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Are microsoft still peddling the lie that win 10 is the most secure windows? From where i’m sitting it looks like another patching month has arrived with the most number of vulnerabilities going to the aforementioned.

At the moment i’m more inclined to never install march security-only due to the many unknowns. It was never even offered to me in update and you had to go through a labyrinthine effort just to get it to show up so no, i might leave well alone and accept the risks.

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FakeNinja, Noel Carboni

It is amazing and quite frustrating to watch this latest facebook scandal (just one of many) finally wake up the public to the scummy practices of facebook when myself (never had a profile) and so many others have been warning friends and family for years. So we’re in a catch-22 where people now feel trapped within their creepy walled garden with no viable alternative because they’ve fed the beast that has grown to consume all other alternatives. If you’re still on facebook then you’re not paying attention; profiles need to be deleted en masse because zuck cares only for his own privacy and certainly not yours.

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HiFlyer, BobbyB

I believe that update bundling does not happen for Catalog downloads, so those of you in Group B will still have to download and install KB4099950 before installing any of these three updates.

I’m not disbelieving you and I can well believe this is another example of Microsoft’s gross incompetence but the wording for security-only does state…

This issue is resolved by KB4099950 which will be automatically applied when installing this update

But the package contents have been checked, right? There definitely is no KB4099950 included? Some work experience kid has likely just copied and pasted the monthly roll up text.

Edit to remove HTML: Use the ‘text’ tab in the post entry box when you copy/paste.

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MrBrian

You don’t need to uninstall avast to update defender, they do make it difficult to do so but you just need to change one entry in the registry so it can run. Just make sure to switch it back afterwards. We discussed this last time there was a huge security hole in defender – https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/microsoft-quietly-repairs-security-hole-in-windows-defender-cve-2017-11937/#post-151067

That worked for me but I just made sure avast was running in quiet mode or whatever it’s called: there’s an option in troubleshooting to do this.

Could i just ask those who haven’t installed either the january or february monthly rollups through windows update, were you offered KB4100480 through update? I wasn’t offered this and after a confusing few minutes i realised it’s most likely due to not having any monthly rollups installed, particularly january and february so all i see currently are the february rollup, the demon child KB2952664 and the malicious software removal tool for march.

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MrBrian

I have installed it as well because… well, i’m not sure why but it seemed a better plan than extracting the two security only patches i’ve already installed (january & february), given that it supposedly only contained a small subset of the broken march updates. Also that ulf fellow seemed to know what he was talking about so here we are. I’m not having any problems as yet but after reading today’s posts now i’m not so sure it was wise to do so.

I think it should also be mentioned that those who just install security only updates won’t be offered KB4100480 through windows update but will have to get if from the catalog.

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MrBrian

It makes sense that KB4100480 would contain newer files than KB4088875 but now i’m curious as to the effect of installing KB4100480 before installing KB4088875 which i presume a lot us are going to be doing. Wouldn’t that result in older files overwriting the newer files? Provided anyone even wants to install the march update at this point but i’m just wondering if it’d be better installing KB4088875 (or the rollup) and then installing KB4100480.

It’s so much faster now that it’s no longer a chore to navigate the site and comment. Thank you once more for providing us this most valuable of services in our hour of need! (^_^)

I want it confirmed if this fix really does introduce all the known issues from the march update because if it does then why is it ticked in windows update? The march rollup is unticked for some and not showing at all for others because of these quite serious flaws, yet this one is good to go? It makes no sense but nothing does these last few days.

As far as i can tell (and it’s increasingly difficult to follow this mess), KB4100480 is only a fix for the flaw microsoft themselves introduced in the january, february and march updates. The so called “total meltdown” flaw. I don’t believe it includes any of march’s security patches but i may be wrong.

edit: According to kevin beaumont’s tweet further up this fix brings with it all the flaws with the march update as well… i have a headache.

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GoneToPlaid, SueW

This is quite unbelievable. So the march updates didn’t fix this gaping hole that microsoft introduced either? The march updates were supposed to fix this. Presumably the fix will be included in april but supposing the ever growing list of issues are fixed in april it looks like march will never get installed if you’re in group b. I’m certainly not installing it in the state it’s in and i’m not switching to group a either.

Unholy mess is correct. First time I’m reading about this total meltdown thing and like everyone else I am royally p****ed off at Microsoft. I have no idea the best course of action now other than uninstalling both January and February because March certainly isn’t fit for purpose. The only upside is that there are no known exploits as yet but I feel like a mug for keeping updated, thinking I’m doing the right thing and all along making it worse! Microsoft, you are a disgrace to the profession.

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Cybertooth

That is insanity. We’re now fast approaching april with still no resolution to any of the issues in the updates (not in the preview either), a lot of us aren’t even being offered the rollup. While others are seeing the update but it’s unticked so won’t be installed automatically. What on earth is microsoft playing at? That’s a rhetorical question because i’m not convinced even they know.

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OscarCP

I can’t really think why though since i didn’t include any external links. Maybe it was because i tried editing it several times in short order but no matter, thanks for letting me know.

For some reason my comment was eaten but…

Apparently in response to the multiple screw-ups, it looks like KB 4088875 now appears as an “Important” update in the Windows Update list, but isn’t checked by default, and doesn’t install automatically, even with Automatic Update enabled. I’m seeing conflicting reports about whether KB 4088875 currently appears on the WSUS list.

This must be why i’m not being offered anything, the february rollup is still there but not march. Which i haven’t installed of course because i’m group b. Also in the uk and i’ve seen comments from other UK people on here saying the same thing.