I just got a note from @Microfix that pointed me to an interesting discussion from Ionut Ilascu at BleepingComputer: After Microsoft ends support for
[See the full post at: Worth considering: 0patch for Win7 after January 2020]
“To receive our post-End-of-Support Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 micropatches, you will have to:
- Apply all official Windows updates to your Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 computers up to the latest ones (or the latest available monthly rollup, which includes both latest security fixes and all past security and non-security fixes), and also any subsequent updates that Microsoft may issue (like they have issued EternalBlue and BlueKeep updates for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 after their support had ended).
- Install 0patch Agent on each Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 computer you want to protect with 0patch, and register these agents with your 0patch account.
- Have a suitable number of 0patch PRO or 0patch Enterprise licenses in your 0patch account.
- Allow your 0patch-protected computers to connect to 0patch server for periodic syncing in order for them to receive new micropatches and in order for you to remotely manage them (included in the Enterprise license). “
My follow on question is about point 1 above: many of us here have not installed “all past security and non-security fixes“, in fact, on the advice of others here, we often skip some of those or hid them, etc. For my part, I do install the security fixes, unless there are known problems with them. I always install the Security Only and the IE11 Cumulative patches, most Office 10 patches, some .Net rollups, and some non-security ones that either may be useful, or are thought to be mostly harmless.
So this is my follow on question: given my discriminatory patching ways, as described above, am I eligible for receiving 0patch micropatches?
And it maybe an idea to stress that the way I patch is not just something very unusual that only I do. I’m pretty sure of having plenty of company in this respect here.