MS-DEFCON 2: Turn off Automatic Update and pray for peace

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Image credit: Render We have a big Patch Tuesday coming tomorrow. Now’s a good time to make sure automatic update is turned off. Use the instructions
[See the full post at: MS-DEFCON 2: Turn off Automatic Update and pray for peace]

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I have a feeling there’s going to be a huge push tomorrow.

Fortran, C++, R, Python, Java, Matlab, HTML, CSS, etc.... coding is fun!
A weatherman that can code

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Please help. I fell victim of Patch Tuesday. Almost 200 updates installed without my consent. I disabled the downloading and installing of updates, then uninstalled a couple of dozen of the new updates, then restarted, and the updates are being re-installed and I am not asked whether I want it or not.

How to get rid of those updates that were installed last night and how to prevent Microsoft from hijacking my computer like that again?

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Forgot to say that the operating system is Windows 8.1. Sorry.

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Woody; This is FYI not for a post.

I read that WSUS offline has the ability to remember and filter all those you don’t want but will download all the others each month yo do want. If so it should make the blocked lists easilly manageable.

Sorry, I haven’t yet found the lengthy article which was a “how to” for WSUS offline.

BTW Torsten Wittrock developed it while with C’T magazine (one of the best in DE)and continues it while he is now a lecturer in the computer center at a University in Kiel.

I have his email address if you want it. Like most well educated Germans his English is excellent. I’ve lived over here for a long time.

Thanks for all your help and a great site.

JF

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Woody,
Do the DEFCON warnings apply to XP?
I still have an old box running XP and, lo and behold, despite all announcements and warnings, Microsoft is mercifully still sending out security updates (mostly malware removal).
And is today (Monday) still safe?
Thanks!
Morty

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I don’t even follow XP any more.

You’re getting security updates for XP????? Huh? Which version are you running?

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Turn off Automatic Update.

See the “Automatic Update” tab at the top of this page.

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Yeah, I’ve seen warning that we’re in for a dozen or so security bulletins.

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I still have an unopened, extra OEM copy of XP on a disc, which I bought ages ago, just in case only Vista would be available when I would chose to build a new PC.

Maybe I should assemble a cheap box now, just to be able to boast about using XP ? You’re making me jealous… I guess bragging about still using Windows 7 (my case) is not cool enough : everybody does it.

Switching to XP ? Now that would be something to write home about…

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I’m about ready for a #2 pencil!
Luddite Morty

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I just took screenshots of the available downloads and the system info. I don’t know how to include them here (or whether I should if I did know). So I’m emailing them to you.
Methuselah Morty

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Re: Win XP still getting security updates.

How to get security updates for Windows XP until April 2019
http://www.ghacks.net/2014/05/24/get-security-updates-windows-xp-april-2019/

Registry hack enables continued updates for Windows XP
http://www.zdnet.com/article/registry-hack-enables-continued-updates-for-windows-xp/

Many more links online.

JF

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Yep, but that’s for Windows Embedded POSReady, which is a really bizarre version of XP….

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I don’t think you can post shots directly, but email always works.

AHA! Now I see. You have XP Pro SP3, but the updates are for the Office Compatibility Pack Service Pack 3. Yeah, go ahead and install those.

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There’s always a Chromebook….

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Greetings Woody! Even though my XP computer is no longer supported by Microsoft, it still receives the malicious software removal tool every month, but nothing else.

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Um… Constant spying from google… No thank you.

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That’s what I expected… and was shocked to hear that there were security patches waiting. Turns out they were Office patches, so not exactly XP.

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A small little token of gratitude I made for Woody and everyone else whose vigilance and efforts provide helpful info on patches and updating for the rest of us:

https://i.imgur.com/VcTLNMp.jpg

🙂

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HA! Can I use it on this site?

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Oh absolutely!

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Linux Mint looks better every day!

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Worked last time I had a chance to test it.

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Want a computer, not just a browser. Function is hardly more than a browser, but these days that’s at least something…

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Fun reading. I have an XP laptop tethered to a scanner and connected to nothing else. Recently I downloaded Macrium Reflect to be able to image it, figuring that maybe XP would go bad at some point.

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On the subject of XP and security patches, they’re the only ones that Windows 7 is supposed to be getting these days (along with other application patches like Office), but that hasn’t stopped MS pushing a whole load of non-security updates our way!

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Feel free to use this one.
http://i.imgur.com/9vgyAdM.png

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LOVE IT! Thank you….

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Thanks!

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Thank you!
Morty

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Hi all:
Checked my hidden updates tonight, and two KB2952664 have been removed by microsoft. They were there earlier today and yesterday. I’m running windows 7 SP1 and have never check for updates on my computer ????????????
Herb K

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It’s likely that MS removed them… I wouldn’t worry about it.

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I can confirm that there are occasional security updates coming to my XP machine too, but as I understand they are not actually XP updates but 1) updates for other Microsoft programs such as Office 2000 and 2) monthly malicious software removal tools.

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Fascinating development… every Patch Tuesday I turn on my computer at my normal wake-up time (5:30AM, ET), and the first thing I get is a load of Windows Updates. It is currently 8:04AM, and nothing has shown up yet.

Fortran, C++, R, Python, Java, Matlab, HTML, CSS, etc.... coding is fun!
A weatherman that can code

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The Force Awakens.

OMBUDSMAN ALERT: New York AG to pursue case against Microsoft for Windows 10 forced upgrade

“… besides the New York State Attorney-General, a number of Attorney-General of other states are also beginning to actively pursue cases against Microsoft for their residents similarly damaged by this “forced” update to Windows 10.”

http://www.rocklandtimes.com/2016/07/09/ombudsman-alert-new-york-ag-to-pursue-case-against-microsoft-for-windows-10-forced-upgrade/

Windows-10-Update ruft US-Staatsanwalt auf den Plan

http://www.t-online.de/computer/software/id_78381424/windows-10-microsoft-update-ruft-us-staatsanwalt-auf-den-plan.html

JF

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I did the registry hack on the two XP Pro VMs I have running legacy stuff (Office 2000, legacy Access 97 or 98 application with hard coded path to folder on C:). Don’t need to get in them often anymore, but keep them updated with Win security patches (even for IE6) every month. Usually get a handful as well as the MSRT.

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Windows 7 Win32k update for this month KB3168965
https://download.microsoft.com/download/B/1/D/B1DC8220-4903-426A-898E-039D3AFC9137/Windows6.1-KB3168965-x64.msu
https://download.microsoft.com/download/4/2/0/420492DE-F382-4F18-839E-D4ADD8BF33E7/Windows6.1-KB3168965-x86.msu

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If MS removed them, and then put them back, would they now be visible, because they would be, in effect, new updates? In other words, the user will have to hide them all over again.

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Searching for updates is eternally slow again despite all the measures you’ve posted that have worked up until today. Windows Update is using 100% of one core the entire time it has been searching, but the 100% utilized core changes at least once a second. Fascinatingly shoddy threading code by Microsoft.

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In fact, I’ve written to a couple of AGs asking about the status. Haven’t heard back yet.

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Hi Woody:
Today received 10 important updates, and Microsoft now restored the KB2952664 that they removed yesterday in my hidden updates ??? This is ridiculous.
Herb K

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@ahbbodi1406

Is this a new stand alone win7 update magic speedup KB for July?

Can’t find anything on Google and wu.krelay/de/en doesn’t have anything new yet.

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Yeah, that happens frequently when they change from “optional” to “recommended.”

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Just checked http://wu.krelay.de/en/

now shows 3168965 as the July Win 7 speedup

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it is and it works,w7/64

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You mean to another core? that allows cooler cores to get more load so they can turbo boost to higher clock speeds.

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