Western Digital My Cloud customers – turn off Cloud access NOW

If you have a Western Digital My Cloud network attached storage device, you’re mightily exposed. Jon Fingas at engadget says:

Exploitee.rs has discovered a number of unpatched security flaws in most My Cloud models that let remote intruders bypass the login, insert their own commands and upload files without permission. In numerous cases, it’s a matter of poorly implemented scripts. Also, every command exectued through the web interface has full access to the operating system — an attacker would have the keys to the kingdom.

Bottom line: Everybody with Western Digital My Cloud machines should take Barb Bowman’s advice and Turn Off Cloud Access to your WD My Cloud Device NOW

Michelangelo virus turns 25 today

If you were around 25 years ago, you may recall the Michelangelo virus, which was timed to launch on March 6, 1992.

It turned into a dud, but started an enormous industry.

Here’s how I described  it in Windows XP Timesaving Techniques for Dummies, Jan. 2005:

The first really big virus

The world changed when John McAfee appeared on the Today Show in March, 1992, and told Bryant Gumbel that the Michelangelo virus infected more than a million PCs. One week later, the PC world was supposed to end. All the major wire services ran alarming predictions — millions of dollars were forecast to be lost in the wake of the largest computer virus of all time.

The Big Day arrived and . . . nothing. A few thousand systems got clobbered, here and there, but Michelangelo turned into a dud of astonishing proportions. McAfee made millions. The wire services fell silent. We all got huckstered. Does history repeat itself in Internet time?

Now McAfee is… what is he doing nowadays, anyway?

The difference between machine learning and AI

Before you get bowled over by the latest and greatest buzzwords, check this out.

Machine learning and AI enjoy superstar status, yet most people stumble over the basic concepts — let alone obscure algorithms

Eric Knorr, InfoWorld.

Win10 beta build 15048: Have you seen this disappearing Pause Update panel?

There are some tiny changes in build 15048, released Friday afternoon, compared to build 15046. Clearly we’re nearing the final stage of Windows 10 Creators Update.

But @abbodi86 discovered something disconcerting. At least, it’s disconcerting to me.

In preview build 15046, the Pause Updates setting was pegged at 35 days. I talked about that in InfoWorld last week.

In preview build 15048, as you can see in this screenshot, Pause Updates only lasts for 7 days.

Further adding to the mystery, the two Group Policy settings (refer to the InfoWorld article) haven’t changed at all. Feature Updates pause stays at 60 days. Quality Updates pause is still at 35 days. And the Defer Quality Updates up-down control still maxes out at 30 days.

What will the final, shipping version of the Creators Update say? For that matter, will this hidden Settings pane exist in the final version? Who knows…

Posted on Reddit: https://redd.it/5xoqrn

If you’re worried about registering for the Lounge…

@Elly just came up with a very accurate description of what’s involved in becoming a registered Lounger. Post anonymously if you must, but don’t be afraid of registering, for a wide array of reasons.

If you live/travel someplace where registering might cause you problems, email me – woody@askwoody.com – for assistance.

A note on anonymous posters

Reminder: How to get Win7, 8.1 and Win10 patched

I received some email (and even a couple of Tweets and a post on Facebook!) asking how to get Windows systems updated, now that we’re at MS-DEFCON 5.

I used to post the details here on AskWoody, but for the past few months I’ve branched out to a wider audience, and posted the step-by-step procedure in InfoWorld.

In case you missed it, the details are in this InfoWorld Woody on Windows article. Comments are here.

Those of you who are in Group B – who want to avoid more Microsoft snooping – would be well advised to read ch100’s recommendations. He’s convinced that you’re much better off going with Group A – install all patches – except three specific patches (six specific patches if you don’t use something called RDP, and most of you don’t).

Microsoft established the Group B method last October. It’s still holding together, but Group A has a lot of advantages.

The Lounge hits more than 1,000 registered users

We’ve been live for a bit over a month, and the number of registered users just flipped over the 1,000 mark. That may not sound like much in an era of Facebook and Snapchat, but it’s not bad at all for a self-help group of Windows victims.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the MVPs, who keep the site going, but especially @Kirsty and @PKCano who have put in endless hours moderating posts – and racking up more than 100 “Thanks” each in the process.

Let’s see how well we can keep this ship afloat…. With your help, I’m sure we’ll make it.

Microsoft releases a new beta version of Win10 1703, the Creators Update

Yep, we’re getting close although, strangely, this new build 15048, brings back the desktop watermark. Official details here.

For those of you not overly concerned about the beta of the next version of Windows – a version that likely won’t be widely available until next month – please ignore this announcement. Move along now. Nothing to see here.

More to come, after I have a chance to bang on it for a bit. We’re very close.

Some folks are talking about a palindrome build number. Three to go.

How to block automatic updates in the next version of Windows 10

As long as you have Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise, the next version – 1703, Creators Update – will include built-in tools that let you delay forced updates. If you know what the settings mean.

InfoWorld Woody on Windows

Hidden update throttling screen in new Win10 Creators Update beta build 15046

UPDATE: Microsoft has responded to the questions I posed below. Please see their responses interspersed with the questions.

Microsoft’s post on Win10 Creators Update for today talks about a new, giant-sized notification that should appear when there’s an update waiting. It looks like this:

There are also some tiny changes to the “Schedule the restart” dialog. There’s a rehash of the “Choose privacy settings for your device” sequence during installation. I don’t see any changes from the setup sequence I talked about six weeks ago.

Other than that, there isn’t much there… there.

In particular I was hoping MS would talk about the hidden screen in Win10 beta build 15046 that I discussed this morning in InfoWorld.

I don’t see hide nor hair about that dialog. It’d be a real improvement, if it makes the final cut for Creators Update. See my InfoWorld Woody on Windows article for details.

My questions about the definitions of those settings continue. In particular:

• How do the “Pause Updates” and “Choose when updates are installed” sections interact? Does one over-ride the other? (Note that the Group Policy associated with this setting has two different options, one for version changes, er, feature updates, and another for “quality” updates.)

Microsoft’s explanation:

Deferral is the first concept – this allows you to defer the installation of both Feature and Quality updates: Feature updates for up to 365 days, and Quality Updates for up to 30 days.

Pause enabled via the UX does indeed over-ride – it stops all updates but Defender from being applicable for the amount of time you set.

Pause enabled via policy can be differentiated: For example you can pause a feature update while allowing quality updates to continue.

• If you choose to wait for Current Branch for Business (always a good idea if you don’t want to be an unpaid beta tester), does the “feature update… deferred for this many days” setting kick in after the version hits CBB?

Microsoft’s explanation:

The deferral period is based on your branch selection, and the time starts when that branch is released.

• What, exactly, is a “quality” update? Obviously “quality” includes cumulative updates. But does it include posted-but-not-delivered hotfixes like 14393.577 and 14393.729? What about servicing stack updates? Drivers (especially drivers delivered as updates for Surface Book and Surface Pro machines)? Ad-hoc security patches like the just-released IE and Edge patches? MSRT updates? .NET patches?

Microsoft’s explanation:

Feature updates are updates that include additional functionality or features – The Anniversary Update (1607) and the upcoming Creators Update are examples of Feature Updates. Quality Updates do not include new features – these are fixes to existing features that include security updates, driver updates, bug fixes, etc. Here is a good explanation of the various updates within Windows as a Service.

My questions no doubt sound pedantic at this point. Inside baseball. I assure you, in a few months, many people will be scrambling for answers.

Let’s hope Microsoft fills in some blanks before the offal hits the fan.

I want to thank the team at Microsoft for clarifying these points. I still have some questions (what about hotfixes? drivers for Surface?), but it’ll all become clear as we watch the new method unfold.

By the way, I didn’t ask – and haven’t heard – if the hidden dialog will become part of the final Creators Update.

MS-DEFCON 5: Rare opportunity to get Windows and Office completely patched

With few outstanding patches, and all but one well-behaved, now’s an excellent time to get caught up.

InfoWorld Woody on Windows

How-To Geek: What’s the Difference Between Office 365 and Office 2016?

It’s a question I hear all the time, with a clear answer  from HTG’s Chris Hoffman.

Short version –

Office 2016 Home & Student is $150 for one machine (PC or Mac). You can use it forever. Doesn’t include Outlook, Publisher or Access.

Office 365 Personal is $70/yr for one machine, plus one tablet (iPad, Android). Does include Outlook, Publisher and Access.

Office 365 Home is $100/yr for up to five PCs or Macs plus five tablets. You also get 1 TB of OneDrive storage.

Which should you get? Read Hoffman’s analysis. Spot on.