To patch or not to patch this month…. that is the question I attempt to answer this week in ComputerWorld. Printers side effects were the big issue
[See the full post at: The ides of March]
Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher
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Home » Forums » Newsletter and Homepage topics » The ides of March
To patch or not to patch this month…. that is the question I attempt to answer this week in ComputerWorld. Printers side effects were the big issue
[See the full post at: The ides of March]
Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher
I cannot install March update (KB5000802) due to error 0x800f0831. My system is Windows 20H2 Pro, build 19042.804. When I do:
1. sfc /scannow I get “Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.”
2. Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth I get error 0x800f081f
3. I have downloaded latest ISO using MCT, mounted as drive H: and used Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:esd:H:\Sources\Install.esd:5 /limitaccess. I also got error 0x800f081f
What else can I do else to repair my installation?
Did it, everything seems to be in place, build is now 19042.867, SFC and DISM show no errors – thanks for the help!
I’m currently on 1909, and need to update to 2004. If I update group policy “Select the target Feature Update version” to specify 2004 instead of 1909, what do I need to do about the March patches? How do I “skip the updates released on March 9th and instead jump over to the March 18th update of KB5001649”? Will the correct replacement patch automatically be part of the update, or will I need to do something special to correct things?
You will get the March 9th updates, you’ll need to then pull down/get from the catalog the March 18th updates manually.
I would go to 20H2 rather than 2004.
Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher
A few questions to clarify what needs to be done:
1) Should the March 9th update be uninstalled prior to manually installing the March 18th update?
2) If after going to 20H2 there are no printer issues, should I do anything differently?
3) What about timing? Would it be best to wait until just before the April updates are released, or is it reasonably safe to proceed today?
1. You do not need to uninstall the March 9th before installing the March 18th patch
2. After upgrading to 20H2, if you have no printer problem, you do not need to do anything else. The fix will be rolled into the April Patch Tues CU.
3. It’s safe to do it now. You will just get the March CU/SSU plus the turn-on of the Feature Experience Pack for 20H2, which is already included in 2004.
A few questions to clarify what needs to be done:
1) Should the March 9th update be uninstalled prior to manually installing the March 18th update?
2) If after going to 20H2 there are no printer issues, should I do anything differently?
3) What about timing? Would it be best to wait until just before the April updates are released, or is it reasonably safe to proceed today?
If you don’t have printing problems or no printer you don’t need March 18th update.
The same goes for after upgrading to 20H2.
Now is a good time as any to move to 20H2 as it is a ‘miniature’ update (setting some switches ON).
RE: Question 3 (Timing) Sorry, I should have mentioned that this would be an upgrade from 1909 to 20H2, which may be more involved than moving from 2004 to 20H2…
1909 to 20H2 was 1.5 hours for me — but a 1,2,3 operation. Typical Feature upgrades have been 30-45 min faster. With 1909 I UNinstalled (Not Delete) my Conexant Driver and the 20H2 process Re-installed the same driver data for me…..
W10 Pro 22H2 / Hm-Stdnt Ofce '16 C2R / HP Envy Desk-Ethernet - SSD-HDD/ i5(8th Gen) 12GB / GP=2 + FtrU=Semi-Annual + Feature Defer = 1 + QU=0
So much for “cumulative.” On a Win10 Pro 20H2 machine that hadn’t been turned on in several weeks, immediately after booting, I installed March 18 (KB5001649) from the catalog. After reboot, it installed March 9 automatically (KB5000802).
Seems that once March 9 is detected, it gets installed, even if you do March 18 first. Now I wonder which one will take precedence.
Now I wonder which one will take precedence.
If you don’t have printing problems it doesn’t matter which one will take precedence.
That may be true, but I’m also trying to deepen my general understanding for future reference. When and why does a superseded update install after the later update? And when that happens, does the mechanism that applies the patch actually cause a downgrade, or does it respect later file dates and not overwrite them?
Or–new theory–is the Windows 10 update history just wrong, maybe listing updates it thought you needed, or that it started to install, but not what actually got installed? On the same machine as shown in the earlier screen shot, the uninstall list does not show KB5000802 as installed.
1. Do the problems being reported in connection with the March 9th updates occur immediately after installation of the updates or do the problems occur only subsequently when printing is attempted?
2. How do you recover from a blue screen of death if it occurs?
3. If I want to skip updating this month and wait until the April cumulative update is released and tested can I accomplish that by simply turning on metered connection?
Windows 10 Pro version 2004
FYI to patch Lady Susan & others:
KB5000842 (build 1904x.906) “preview” update recently came out this Monday afternoon 3/29:
https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=kb5000842
since I did not install KB5001649 (and skipped the earlier March 2021 updates) for 2004/21H1, I decided to go for installing KB5000842 instead. so far no probs with KB5000842
Win10 Pro x64 on 2004. Bit the bullet and resumed updates. Got the 3/9 update, MSRT and Intel microcode which installed first. Use an ancient HP usb-attached printer. Managed to print from Word 2010 and a website. Only snag, the printer was offline but a copy of the printer WAS online. HP XXX (Copy 1). Did this update make a copy of this printer? Was afraid to delete either the printer or the copy and trust MS to find it again. Thoughts? Can’t afford a printer issue in future!
Thanks for the reply, Paul. Like an idiot, I did what you said last evening. Plugged in and Windows 10 made no effort to find it. Reinstalled the HP model from the list. Still nothing. Ran System restore which took 2 hours! Said it couldn’t finally and made no changes. Did get the printer and Copy 1 back at least and Copy 1 does print. “If it ain’t broke” I guess. 😉
Found a post in the official HP forum this AM which explained a procedure for removing all incidents of the printer deep within Win10 before trying to reinstall. Way above MY pay-grade but that solution worked for the OP. I’d screw it up for sure!
OUGHT to work as you suggested but nothing MS is that simple.
See this often with clients who install a usb printer and plug it in and power it up prior to installing the printer software. Best to install the software and when it asks for the printer or complains it can’t see it to then turn it on or plug it in. Following this procedure I have never had 2 instances of the printer show up.
Never Say Never
AKB2000003 is not in agreement with the directions on AskWoody for Win7 or Win8.1 March 2021 security only updates.
For Win7 the AKB directions indicate that KB5001639 replaces KB5000851.
For Win8.1 the AKB directions indicate that KB5001640 replaces KB5000853.
For both 7 and 8.1, the AskWoody article says that both updates must be installed (i.e., not cumulative). Which is correct?
AKB2000003 has been corrected.
To be on the safe side, install KB5000851 then KB5001639 and finally KB5000800 (IE11 CU) for Win7.
To be on the safe side, install KB5000853 then KB5001640 and finally KB5000800 (IE11 CU) for Win8.1.
You do not have to restart between, only after all three are installed.
Thanks for the update to AKB2000003.
I installed KB5001639 and finally KB5000800 (IE11 CU) for Win7 prior to seeing the AskWoody article and your response to my question from yesterday. They don’t seem to want to uninstall. Can I install KB5000851 now, or should I try to roll back to my pre-Windows Update backup to get rid of them (if that even works)?
Note, I prefer not to roll back if I don’t have to, as I never totally trust that I won’t lose something important or have some other issue.
Thanks.
You can go ahead and install KB5000851 – no need to uninstall anything. Windows will put the correct files where they need to go. If there is supersedence, Windows will “know” and install the right one.
If you are doing Rollups (Group A), the Rollups are cumulative and fix will probably be rolled into the April Rollup.
But ie you are in Group B, the SOs are NOT cumulative, so if you miss the fix in the OOB, you miss the fix. In that case, I think you should install the SO and the OOB.
Thank you for your answer. Group B here. The main problem with these OOB updates is they break our cycle: do a full disk backup, install whatever office+.net+SO+IE updates, engage in post testing, then forget until next month. Giving there are no issues, we will delayed it and install it just before the April batch.
KB5001648 is an optional update. It should be offered in the optional section that says “Download and install now”
UNLESS you are using Win10 Pro and have Group Policy Feature deferral set with Semi-Annual Channel. In that case you will not see the optional updates.
A few questions to clarify what needs to be done:
1) Should the March 9th update be uninstalled prior to manually installing the March 18th update?
2) If after going to 20H2 there are no printer issues, should I do anything differently?
3) What about timing? Would it be best to wait until just before the April updates are released, or is it reasonably safe to proceed today?
If you don’t have printing problems or no printer you don’t need March 18th update.
The same goes for after upgrading to 20H2.
Now is a good time as any to move to 20H2 as it is a ‘miniature’ update (setting some switches ON).
It is only miniature if you are on 2004. An upgrade from 1909 to 20H2 is going to be like any other past Windows 10 upgrade, requiring an in-place upgrade of the entire OS rather than flipping a switch. I am still on 1909 as it has been very stable and 2004 has not appeared stable, and having to upgrade twice a year would be the end of me. I would rather go straight to the “tock” releases, rather than the “tick”, because I prefer stability over frequent upgrades.
Windows 10 version 1909 will reach end of servicing on May 11, 2021. and will no longer receive security updates after that time.
I also am not a fan of twice a year upgrades, yet I am loath to forgo security updates by continuing with 1909 past EOL.
I’m unsure what you mean by tick and tock releases, but I suspect you’re calling 2004 a tick, while 20H2 is a tock? If so, this would be a tock upgrade for me, since I would be going directly from 1909 to 20H2.
I realize the update issue of KB5000802/KB5001649 was asked earlier, but I regret that I did not understand the answer.
I have not yet installed any March updates. After downloading KB5001649,
1–Do I hide …802 before installing …1649? Then after installing …1649, should ..802 be “unhidden” to dispose of it as MS sees fit? OR
2–Not hide …802 and leave it in the processing queue along with …1649 and let MS sort it out during the update installation process?
Thank you for helping me understand this as I am sure this updating process issue will surface again.
you’re calling 2004 a tick, while 20H2 is a tock?
2004 is a tock (big update). 20H2 is a tick (very small update over 2004). 21H1 will also be a tick (over 20H2) while 21H2 will be the tock (Microsoft reversed the order this year).
The tick updates are always over the current version. They are always tock over any other version.
Color me confused …
Anonymous replied ” 2004 is a “tick” (major release), while 20H2 is a “tock” (minor release that refines a major release)”.
Alex5723 replied “2004 is a tock (big update). 20H2 is a tick (very small update over 2004)”.
That seems a contradiction, since tick = major & tock = minor conflicts with tick = small & tock = big).
Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade | Tutorials (tenforums.com)
Do it from a running Windows 10, not booting up from it.
Over the weekend I decided to upgrade from 1909 to 2004. I changed the Group Policy to 2004 and proceeded through several reboots. All seemed fine using the computer for a while when I decided to restart the computer at some point and some additional unidentified updating activity occurred. Some pretty strange behavior resulted. I got a BSOD showing error “your pc needs to be repaired” and “the boot configuration data file doesn’t contain valid information for an operating system — file BCD error code Oxc0000098”. I pressed F1 to enter the RE. I then just pressed Continue (Exit to Windows) and it booted fine, though if I rebooted I would get the BSOD again.
I had previously had Linux mint as a dual boot but had wiped that drive. I used the Windows RE to access the command prompt and tried to use the “bootrec /rebuild bcd” command but it would fail.
I assumed the BCD still had an entry that was causing the problem so used Macrium Reflect feature that repairs windows boot issues. After that it booted fine. However, some strange things started cropping up:
Windows Update was now offering me multiple Intel drivers going back to 1968! If I try the Advanced Startup feature in settings, I no longer get all the menu options that Window RE apparently should show. Trying to add a Macrium Reflect boot menu option failed if I tried to use Windows 10 RE as the Base WIM. I only succeeded after selecting the downloadable Windows PE (WADK). The standard RE is no longer available on my system?
Trying to revert to 1909 fails saying files needed are no longer available – even though Windows.old is still on the SSD.
And worst of all, I discovered that Secure Boot has been changed to “enabled” in the BIOS but is greyed out and can’t be changed. The tutorial indicates I can’t do an in-place upgrade if it’s enabled. Did Windows Update mess with my BIOS?!
Any ideas? If this should be taken to another forum discussion, please advise.
Win10 Pro x64 22H2, Win10 Home 22H2, Linux Mint + a cat with 'tortitude'.
I updated GPedit deferral days to 10 (from 30) and waited for WU to download. I received this:
First 3 are ok. I checked my Intel processor and it is in the list. I see from this forum that KB50008 is not the update I want. This is for me:
So for Windows 10 2004 or 20H2 you need to skip the updates released on March 9th and instead jump over to the March 18th update of KB5001649.
I’ve hidden KB50008. I have an Epson ET-2650. Haven’t had BSOD issues in a long time, do NOT want to ever go back there!
How can I skip KB50008 and get KB5001649 to show up in the Q? Or should I just wait for April Updates????? thanks.
There is no KB50008. The 2021-03 CU for v20H2 is KB5000802.
You can hide KB5000802 or just leave it sitting in the queue, and download the OOB CU KB5001649, dated 3/18, from the MS Update Catalog, save it to your desktop, and double click on it to manually install. It contains the printer fix.
OR
You can wait for April updates
Typo, it’s KB5000802. I have never gone to the catalog to get a download. I can do that. I have 64 bit WinPro20H2, I think this is the version I need, but would like to confirm. There are lots of downloads!
Are there any issues with waiting for April updates? I hadn’t read anything about security fixes needed in March updates…….
That looks like the right one for 20H2 64-bit.
You can look at the list of fixes and known foro KB5ooo802 here. and for KB5001649 here. There is a pulldown for 20H2 or 2004.
I installed kb5001649 from the catalogue onto my laptop yesterday and it slipped in quickly and smoothly. Everything works. Will pop it onto the desktop probably tomorrow and then un-pause updates just before patch Tuesday, when I shouldn’t get any nasty suprises. The April updates may bring their own problems, who knows!
Yep, but I didn’t have a choice,
At the reboot I just went to check the update logs, and the first thing it shown was those 2 being downloaded , installed and marked pending restart.
I had no choice in it , nor did press “look for updates”.
Same behavior happened identically on a vmware VM with 2004.
I’m not so keen to have the same thing happen on my main workstation.
Do you know by chance if HP Laserjet 4050 is affected by the issue ? ( HP Universal Printing PCL 6 61.250 )
If you are using Enterprise Edition on your workstation, you may be behind a server that is controlling updates and it will follow the settings that the Network Admin has imposes.
But if you are using either Home Edition or Pro Edition, you do have a choice.
#2354532 mainly deals with Home Edition, where Pause and Metered connections are the major controls for updating. #2354545 is about Pro Edition, where you have Group Policy to control updates. See AKB2000016 (linked in the first post) for a full explanation.
But any time you click “Resume Updates,” you can expect whatever is out there available to immediately start the download/install process, ignoring just about any other setting you have.
wait a bit.
updates are paused for another week.
If i download the fixed update while keeping things paused, install while paused … would that be ok ?
or is preferable to install with updates not being paused ?
Aside that at worst I would just have to install 2 times a 450mb update, would just be an extra reboot but no real drawbacks aside doubling the times. isn’t it ?
If i download the fixed update while keeping things paused, install while paused … would that be ok ? or is preferable to install with updates not being paused ?
Makes no difference since you are doing a manual install. Pause is for Windows Update. But if you are worried about it, download the OOB, disconnect from the Internet (MS can’t touch you ) then manually install the OOB.
PKCano, I have Windows 10 Home V20H2. My plan is to skip the March updates and download KB5001649 from the Microsoft Update Catalog. Having paused March close to the 35 day limit , I will have to select “Resume updates” on the Windows Update page before I can once again pause updates. By doing this, will the March updates start downloading before I can pause again?
I have installed kb5001649 on both my machines whilst updates were paused and it made no difference at all to my pause settings. (I didn’t think it would.)
Yes, that. Leave the Pause alone. Download and install KB5001649. The March CU should go away after that eventually.
Have a question. According to WuMgr KB5000802 is 102.81 GB. When KB5001649 came out it was 102.82 GB. KB5001649 has since been replaced with KB5000842 at 103.03 GB.
The Catalog version of KB5001649 is 446 MB. The recommendation is to install KB5001649 instead of KB5000802. With such a great discrepancy in size between the original KB5001649 and the Catalog version of KB5001649, what is missing from the Catalog KB5001649 (446 MB) versus the original KB5001649 (102 GB) or KB5000802 (102 GB)?
Do I install KB5000802, then install the Catalog KB5001649 or do I just install the Catalog KB5001649 and not install KB5000802?
the latter, redknight
meaning install KB5001649 and reboot – no need to install KB5000802 because KB5001649 supersedes/replaces KB5000802 & KB5001567
and pay no attention to the update sizes in Wumgr – it’s a cosmetic bug in Wumgr, just ignore them
Have a question. According to WuMgr KB5000802 is 102.81 GB. When KB5001649 came out it was 102.82 GB. KB5001649 has since been replaced with KB5000842 at 103.03 GB.
The numbers are wrong. The whole of Windows OS is ~5GB.
Windows 7 Updates? My impression was that Win7 updates were history as of Jan 2020 yet a current update for Win 7 is mentioned on this thread…along with a warning that it’s risky. I’ve blocked updates on all my Win 7 PCs..is there a reason to consider updating or is this just Microsoft looking for a chance to kill some Win7s so people will have to buy new pc’s or software?
Win7 still has updates till Jan 2023. You can get the updates a couple of ways:
You can buy the Extended Security Updates (ESU) package from Microsoft. This is the second year of updates (beginning Feb 2020) and to get it you have to buy the first year + the second year. With the ESU, updates are delivered through Windows Update as usual.
OR
You can read this thread. If you go that route, there is lots of help here.
Win 10 Pro 2004
I just tried to download KB5001649 from the MS Update Catalog. The package details indicated this update has been replaced by KB5000842 – a Cumulative Update Preview. Do I want to install this? – it was my optional update when I installed March updates. I have not had printing issues with KB500802.
Thanks
I will be updating Win10 Pro from 1909 to 20H2. If the update introduces the March printing issue, I assume that I will need to manually install KB5001649 from the catalog. However, looking at https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB5001649, and examining the details of “2021-03 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 20H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5001649)”, I notice that it specifies the Architecture as AMD64 rather than x64. Is this a typo, or am I looking at the wrong item?
It’s called AMD64 because AMD wrote the extension to the x86 spec, which Intel licenses (reverse of how things have normally gone for AMD). As Paul wrote, the IA-64 (Itanium) instruction set was not backward compatible with the 32-bit stuff. People have been saying for years that Intel needs to ditch the x86 legacy and start fresh… well, they tried that with IA-64, but there were problems, and that combined with the lack of compatibility with legacy 32-bit stuff doomed it.
Dell XPS 13/9310, i5-1135G7/16GB, KDE Neon
XPG Xenia 15, i7-9750H/16GB & GTX1660ti, KDE Neon
Acer Swift Go 14, i5-1335U/16GB, KDE Neon (and Win 11 for maintenance)
a few weeks late on this but-
Epson has acknowledged the printing issues with the Windows 10 March 2021 updates & their printers and has published this support page on which Win10 updates to install should users encounter issues with their Epson printers:
I tried to download KB5001649 from the Windows Update Catalog using my Chrome browser and when I clicked on the link for the msu file in the Download pop-up window, it just sits there and does not do anything. What am I doing wrong? Am I going crazy? I am 100% certain I have gotten other downloads in the past using Chrome from the Windows Update Catalog.
My Chrome browser shows:
Google Chrome is up to date
Version 89.0.4389.114 (Official Build) (64-bit)
I have tried disabling all extensions and also tried using Incognito mode, but the same every time – when I left click on the link for the msu file, it just sits there and nothing happens. I also tried right clicking on the link but do not see anything that looks like a Save File.
This just HAS to be possible – can anyone tell me what the trick is? This should be so easy. Why is everything so hard? I have battled with lost certificates, now printer issues, and now can’t even download the fix.
Thanks in advance!
It does work with Firefox. Also seems to work with Internet Explorer (yeah, I know – I don’t use IE). And it works with ChrEdge. So, it seems to work with any browser except Google Chrome.
Looking around on the web, I appear to see hints of past browser compatibility issues with downloading from the Microsoft Update Catalog. Supposedly, that was all cleared up at one time (and I am certain I have used Chrome in the past).
Given the predominance of the Chrome browser, has anyone other than me run into this issue (unable to get Chrome to download from the Microsoft Update Catalog)?
I do have a non-Microsoft AV, but it does not stop other browsers so I don’t think it is an AV issue. It seems to be a browser compatibility issue.
Re: No problems so far with Brother printer.
My Windows 10 Pro version 2004 computer reached the end of its pause period today and automatically downloaded KB5000802 via Windows Update. KB50001649 has not yet appeared as an optional update.
I successfully printed a PDF document, a Word document, and a WordPad document and scanned a document as an image file without any problems on my Brother HL-2280DW printer/scanner.
I now plan to upgrade to Windows 10 version 20H2.
Interesting. It certainly works for you, but when I get to the same point, clicking on the blue file name link does nothing – it just sits there. So it works for some (most?) people but not for some of us others. I do find some non-specific references on the web of some people running into problems using Chrome. Curious – is your Chrome at Version 89.0.4389.114 ?
No, Windows 10 Pro Version 20H2.
As discovered further down, I seem to be running into Google Chrome blocking downloads for a ‘Mixed Content’ scenario. Looks to me as though the Microsoft Update Catalog is HTTPS, but the actual downloads come from HTTP, so Chrome is now blocking the downloads (with no warnings or messages – nice touch). There appear to be non-obvious gyrations that still work, but as a simple person with a simple way of looking at this, Chrome should allow downloads from the Microsoft Update Catalog.
clicking on the blue file name link does nothing – it just sits there
Right-click on the file and use ‘save as..’
You Chrome settings/extensions may regard .exe as harmful.
A-Ha! For your KB890830 example, when I right click and choose ‘Save link as…’, it produces a download block warning ‘windows-kb89083…exe can’t be downloaded securely’ which I believe is related to trying to download a file from http when you start from https (the Mixed Content scenario).
Is there any way for this behavior to be avoided for a specific site like the Microsoft Update Catalog?
I also find that right clicking on the blue file name link and choosing ‘Copy link address’ and then pasting the copied url into a new tab will also work to trigger the download.
I would be happiest if Chrome would just work with the Microsoft Update Catalog without all the gyrations. I suppose using a different browser is an alternative (until they adopt the same blocking behavior). Any other alternatives come to mind?
I suppose using a different browser is an alternative (until they adopt the same blocking behavior). Any other alternatives come to mind?
Didn’t you already successfully use three others? (Firefox, IE11 and Edge)
Windows 11 Pro version 22H2 build 22621.2361 + Microsoft 365 + Edge
Yes. As a ‘user’, I simply do not see the need for Chrome to block downloads from the Microsoft Update Catalog. And I would further suggest that when the download was blocked, there should have been a message displayed overtly.
My question regarding alternatives is simply sheer astonishment that given the widespread use of Chrome that this behavior is not a well known issue. Why does Chrome work for some (most?) and not others? Is it documented anywhere that you can’t use Chrome to download from the Microsoft Update Catalog? That you must use some other browser?
Old news I suppose, but right on AskWoody is a post ‘Microsoft Update Catalog now works with any browser’.
https://www.askwoody.com/2016/microsoft-update-catalog-now-works-with-any-browser/
castiel, When trying Chrome a while back, I found that this block can be avoided globally within the browser.
Enable the following to have mixed http/https downloads::
chrome://flags/#treat-unsafe-downloads-as-active-content
be careful with other http download links.
There may be another method to exclude specific sites, although I’m not a ‘blink’ fan and don’t use chromium derived browsers.
Thank you – you are correct that enable of the flag you identify does appear to allow the mixed http/https downloads at a global level.
I set it back to Default, but am now aware of the choice. Probably not wise to leave it enabled. Also thinking that flag will soon disappear.
My question was really how does everybody else get downloads from the Microsoft Update Catalog? I apologize that my original wording appeared to fixate on Chrome. Yet, I still cling to the notion that Chrome should allow updates from the Microsoft Update Catalog and also that when a download is blocked, a message should overtly display.
Hi, just like to mention that this problem was raised and solved by a member here,
https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/standalone-installer-script-for-windows-7-esu-regardless-the-license/#post-2354103
Change settings for a specific site.
Chrome: go to website (microsoft update catalog site)
To the left of the web address, click the icon you see: Lock icon / (Info icon or Dangerous icon)
Click Site settings.
Change a permission setting
(In this case, select <insecure content> to Allow
Hth
Thank you for pointing me to the missing piece of the puzzle. What you pointed me to does appear to work for me.
It is unfortunate that for something fundamental like this that there is not a broadcast mechanism so that the same problem and especially solution is not discovered an endless number of times.
Is it documented anywhere that you can’t use Chrome to download from the Microsoft Update Catalog?
Microsoft isn’t a special company that needs special attention/privilege.
Sometimes Chrome displays warnings when downloading a file that can be harmful and gives an option to cancel or keep.
So far I haven’t encountered any problems downloading from the catalog with Chrome.
Woody Leonhard warned of this problem back in 2018. He concluded his post in 2018 with the following words:
‘Starting in July, Google’s going to start marking HTTP sites as not secure. Maybe it’s time for Microsoft to get with the system on their own blasted security downloads. ‘
His post on Computerworld is well worth reading and describes precisely what is going on 3 years in advance:
As for why some are having problems and some are not, there is a Chromium blog that references that some classes of users may have options not available to the general masses of home consumers / home users. Again, well worth a read.
https://blog.chromium.org/2020/02/protecting-users-from-insecure.html
To sum it up, Microsoft continues to use HTTP for downloads from the Microsoft Update Catalog. Why they do that is not known or obvious to me (it was not obvious to Woody Leonhard either). Meanwhile Google continues to clamp down on the HTTPS/HTTP mismatch. The general masses of home consumers like myself are caught in the crossfire and appear to be left for collateral damage between Google and Microsoft.
I had always hoped that the AskWoody forum would recognize that there are home consumers (the general masses) who do not have the privileges or connections that some of the IT Pros and Developers have.
Yes, no doubt some members of the forum are not encountering this problem via whatever circumstance may belong to them. But let’s not ignore the class of people who are having the problem. Dismissing the problem because ‘it works for me’ is not fruitful.
I can agree that I do not understand why Microsoft clings to HTTP for downloads from the Microsoft Update Catalog. But either Microsoft or Google need to come to some agreement that gets this working as it was meant to.
Woody Leonhard obviously understood the consequences of the mismatch in the Microsoft Update Catalog. It is wrong to dismiss the problem I am encountering as my own personal problem. Because it works for some does not mean there is not a problem. People other than me are running into the same roadblock.
‘Starting in July, Google’s going to start marking HTTP sites as not secure. Maybe it’s time for Microsoft to get with the system on their own blasted security downloads. ‘
I use Chrome and reach Microsoft’s catalog with HTTPS (Chrome 90 force HTTPS).
So, no downloading problems.
@Alex5723, I am intrigued and would like to better understand. I can reach the Microsoft Update Catalog just fine and it has the same padlock icon that you have arrowed in your png screen image. So we are in sync that far. To actually get the desired update to download, are you able to simply click on the blue filename link and the update downloads -or- do you need to do a right-click ‘Save link as…’ (as you previously suggested) -or- do you have the ‘insecure content’ site setting set to ‘Allow’ -or- something else?
I am totally with you up until the time comes to click on the blue filename link to download the update. That is the part I hope you can share what you do at that point (a simple left click, or a right click and Save link as…, or otherwise?).
There may be multiple possibilities for Chrome:
Right click and use ‘Save link as…’
Rick click and ‘Copy link address’ and then paste that into a new tab
Change site settings for the Microsoft Update Catalog to set ‘insecure content’ to ‘Allow’
Update the Chrome flag ‘treat-unsafe-downloads…’ etc
Those are some of which I have learned for various contributors. And of course, the ‘use a different browser’ (but I wonder if & when others will follow Chrome’s lead). How many of the possibilities may get yanked and stop working going forward?
I am hoping you can tell me what you yourself do when the DownloadDialog.aspx popup box appears (being as specific as you can). It is that one last step (when the blue filename link displays – eg .msu, .exe) that I am not following you.
Thanks in advance and thank you for trying to help me.
I do not want to get too wrapped up. It is just that simple things should be simple. Yeah there are undoubtedly convoluted workarounds, but why has it been made that a convoluted work around is needed? For something known years in advance?
To actually get the desired update to download, are you able to simply click on the blue filename link and the update downloads -or- do you need to do a right-click ‘Save link as…’
Simply click on the blue link initiate the download for me (Chrome Version 90.0.4430.70 (Official Build) beta 64-bit.)
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