check the box marked Temporary Installation Files (5.8 GB or so). Click OK. There’s a message that says “Are you sure you want to permanently delete?” Click Delete Files. Wait. And wait. Patiently. Remember, this is Windows.

  Step 4. Back in Control Panel, Add or Remove programs, on the left click View installed updates. Look for KB 2952664 (likely on Win7 systems) and KB 2976978 (likely on Win 8.1). Also look for KB 3035583 (both Win7 and Win 8.1). If you find any of them (hint: click the column heading to sort alphabetically), click on it, and click Uninstall. (t/h EP)

  Step 5. Windows will prompt you to reboot. Do it. And wait. And wait. It may take an hour to reboot. 

  Step 6. (t/h CT) The minute you’ve rebooted, go back in to Windows Update and “hide” KB 2952664, KB 2976978, and/or KB 3035583. To hide them, run Search for Updates, right-click on the entry and choose Hide.

  On the systems I’ve tested, that’ll remove the downloaded Windows 10 files, the obnoxious nags in the system tray, and the “Your upgrade to Windows 10 is ready” notification in Windows Update. Your results may vary, and that’s why I’m sending this out for testing.

  Suggestions and in-the-wild status reports most welcome.

  Thanks!

  Windows Patches/Security Don't want upgrade to Windows 10

• Get ready for Windows Insider ‘Threshold 2’ beta builds

  Posted on August 17, 2015 at 09:44 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  I may be jumping the gun, but it sure looks like something’s astir in beta testing land…

  InfoWorld Tech Watch

  Windows Patches/Security Threshold 2, Windows 10

• Windows 10’s third cumulative update, KB 3081438, still prompts reboots, throws error 0x80070bc9, 0x8020002b

  Posted on August 17, 2015 at 09:43 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Third time’s the charm, eh?

  InfoWorld Tech Watch

  Windows Patches/Security Cumulative Update 3, Windows 10

• Windows 10 Service Release 3, KB3081438, sent out on Friday evening

  Posted on August 15, 2015 at 06:59 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Nobody knows what it does, and Microsoft isn’t saying as usual, but initial reports are positive. Some people say this new update fixed the reboot problem seen in SR1 (er, Cumulative Update 1) and SR2. Other people say it fixes the Windows Store problem, where Store purchases and updates wouldn’t download.

  I have a feeling KB3081438 did fix the broken Sr1 and SR2 installers, but wonder if the Store fix was done on the Microsoft side, in the Store software. Mary Jo Foley at ZDNet weighs in on the ongoing drama.

  I’ll be following up on Monday. Here’s Brad Sams’ quick take at Neowin.

  Windows Patches/Security KB 3081438

• Windows 10 patch KB 3081436 triggers endless reboots

  Posted on August 13, 2015 at 08:47 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Just like last week’s patch, KB 3081424.

  InfoWorld Tech Watch

  Windows Patches/Security KB 3081424, KB 3081436, Windows 10 endless reboot

• Block forced Windows 10 patches by using a metered connection

  Posted on August 12, 2015 at 08:19 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  The trick is working – at least for now.

  InfoWorld

  By the way… if any of you participated in the experiment I mentioned a couple of posts ago, and turned on Metered Connection, did it block the patch for you, too? Hit me in the comments.

  Windows Patches/Security metered connections, Windows 10 forced patches

• MS-DEFCON 2: As we approach the known unknown, turn off Auto Updates

  Posted on August 10, 2015 at 06:32 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Will we get a Patch Tuesday this month? Who knows?

  My bet is that the answer is “yes,” and it’ll be a big one. But it’s only a guess. If we’re lucky, it’ll be as innocuous as the past four months. If we aren’t lucky…

  As usual, if you’re using Vista, Win7, Win8, or Win8.1, now is the time to turn Automatic Udpate off (see the tab above if you’ve never done it before).

  If you’re using Win10, care to participate in a little experiment? If you have Win10 and are using a mobile connection (WiFi or 3/4G), could you set it to Metered Connection? (Start, Settings, Network & internet, Wi-Fi, Advanced Options then slide the Metered Connection slider to On.) In theory, that should have these side-effects:

  • Windows Update will only download priority updates.
  • Apps downloading from the Windows Store might be paused.
  • Start screen tiles might stop updating.
  • Offline files might not sync automatically.

  (In fact, that’s the description for Win 8.1, but I don’t see anything for Win10 on Microsoft’s site.) When I switched on the Metered Connection setting on one of my mobile machines, Win10 refused to download today’s Windows Defender update, KB 2267602. That’s progress, I think.

  (Update: To be clear, I don’t expect a Win10 patch today or tomorrow. I’d just like to get a bunch of people watching, poised for when the next update comes out.)

  The big question, for me, is whether any new updates that may come down the pike this week are “priority” updates. Microsoft uses the term “priority” in varying ways.

  Anyway, get yourself locked down and let’s see what Tuesday will bring.

  Windows Patches/Security August 2015 Black Tuesday

• Windows 10 patch KB 3081424 can crash, fail to install, status 0x80070020

  Posted on August 7, 2015 at 10:02 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Because of forced updating, the people who crash get to experience the crash over and over again.

  Not good news for Windows 10 patching.

  InfoWorld Tech Watch

  Windows Patches/Security 0x80070020, KB 3081424
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