A question about the MS-DEFCON system

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Good one from reader ZP: I have a question about the ‘Defcon’ system. E.g. in April your first said it was “ ‘Defcon 2’; wait with installing”. Then a
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I completely understand  and applaud the Defcon system, but it’s looking like a stopped  clock @Defcon 2. If the May patch hadn’t fixed most of the April trainwreck problems, wouldn’t there be more anguish expressed over May. True the  problem with certain CPU’s is there but it’s a known and declared  issue. I haven’t patched since March…the REALLY IMPORTANT one, but still  there are issues in  April & May that should be patched.

Normally, I  would have cautiously applied the May patch…test box first with restore points then on to other boxes, but I been  waiting for  the Defcon to  signal at least 3 or  4.

 

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With all due respect, it can look “like a stopped  clock @Defcon 2” all it wants.  Those of us who follow Woody’s DEFCON system know that — once it is raised to a 3 or higher — we can now proceed with updating our systems, whether we’re in Group A or in Group B.

 

I don’t know about the issues in April, but April was the last month for which DEFCON was a 3 (April 25th).

Win 7 SP1 Home Premium 64-bit; Office 2010; Group B (SaS); Former 'Tech Weenie'

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Northwest Rick

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Ditto…  I too “get” how this alert system works.  It’s not about waiting for MS to acknowledge a defective update & to rush out a correction, but as Woody says, “it’s a question of knowing in advance what kind of puddle you’re stepping in.”

Basically, it’s a matter of being patient & watching to see if “early adopters”, institutional IT departments & sleepwalkers have a rude encounter with a spinning propeller!  Should we feel bad about doing that, in effect hanging back & benefiting from the misfortune of others?  Not really – and not because we are sociopaths!  There is no “schadenfreude” involved.  I for one would prefer not to see ANYONE walk into a propeller.  But some inevitably will, for various reasons, thereby becoming the canaries in the coal mine for those of us who prefer to be “late adopters”, because we have learned from experience that it is usually better (and easier) to avoid a disaster than it is to recover from one.

So while it is true that we eventually end up installing the same update(s) initially quarantined under DEFCON < 3, it is often with the comfort of knowing that the defects which have surfaced do not apply to our specific platforms or software/hardware configurations.

With all of the threads Woody has going in the Lounge and on InfoWorld, I am amazed and grateful that he takes the time to provide this tremendously helpful DEFCON alert service & the ongoing Group A/B/W multi-track guidance!  It’s probably time to pull out the checkbook and send some “love” to Brentwood, TN! 🙂

*Win 7 SP1 Home Premium 64-bit; Libre Office 5.3.1.2; Group B; Former PW Engineer*

 

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SueW

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