Blog Archives

• July updates come with a few warts

  Posted on July 15th, 2019 at 01:05 Tracey Capen Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  PATCH WATCH

  By Susan Bradley

  This month’s Windows and Office updates are settling in without raising any major alarms. But it’s still early, and caution dictates deferring the patches for another week or so.

  July’s updates do fix a couple of issues from previous months: the IE/Power BI conflict and the Event Viewer error message — both of which impacted just a small number of Windows users.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 16.26.0 (2019-07-15).

  Patch Watch AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Office, updates, Windows patching

• Putting June’s updates behind us

  Posted on July 1st, 2019 at 01:05 Tracey Capen Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  PATCH WATCH

  By Susan Bradley

  Spring has given way to summer in the northern hemisphere. For those of us enjoying the change in season, let’s not forget some important maintenance on our Windows systems. It’s time to deal with June updates.

  Along with the usual patches, Microsoft posted standalone updates for Win7 and Win8.1 to fix Viewer Console crashes when you open custom views (more info). The patches are available only through Microsoft Update Catalog and, in any case, the chances are good most of us won’t be impacted. My home and office systems successfully swallowed the June updates with no ill effects.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 16.24.0 (2019-07-01).

  Patch Watch, Windows Patches/Security AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Office, Win10 1903, Windows 10

• Are we ready for the new Windows 10 1903?

  Posted on June 17th, 2019 at 02:10 Tracey Capen Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  A Microsoft tweet announced that the company is now offering Win10 Version 1903 — but only to those who specifically seek it.

  Opening Windows Update and selecting Check for updates should trigger the Version 1903 download. If you clicked the button but did not receive the update, you probably have some sort of blocking condition. You’ll just have to wait — and you should.

  Out today in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 16.22.0.

  Patch Watch, Windows News, Windows Patches/Security AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Office updates, Patch Watch, Win10 1903, Windows Updates

• Windows 1903 gets its first update

  Posted on June 3rd, 2019 at 02:19 Tracey Capen Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  Microsoft’s most recent “feature release,” better known as Version 1903, received its very first patch — and it’s optional!

  What’s apparently fixed is the very thing that blocked my initial install of Version 1903. If an external USB device or SD memory card is plugged in, the device is reassigned to an incorrect drive letter during the installation process.

  See the full story in the June 3, 2019, AskWoody Plus Newsletter (Issue 16.20.0)

  Patch Watch, Windows Patches/Security AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Office, Patch Watch, patching, Windows

• Patch Lady: Many updates this month… including one for XP

  Posted on May 20th, 2019 at 02:06 woody Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  Urp! Yes, XP.

  Here’s how to see if your Win7 or XP computer (or related Servers) is highly susceptible to the “wormable” Remote Desktop bug.

  Loads of new information about this month’s ground-breaking (and system-breaking) patches.

  All of the patching news from Susan Bradley, the inimitable Patch Lady, in this morning’s AskWoody Plus Newsletter 16.18.0.

  Patch Watch AskWoody Plus Newsletter, May 2019 patches, Patch Watch

• “Side channel” vulnerabilities and Windows

  Posted on May 19th, 2019 at 12:07 woody Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  I’ve avoided talking much about Spectre, Meltdown and the like because there’s an endless succession of patches to Windows and the hardware – and registry changes to go with them – and we still haven’t seen a real-world exploit.

  If you’re running a high profile server, though, you should keep up on this stuff.

  Karl Wester-Ebbinghaus (@alqmar) has come up with an exhaustive list of patches, patches to patches, BIOS updates and registry settings, all related to the “side channel” vulnerabilities. Click on the comment link at the top to see the results of his extensive investigation.

  Hardware, Patch Watch, Windows Patches/Security Meltdown, Side channel vulnerabilities, Spectre

• Patch Watch: A Japanese era begins – in Windows, over and over again

  Posted on May 6th, 2019 at 02:06 woody Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  Patch Lady Susan Bradley steps you through all of the April patches — and gives you a look at all of the problems coping with the change in the Japanese calendar to the new “Reiwa” era.

  Succinct patch-by-patch advice for the April (and even early May!) patching mess.

  Out this morning to Plus members in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 16.16.0.

  Patch Watch April 2019 patches, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Patch Watch

• Patch Watch: April patches plays a late joke on Win7 and 8.1

  Posted on April 15th, 2019 at 05:14 woody Comment on the AskWoody Lounge

  Talk about April Fools….

  Patch Lady Susan Bradley takes you through the current sorry state of affairs with the April patches — catastrophic differences of opinion between Windows updates and several big-name antivirus packages. Win10 version 1809 is waiting in the wings. There are lots of creepy-crawlies out there.

  Details in this week’s AskWoody Plus Newsletter 16.14.0, out this morning to AskWoody Plus Members.

  Patch Watch antivirus, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Patch Watch
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