MS-DEFCON 4: The printing issues continue

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ISSUE 18.37.1 • 2021-09-28 By Susan Bradley Printing or security — you decide We’re back to reasonable levels of safety and of understanding the natur
[See the full post at: MS-DEFCON 4: The printing issues continue]

Susan Bradley Patch Lady

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TheFamilyIT, Pim, Tom-R, abbodi86

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Susan,

So far, I have always hidden KB4023057 and it is not installed on my 21H1 system

Now, according to your master patch lists, you are recommending to install KB4023057  in September updates, whilst it is still included in the list of updates to avoid/defer.

Which is correct please, and why?

 

Win10 21H2 Pro, MBAM Premium, Firefox, OpenOffice, Sumatra PDF.

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I see it listed as defer?

Susan Bradley Patch Lady

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TonyS

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So do I, now! Must get my eyes tested (again).

Win10 21H2 Pro, MBAM Premium, Firefox, OpenOffice, Sumatra PDF.

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It is really easy to install the group policy editor on Windows 10 Home.

https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/group_policy_editor_for_windows_10_home_edition.html

These instructions on how to install it are shown on a lot of different websites. I installed it on my wife’s computer and it seems to work fine.

Bill

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My registry editor tree all start with HKEY not HKLM.  But I followed the path

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate

and found that the 21H2 registry key provided by Susan did install on my computer.  So my computer will upgrade to 21H2 and stop there. Way better than trying to do all that myself.  Thank you, Susan.

Don’t know why I have HKEY instead of HKLM.  Didn’t seem to matter.

HP Pavilion Desktop TP01-0050 – 64 bit
Windows 10 Home Version 22H2
OS build 19045.2486
Windows Defender and Windows Firewall
Microsoft Office Home and Business 2019
-Version 2211(Build 15831.20208 C2R)

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Don’t know why I have HKEY instead of HKLM.

mpw: “HKLM” is just an abbreviation for “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE“.

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mpw

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Thank you.

I just clicked on each HKEY until I saw “software” and then went from there. Guess I just stumbled on to “local machine” by dumb luck.  Any way it worked and I was in HKEY\local machine\software etc. after all.

HP Pavilion Desktop TP01-0050 – 64 bit
Windows 10 Home Version 22H2
OS build 19045.2486
Windows Defender and Windows Firewall
Microsoft Office Home and Business 2019
-Version 2211(Build 15831.20208 C2R)

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Hi @sb I have been putting off moving to Win10 Pro. What happens if I do it in time & miss this September Updates? Will I still be able to do the stuff mentioned in this your latest DEFCON issue post after installing next Win Update/future Update?? For example, Will I still be able to defer Win11 and keep V21H1 & still have option to protect from Zeroday vulnerability??

I never upgraded OS of a PC before. forced because Adobe subscription softwares not supported inside win7 anymore). Win10 scares me.

I have a Win7 Pro x86 custom built PC from 2014 that once had Win10 Pro.

*Also, don’t be fooled by my username..it means I’m only one that can follow instructions and comprehend to ask questions.

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TheFamilyIT: My advice would be to do your upgrade now — this week — while Susan has the DEFCON level at 4.  If you wait too long, the DEFCON level will change again, as we’ll be getting into the release of the October updates.  And doing an upgrade at that point would just be asking for trouble.  If you wait that long, then you should really wait even longer — until around the end of October — to make sure that the October updates are safe (when Susan gives the all clear again for those updates).

Also, before attempting any upgrade to Windows 10, make sure that you have full and verified backups of both your user files and your entire system.  There are numerous backup programs out there; but my personal recommendation would be Macrium Reflect.  You can save a full system image with the free edition.  But if you’re willing to spring for the paid Home edition, you get even more functionality, including doing selective file backups of all your user data.  Just make sure that once you have your system and files backed up, that you disconnect your external backup drive from the system before starting the upgrade.  You don’t want to chance having the upgrade accidentally overwrite your backup drive.

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Huh?..what! So the 1st October update will take close to a month to reach Level 4? How can that be ?, I thought there are more than one update per month.  I was told in a reply to my question from middle of August in my win7 force to upgrade  topic when Level was 3 for an August update that it takes about 2 weeks after previous Tuesday update before level is back to 4…I’m confused

 

What is the release date of October update? If don’t know date, then when will be most likely week in October that a update will come out ? How long is to long to wait

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Microsoft has always released the monthly Security Updates on the second Tuesday of a month (Patch Tuesday). It is usually around two to three weeks after the release that the DEFCON level goes to 4, depending on if there are problems with the updates.

Susan has just changed the DEFCON to 4 to approve installation the September updates that were released on the second Tuesday of September (Sept Patch Tuesday).
The October updates will most likely not be approved until the last week of Oct.

Have you made the bootable backup software restore media and the bootable Windows Rescue media, and tested them, yet? Have you made the full disk image and data backup of your computer? It is not recommended to do any upgrade without a way to go back if the upgrade fails.

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Ok so I have until second Tuesday of October (Oct.12)  before needing to wait to move to Win10 Pro. No I haven’t done any of that yet because I’m feeling overwhelmed in all that’s needed to be done before and then after upgrading and then learning to deal with Win10 updates.

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Start by making sure you have a backup first. Do you have an external hard drive and the backup software installed?

Susan Bradley Patch Lady

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TheFamilyIT: The October updates will be released the second Tuesday of October (Oct 12th).  Susan generally ups the DEFCON level a few days before then.  That’s why I recommend doing any upgrade this week (or next week at the absolute latest).  Once she ups the DEFCON level, it typically stays there until near the end of the month.  So from October 12th thru (maybe) October 28th or so, you should avoid doing any upgrade during that period.  At least, that would be my recommendation.

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Susan Bradley

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What he said.  You have until October 12 to get whatever you want installed, installed.  I’ll probably send out the alert late next week to put it back to defer.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady

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So if a person miss installing this September Updates? Will there still be able to do the stuff mentioned in this your latest DEFCON issue post after installing next Win Security Patch Update or in near future Update ?? (I don’t know if next update in October is a regular update.)

I am thinking what happens to people who are still using Win7 and only been thinking of upgrading to Win10, so they haven’t been following Win10 updates, news,etc. How can they do the stuff you said to do/can do with Sept. update in this issue post?

For example, Will a person still be able to defer Win11 and keep V21H1 & still have option to protect from Zeroday vulnerability if miss September update ??

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Any updates after the Sept updates will have this new deferral setting.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady

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If 21H2 is Windows 11, and the end date of 21H1 is Dec 13, 2022, how will Windows 10 being supported until 2025? Or everyone is forced to move to Windows 11 in 2022?

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Windows 10 will have a 21H2.  We have yet to hear exactly if we’re still going to get two releases a year

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-10-home-and-pro

But it’s been officially posted that it will be supported until 2025

Susan Bradley Patch Lady

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Coldheart9020, MrToad28

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A “home user” here with a desktop and a laptop PC, both running Windows 8.1 64-bit. The desktop has an Epson XP-6000 printer/scanner attached via USB, and the laptop has an Epson XP-6100 printer/scanner attached via its USB. The two computers communicate to each other over a local Ethernet network via a router.
Before installing the MS September KB5005613 cumulative update for Windows 8.1 today, I was able to print on each computer not only to its own USB-connected printer, but also to the “other” computer on the network on ITS printer.
Noting the advice “I haven’t seen printing problems with directly attached printers…” in this thread – but not sure if my setup qualified as a print client/server situation, I went ahead with installing the September update(s). Sure enough… I can no longer print on the “remote” computer via the local network.
However, the Epson Status Monitors work fine as before the MS update, showing the status/ink levels of both printers from either PC. And both printers show up in the Control Panel > Devices and Printers window. When trying to “print a test page” on the “remote” computer, I get “Test page failed to print…”. Printing from applications to the networked printer also fails. Printing on the local USB-connected printer works fine in all cases.
Also: ‘printmanagement.msc’ tells me I have ‘Type 3’ printer drivers on both machines for the Epson printer/scanners.
Don’t know where to go from here. This is not a critical situation for me, but I get the impression that Microsoft is handing the solution resolution to the users…

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Finished updating my two PCs (one running Windows 10 Home 20H2, the other Windows 10 Pro 21H1) with the September updates except KB4023057: everything appears to be working properly.

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Coldheart9020

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I have W10 Home Version 21H1. On the September updates, Windows installed KB4023057, but it only shows as Microsoft Update Health Tools under Apps and Features. Do I need to uninstall it? Thanks for your assistance.

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Hey John,

KB4023057 does indeed show only as Microsoft Update Health Tools under Apps and Features when it is installed. Personally, the few times it managed to install itself under my nose, I uninstalled it and I never had any issues with my system after doing so.

My understanding is that KB4023057 is supposed to take steps to make it easier for Windows Update to do its job (i.e. removing any “blocks” users may have set up to avoid forced updates or compressing certain files to make room on your disk, etc). If you are ok with that and your system is working properly, then you can leave the update installed, but – as I said above – my preference is to get rid of it.

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John782

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John782: As Berserker79 pointed out in his post,

…KB4023057 is supposed to take steps to make it easier for Windows Update to do its job (i.e. removing any “blocks” users may have set up to avoid forced updates…

And that right there is why my recommendation would be to get rid of that update.  A number of folks here have said that it doesn’t hurt to install KB4023057; and that they’ve had no ill effects from it.  That could be true.  But unless you’re completely trusting of Microsoft with installing whatever updates they deem appropriate for your system — and on their timetable (rather than yours) — then I would keep KB4023057 off of your system.  If you have setup “blocks” in order to avoid forced updates, then allowing KB4023057 onto your system is really working at cross purposes to that — providing MS with the means to possibly defeat whatever those blocking mechanisms might be.

If you’re trying to remain in control of the Windows Updating process, then I see no real benefit to installing KB4023057.  And, as long as it remains present on your system, I do see the potential for problems with it down the road.

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John782, Coldheart9020

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At the risk of being perceived as a) smug, or b) blatantly advertising a product, I must say that I think 0Patch put this mess behind it’s subscribers a/0 mid-August:

…although for reasons I fail to understand, you need a 0PatchPro now license to get it (no longer free):

https://blog.0patch.com/2021/07/free-micropatches-for-printnightmare.html

…for what it’s worth, they seem to have snuffed this devil. If they have, hats off to them!

Corrections always welcome. 🙂

Win7 Pro SP1 64-bit, Dell Latitude E6330, Intel CORE i5 "Ivy Bridge", 12GB RAM, Group "0Patch", Multiple Air-Gapped backup drives in different locations. Linux Mint Greenhorn
--
"...all the people, all the time..."Peter Ustinov ad-lib in "Logan's Run"

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John782 wrote:

I have W10 Home Version 21H1. On the September updates, Windows installed KB4023057, but it only shows as Microsoft Update Health Tools under Apps and Features. Do I need to uninstall it? Thanks for your assistance.

If your PC working properly there is no need to uninstall.
I have installed every KB…057 (every 2 months) with no ill effect and no changes to any of my settings.

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John782

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My Windows 7 PC died and a week ago I bought a new one with Windows 10 Home Version 20H2 build 19042.662 installed. I deferred updates to October while I set up all other programs and deleted the junk which came pre-installed.
I definitely don’t want Windows 11 (I didn’t want 10 either).
Knowing nothing about Windows 10, what is my best move now?
Go to 21H1 ? How ?
Go straight to 21H2? How ?

Windows 10 Home 22H2, Acer Aspire TC-1660 desktop + LibreOffice, non-techie

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In this post are registry links to set Windows to Windows 10 and 21H1/21H2 until you decide otherwise.
Install the registry hacks and wait for Windows update to offer 21H1.
September updates got the OK ms-defcon=4 (disable deferrals).

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samak

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Thanks.

Windows 10 Home 22H2, Acer Aspire TC-1660 desktop + LibreOffice, non-techie

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September patches installed with no problems to report on Win 8.1. 🙂 I continue to experience the issue with no picture on my profile at the login screen.

Installation Successful: Windows successfully installed the following update: 2021-09 Security Monthly Quality Rollup for Windows 8.1 for x64-based Systems (KB5005613)

Win 10 ver. 22H2 x64

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DrBonzo

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Just duplicated your 8.1 results on 2 8.1 x64 machines. I can’t comment on a profile picture or lack thereof since I’ve never had one.

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new cumulative preview update for Win10 v2004/20H2/21H1 – KB5005611 released TH Sept. 30:
https://support.microsoft.com/help/5005611

also new .NET preview update for Win10 v2004/20H2/21H1 – KB5005539 released TH Sept. 30:
https://support.microsoft.com/help/5005539

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Berserker79, WCHS

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Win 10 Pro 64-bit v 21H1

This morning, update KB5005565 almost wrecked my PC.  This was the first time an update ran automatically on my machine, probably at 2am.  When I got up, there was no indication that the update was still in progress and I didn’t know it had run (or was still running), my PC was very stuck, I forced a reboot and all hell broke loose.

After the reboot, everything was frozen and lots of info didn’t show on my desktop or in Explorer windows.  I couldn’t run cmd or PowerShell and so I couldn’t run my little sfc /scannow + DISM bat file either.  I was barely able to look at Windows Update, and KB5005565 was stuck at 20%.  So I went to work, hoping it would sort itself out.  It took hours, but eventually it completed itself, I rebooted, things were a lot better, and my little sfc /scannow + DISM bat has now made everything great.

Please advise how I can permanently stop automatic updates like that.

Thanks.

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Please advise how I can permanently stop automatic updates like that.

glnz:  My recommendation would be to use WUMgr, and follow the procedure in the attached PDF file.

Using-WUMgr-to-Update-a-Windows-10-System

Also, as extra added insurance, I never leave my computer up and running when I’m not actively using it (i.e., when I go to bed at night).  I always do a Shutdown at the end of the day — just to make sure absolutely nothing gets thru overnight.

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For those of us who have Windows 10 Pro (e.g. Windows 10 Pro 21H1) and not using the Pause Updates Feature Setting, I thought you can always use the Group Policy Setting to control Windows Update:

Section 5. Method 2: Group Policy Settings beginning with Win10 v2004
———————————————————————
https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/2000016-guide-for-windows-update-settings-for-windows-10/#post-2275043

Cheers

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Tom-R wrote:

I never leave my computer up and running when I’m not actively using it (i.e., when I go to bed at night).  I always do a Shutdown at the end of the day —

My laptop is on 24/7/365 I never shut it down and never had updates of any kind (Windows, software..) forced on me. The only updates allowed are for the A/V and Chrome browser. All auto updates on all applications are disabled (90+% apps I use are portable so no auto updates anyway).

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Alex: I also have auto updates disabled on everything, except for my AV software.  Plus I use WUMgr to block Windows Update.  And, like you, I’ve never had any updates pushed onto my system either — day or night.

But I still shut it down every night anyway.  It might not be necessary; but if a system isn’t being used for anything, I don’t see the point of keeping it powered up and running for no reason.  Plus, it gives me the peace of mind to know that absolutely nothing can get pushed thru overnight — even if I accidentally missed disabling some background process or scheduled task that I wasn’t aware of.  Like I said, it’s just extra added insurance.

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Alex5723

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For my family’s Win10 Pro version 10.0.19043 Build 19043 which has September updates installed. What will be the feature release version should be typed in box ??

Family PC also Has pause setup to control and metered network.

I want to practice following steps to defer Win 11 in order to be ready to do it in my custom built PC (that I’m in process in moving to Win10)

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For my family’s Win10 Pro version 10.0.19043 Build 19043 which has September updates installed. What will be the feature release version should be typed in box ??

My understanding (per Susan) is that if you want to stay on version 21H1, then just set the Target Version for Feature Updates value to 21H1.  When 21H2 becomes available, you probably won’t want to upgrade to it immediately; since it reportedly won’t have any new features that would be useful to, or needed by, typical home users.  So the recommendation is to just hold off on 21H2 for now.

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Alex5723 wrote:

If your PC working properly there is no need to uninstall. I have installed every KB…057 (every 2 months) with no ill effect and no changes to any of my settings.

Alex, the only problem I have had is File Explorer quits responding sometimes and then Task Manager won’t respond either and it locks up my PC and I have to manually turn my PC off. This began a few weeks ago. So it was happening prior to installing KB4023057. File Explorer not responding has happened to me twice so far on my older Toshiba Satellite , so it hasn’t been a major issue, but I wish I knew what may be causing it?  On my Lenovo Yoga C740-14, I haven’t experienced this issue yet.

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Run DISM and SFC to check for system integrity.

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

SFC /scannow.

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John782

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Alex5723 wrote:

Run DISM and SFC to check for system integrity.

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

SFC /scannow.

The DSM scan showed no problems but the SFC scan showed that Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.

Thanks again, Alex

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