When did “Download updates but let me choose” change?

Interesting question from EG. I haven’t been following along closely enough to give him a definitive answer. Do any of you know when (or even if) it has changed? Remember that I recommend “Notify but don’t download.” I’ve been running my Win 8.1, Vista and Win 7 (even XP) machines with that setting for a decade or two…

When did the option to “Download updates but let me choose whether to install them” change to install everything that’s pre-checked when you restart or shut down your computer?

I thought a family member had changed her settings to automatic when she called me last Wednesday about having to wait for the updates to get done installing before she could shut her computer down… and then another family member called me the following day experiencing the same problem. I accessed both of their computers over the weekend (remotely) and changed the setting to “Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them”, but both of these computers have been set that way for a very long time and have never installed updates upon a reboot or shut down before. They’ve always had to click the “Install updates” button before.

That Windows update option does say “let me choose whether to install them”… what happened to the “let me choose” part? They’re limited to one shot at choosing before the first reboot now? Am I overlooking a setting someplace else?

Thanks in advance Woody… for EVERYTHING you do!

Unwanted updates for Windows 7

I’ve received many variations on this request over the past few weeks:

Exchange 2010 problems with .NET 4.5.2 – KB3127229 KB3122656

Just received this from reader PA:

The latest .NET security updates for 4.5.2 have caused my Exchange environment major issues.  The document linked below refers to 4.6 and 2013 but I had both things happen to my system just hours after installing the updates. Our COO’s mailbox (of course it was him) was quarantined and honestly after working with Exchange since 5.0 with thousands of mailboxes I had never had this happen before.  Hell I didn’t know quarantine was even a thing in an Exchange environment until yesterday.  Our mailbox databases were randomly rolling to other DAG members as well.  Removing the patches (last night at about 7:00 PM) seems to have fixed the issue. We have one CAS/HT server and four mailbox database servers all participating in a DAG. Not sure yet which one or more was causing the issue.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3095369

Office 2013 patch KB 3114717 freezes 32-bit Word 2013 on Win 7, 8.1, 10

I’m also seeing reports of Excel 2013 and Outlook 2013 red-lining, making it impossible to edit.

InfoWorld Woody on Windows

Report of Win10 cumulative update 8 (10586.104) breaking Nitro PDF

Just got this from reader DH:

Can anybody replicate?

Office 2010 patch KB 3114750 clobbers Outlook Calendar (again)

Midnight appointments get garroted

InfoWorld Woody on Windows

What little we know about recommended Windows 7/8.1 update KB 3123862

It’s a Dirty Harry patch.

How this turned into a “Recommended” undocumented patch is anybody’s guess.

Aren’t you glad you have Automatic Update turned off?

InfoWorld Woody on Windows

t/h PKCano, Josh Mayfield

What every Windows 10 customer should know about the Azerbaijani Manat

It’s time to take on the second fundamental problem with Windows 10

InfoWorld Woody on Windows

Interesting details on KB 3123862

Remember KB 3123862, the mystery patch that reminded me so much of our good friend “Get Windows 10”?

Our own PKCano ran it through a Win7 test system and found some big changes in those key files.

Before     After
Name                       Explorer.exe Explorer.exe
Date Modified           2/24/11 11:30pm            1/21/16 11:13pm
Size                          2555KB 2904KB
File Ver.                    6.1.7601.17567 6.1.7601.19135

Name                      ExplorerFrame.dll ExplorerFrame.dll
Date Modified           8/6/15 12:44pm             1/22/16 12:00am
Size                          1464KB 1464KB
File Ver.                    6.1.7601.18952 6.1.7601.19135

Name                       Shell32.dll Shell32.dll
Date Modified           8/6/15 12:44pm             1/21/16 11:13pm
Size                          12574KB 12576KB
File Ver.                    6.1.7601.18952 6.1.7601.19135

Name                      Authui.dll Authui.dll
Date Modified           6/15/15 4:43pm            1/21/16 11:59pm
Size                          1764KB 1764KB
File Ver.                    6.1.7601.18896 6.1.7601.19135

So the big change – in terms of size – is with explorer.exe, which got a hefty bump of 350 KB.

I wonder what in the blue blazes is going on?

Microsoft releases Windows 10 build 10586.104, cumulative update 9, KB 3135173 — with changelog

My #1 hurdle to Windows 10 adoption, finally addressed. It ain’t the world’s greatest changelog, but it’s one heck of a lot better than anything we’ve had before.

InfoWorld Woody on Windows

MS-DEFCON 2: Check to ensure your system is locked down

Black Tuesday is upon us, once again. Heaven only knows what it’ll bring.

Make sure you have your Vista, Win7 and 8.1 Windows Update set to “Notify but don’t download.” If your Windows 10 machine is set up with a Wi-Fi connection, set it to a metered connection. To do all of that, see the Automatic Update tab above.

We’re headed to MS-DEFCON 2: Patch reliability is unclear. Unless you have an immediate, pressing need to install a specific patch, don’t do it.

Let’s see what happens tomorrow.

Good prices on Dell XPS laptops in Microsoft Store

The Dell XPS-13, Signature Edition (read: no crapware) just got a $200 price shave on the Microsoft Store:

• $800 for the non-touch 3200 x 1800, i5-6200U (Skylake – the latest Intel processor series), 8GB memory, 128 GB SSD.
• $1,200 for the touch screen i5, 256 GB.
• $1,400 for the touch i7, 256 GB.
• $1,800 for the touch, i7, 512 GB.

I reviewed the XPS-13 in September, and came away very impressed. “The Dell XPS 13 is arguably the best 13-inch clamshell on the market and inarguably the smallest.” It has a fan, and the web camera’s at a weird angle (not enough room on the top of the bezel), but other than that it’s a stupendous machine.

Even more amazing, the XPS-15 got a $200 price cut, too. I’m currently using one of the new XPS-15’s and it’s even more amazing:

• $1,500 for the i5-6300HQ machine, 8 GB, 256 GB SSD
• $1,900 for the i7, 16 GB, 512 GB SSD

That last machine is the one I’ve been beating on as hard as I can, and it’s astounding. The 15.6 inch screen runs 3840 x 2160 (yeah, 4K), by far the best computer screen I’ve ever used. And it’s seat-of-the-pants more powerful than my production desktop.

If you’re looking for a laptop, forget the Surface Book. This is the gold standard.