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[WildBill]

I’m on Windows 10 Pro Version 1909. Like Melvin & others, I’m seeing KB890830 (MSRT v5.86), KB4601315 (Cumulative Update) & KB4601056 (.NET Framework Cumulative Update). I have Conexant High Definition SmartAudio 221 driver, but either since the beginning of the new year, or since I applied January’s updates, I no longer see the message “When the Windows 10 May 2020 Update [2004] is ready for your device, it will be available to download and install…”. I’m applying February’s 1909 updates when the all-clear is issued in March, then planning to use the Target Release Version (TRV) for 20H2. Before I switch to TRV, do I still need to remove my Conexant audio driver 1st, or is that necessary now?

Bought a refurbished Windows 10 64-bit, currently updated to 22H2. Have broke the AC adapter cord going to the 8.1 machine, but before that, coaxed it into charging. Need to buy new adapter if wish to continue using it.
Wild Bill Rides Again...

• This reply was modified 2 years, 7 months ago by WildBill.

From @cmptrgy
The second PC available for public use has the Free MSFT Office on the Web available.
— If I remember correctly, it’s free for up to 50 GB.
— I’d appreciate knowing the pros & cons of using it.

I would like to know the pros & cons of MSFT Office on the Web (or is it Office Online?) too. I’m currently using a refurbished Compaq CQ60 that I’m going to buy from a friend that isn’t using it. She went through a class that taught her computers & Office (I think), & gave her the PC at the end of the class. I currently have it updated to Windows 10 Version 1909. It hasn’t attempted to update to Version 2004 yet, because of conflicts (?) with Conexant audio drivers. I have Feature Updates deferred for 365 days anyway, so until those situations change (& Patch Lady Susan gives the okay & has moved to 2004), I’m fine with 1909.

I also have an Office icon pinned to my taskbar. When I launch it, it brings up a window (app?) that has icons on the side for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneDrive, OneNote, To Do, & other icons. Clicking an icon opens a tab in my web browser for the specific app (product?!); obviously this is Office on the Web AKA Online. It shows lists of Recent, Pinned & Shared with me files. On the top right, just below icons for Settings, Help & my Profile, I have 2 boxes. The one on the Left says “Install Office” & the one on the Right says “Buy Office”. “Buy Office” indicates I’m on the Current plan (free) of Microsoft 365, with 5 GB cloud storage & online apps only. The Premium choices are Microsoft 365 Personal, with 1 TB cloud storage & premium versions, or Microsoft 365 Family, with 6 TB cloud storage, premium versions, & up to 6 accounts that a family can share. These are obviously Subscriptions, either monthly or annually.

“Install Office” has a pop-up that says “Go premium” & probably routes you to Subscribing. I assume Subscribing downloads the premium apps to my machine, after taking payment for the selected version of Office, either monthly or annually. I also know that Subscribing will update Microsoft 365 with any new features, as they become available. On my “old” Win8.1 machine (soon to be Eight years old), I have Office 2013 Home & Student Edition. Office 2013 reaches End of Support (EOL?) on 04/11/23. I have uploaded all my files to OneDrive, so they can be accessed via Office Online and/or Microsoft 365.

Again, I would like to know the Pros & Cons of Office Online & Microsoft 365; specifically with MSFT 365, am I being Forced to subscribe & pay indefinitely? I guess I could buy Office 2016 or 2019 one-time, but 2019 Mainstream support is scheduled to end 10/10/23. Extended End of Support (EOL?) for 2016 & 2019 ends 10/14/25. Based on what the Office icon looks like on my taskbar, it’s based on Office… oops, Microsoft 365/Office 2019.

Bought a refurbished Windows 10 64-bit, currently updated to 22H2. Have broke the AC adapter cord going to the 8.1 machine, but before that, coaxed it into charging. Need to buy new adapter if wish to continue using it.
Wild Bill Rides Again...

PK, as my signature indicates, I have 2 machines now. My question is with the refurbished Windows 10 machine that I’ll be buying from a friend soon. They’ve been kind enough to let me “try before I buy”, & they have never used it since they completed a training course. I just today decided to access this AKB, & my question relates to applying the December 2020 patches when MS-DEFCON changes, probably this week.

Background: My Win10 machine is currently running Version 1909. It was on 1903, but I updated to 1909 before the previous version reached EOL. Feature Update deferral is set to 365 days. My machine has Conexant audio, so until those drivers are updated, or I decide to bypass them & use Microsoft default audio drivers instead, Microsoft won’t put Version 2004 on my machine. I’m cool with that, since neither Patch Lady Susan, you, nor any of the other AskWoody Bosses have okayed it yet. I’ll worry about 2004 (or 20H2, for that matter) when I’ve heard that the Green Light has been given.

My specific question is about applying patches AKA Quality Updates. On Dec. 7, the day before this month’s Patch Tuesday (Dec. 8), I set the Quality Update deferral to 30 days. I think this is how Woody showed the GUI set. Having finally read AKB 2000016, I learned that you recommend Quality Update deferral be always set at 0. Similar to how Win 8.1 works (my old reliable), it will show that the patches are present & ready, but I must click a button or link to “Download and install now”.

Here’s my plan when MS-DEFCON changes to 3, 4, or 5: Change the Quality Update deferral to 0 days, verify that the proper patch appears & is ready to install, then click on the button or link to let Microsoft make the Magic happen. Of course, backups will be done 1st. Leave Quality Update deferral at 0 for the foreseeable future. Obviously this machine has Win 10 Pro installed, or I wouldn’t be talking about these GUI settings. I’d be using the Pause Updates for Win 10 Home. I’ll be notified via e-mail on my Win 8.1 machine for any follow-up replies, so let me know if I’ve got this right, or should do something different before MS-DEFCON changes. As for the current 30 day setting, if I do nothing, patches should appear on 01/05/21. This is the “A” week Tuesday, when non-security Office patches are dropped. Thank You!

Bought a refurbished Windows 10 64-bit, currently updated to 22H2. Have broke the AC adapter cord going to the 8.1 machine, but before that, coaxed it into charging. Need to buy new adapter if wish to continue using it.
Wild Bill Rides Again...

Working fine in San Antonio, TX. Links in Newsletter responded fine & link to this post worked. Can’t tell a noticeable difference in speed, but no mess-ups so far…

Bought a refurbished Windows 10 64-bit, currently updated to 22H2. Have broke the AC adapter cord going to the 8.1 machine, but before that, coaxed it into charging. Need to buy new adapter if wish to continue using it.
Wild Bill Rides Again...

As my signature shows, I have 2 machines now. Testing & will probably buy a used Win 10 Compaq from a friend. It’s currently on v1909, & the Conexant audio driver is blocking v2004. As the dog in the burning house meme says, “This is fine.” Also still have my Win8.1 machine, which was updated this past weekend. The AC adapter jack’s loose & doesn’t always charge; the cord connecting to the adapter is now frayed & another reason it sporadically charges. Not seeing any “C week optional” updates or SSU yet, because quality updates are delayed to this weekend (Dec. 5th). Feature updates are delayed 365; another way to prevent v2004 from updating yet. Looks like I have Office Online installed; can subscribe to Microsoft 365. Should I subscribe, or do I even have a choice besides the Online version?

Bought a refurbished Windows 10 64-bit, currently updated to 22H2. Have broke the AC adapter cord going to the 8.1 machine, but before that, coaxed it into charging. Need to buy new adapter if wish to continue using it.
Wild Bill Rides Again...

Retiring? Say It Ain’t So, Woody! Wait… you said it Is So. As Emily Latella would say… “Never mind!” Enjoy, O Webmaster Emeritus… we’re in Good Hands with the Patch Lady. Susan & all your Bosses will take it from here. Enjoy Phuket, or wherever you’ll be in Thailand. It’ll just feel Strange to go to AskWoody.com… & No Longer be able to Ask Woody. Don’t be a stranger… Talk to us when you have something to say. Well… bye.

Bought a refurbished Windows 10 64-bit, currently updated to 22H2. Have broke the AC adapter cord going to the 8.1 machine, but before that, coaxed it into charging. Need to buy new adapter if wish to continue using it.
Wild Bill Rides Again...

3 users thanked author for this post.

Steve, Myst, woody

[WildBill]

I don’t want to cosplay the usual Chicken Littles & scream “THE SKY IS FALLING!”… but is it? If these patches were just accidentally overlooked & are basically the same fix in all other Windows versions, us Win8.1 folk could wait to install it with the rest of this month’s patches. Right? Right?! However, if the hunch of @Mr._Natural is right & this fixes a known issue that should be addressed quickly… should we apply it ASAP? & by “apply”, I Only mean KB4578013 & Nothing Else! What up, Boss?!

Bought a refurbished Windows 10 64-bit, currently updated to 22H2. Have broke the AC adapter cord going to the 8.1 machine, but before that, coaxed it into charging. Need to buy new adapter if wish to continue using it.
Wild Bill Rides Again...

• This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by WildBill.

1 user thanked author for this post.

gborn

I suspect Woody would love to see Windows 10 feature updates only once a year… or even once every Other year. Frankly, so would I, as long as major updates don’t arrive every 6 months.

I also suspect, however, that M$ thinks (or wants to think) that Win1o feature updates twice a year keep it relevant. Or at least keep it in the public eye… even if the Spring (yyH1) update is “major” & the Fall (yyH2) update is “minor”. Or vice versa, it really doesn’t matter!

Bought a refurbished Windows 10 64-bit, currently updated to 22H2. Have broke the AC adapter cord going to the 8.1 machine, but before that, coaxed it into charging. Need to buy new adapter if wish to continue using it.
Wild Bill Rides Again...

2 users thanked author for this post.

Carl D, Cybertooth

[WildBill]

Obviously still on Windows 8.1; wanting to upgrade to some Win10 version, hopefully one that is somewhat stable when I do. As for 2004 (2005?! it was delivered on May Patch Tuesday), my goal is to wait until September 2020… November 2020 at the latest. Which may be Version 2010 or 2011, according to the Microsoft Azure schedule.

Ya know, the longer M$ takes to try & stabilize Windows 10… the more I’m looking at converting to a Linux distro in 2022. COVID-19 or not, vaccine or not, effective treatment or not… at some point, Microsoft gets the figurative [obscene jesture] from me (probably literal as well). As for Office, I’m still on 2013 Click-to-Run, which goes EOL on April 2023. If I move to Win10 whatever, should I upgrade to Office 2016 (if available; EOL is Oct. 2025), Office 2019, or Finally subscribe to Office… uhh, Microsoft 365? If I convert to Linux, f*** M$ Office… it’s LibreOffice for me!

Bought a refurbished Windows 10 64-bit, currently updated to 22H2. Have broke the AC adapter cord going to the 8.1 machine, but before that, coaxed it into charging. Need to buy new adapter if wish to continue using it.
Wild Bill Rides Again...

• This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by WildBill.

2 users thanked author for this post.

JohnS1606, Tom-R

Gartner was slightly off in their “Others” total to round up to 100%. Doing the math with the “major” companies that you quoted, “Others” was actually 15.3%.

Bought a refurbished Windows 10 64-bit, currently updated to 22H2. Have broke the AC adapter cord going to the 8.1 machine, but before that, coaxed it into charging. Need to buy new adapter if wish to continue using it.
Wild Bill Rides Again...

1. KB2020-05 Security and Quality Rollup for .NET Framework 3.5.1, 4.5.2, 4.6, 4.6.1, 4.6.2, 4.7, 4.7.1, 4.7.2, 4.8 for Windows 7 for x64 (KB4556399) was still sitting there as it was last month, “Important” but “Unchecked”. I can’t remember the last time this happened, “Important” but “Unchecked” persisting.

That’s odd… on my Win8.1 machine, even with “Never check for updates” set, when I click the Check for updates button, “Important” updates are always Checked. The May .NET Rollup was marked “Important”; could you have Unchecked it before you installed May updates in June? Also, if you manually install security updates & IE cumulatives separately from the Catalog, you’re probably ignoring the .NET Rollup. Check it & run updates if you do want to install it.

Also, for future reference, if an update is “Recommended”, not “Important” (or “Optional” but italicized in Control Panel; Chredge is an example), and under “Choose how updates get installed” or “Choose your Windows Update settings” in Control Panel, look at “Recommended updates”. If the box next to “Give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates” is Unchecked, updates like Chredge won’t be automatically checked like Important updates. If the box is Checked, Recommended updates will be automatically checked like the Important ones… & installed.

Finally…

3. No MSRT for MSE was offered; is this because MSFT is not “Supporting the MSE Platform” anymore? I got one last month…

M$ isn’t sending a Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) update every month now. Yes, the last 1 was for May, & the 1 before that was for March. Looks like for Win7 ESU & Win8.1, they’re sending the MSRT every other month. Don’t believe it’s because M$ “is not Supporting the MSE Platform”; Defender on 8.1 started as a MSE clone.

Bought a refurbished Windows 10 64-bit, currently updated to 22H2. Have broke the AC adapter cord going to the 8.1 machine, but before that, coaxed it into charging. Need to buy new adapter if wish to continue using it.
Wild Bill Rides Again...

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Nibbled To Death By Ducks

Check! For Win8.1 users, after you install the June stuff, check for Updates again. You’ll see SSU KB4562253; as PK says, install the SSU as well.

Bought a refurbished Windows 10 64-bit, currently updated to 22H2. Have broke the AC adapter cord going to the 8.1 machine, but before that, coaxed it into charging. Need to buy new adapter if wish to continue using it.
Wild Bill Rides Again...

On Win8.1 without a printer. However, my curiosity is piqued: Under “Choose how updates get installed” I have “Never check for updates”, but “Give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates” has that box Unchecked. So Chredge for Win8.1 is Recommended & Unchecked when I Check for updates. If I’m curious to try M$ Edge AKA Chredge, should I add it to everything else? Or avoid it like COVID-19 or the Bubonic Plague?!

Bought a refurbished Windows 10 64-bit, currently updated to 22H2. Have broke the AC adapter cord going to the 8.1 machine, but before that, coaxed it into charging. Need to buy new adapter if wish to continue using it.
Wild Bill Rides Again...

it offers 2004 via WU and installs to 30 percent before this appears.

When I install monthly updates for Windows 8.1, it usually goes to 30% & holds a while before it restarts. That “hold” is probably Windows in general checking out drivers & other conditions before it gives the OK. Once the restart occurs, updates move from 30% to 100% pretty quickly on my 7-year-old machine… depending on what’s being updated.

BTW, Woody, the link goes to one of Thurrott’s tweets & not an article. Bad link, or did things change & the article is Premium?

Bought a refurbished Windows 10 64-bit, currently updated to 22H2. Have broke the AC adapter cord going to the 8.1 machine, but before that, coaxed it into charging. Need to buy new adapter if wish to continue using it.
Wild Bill Rides Again...

1 user thanked author for this post.

Microfix

Woody, since you updated us on the M$ codex bugs, will you still be publishing a “Woody on Windows” article, or is that scratched? Understanding not all Computerworld readers access the website & vice versa…

Bought a refurbished Windows 10 64-bit, currently updated to 22H2. Have broke the AC adapter cord going to the 8.1 machine, but before that, coaxed it into charging. Need to buy new adapter if wish to continue using it.
Wild Bill Rides Again...