Newsletter Archives

• MS-DEFCON 4: Win11 22H2 not ready for prime time

  Posted on March 28, 2023 at 02:45 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 20.13.1 • 2023-03-28

  

  By Susan Bradley

  March updates are ready. Windows 11 22H2, not so much.

  It’s time to install the updates for the March releases, and that’s why I’m lowering the MS-DEFCON level to 4. There are a few issues out there, but most appear to be plain old low-risk bugs — things that used to be caught in Microsoft’s beta testing. As usual, it seems we’re the beta testers.

  I have several Windows 11 22H2 deployments in active use. If you are not an advanced user, are relatively new to the Windows platform, or are really into rounded corners and having to click several times to build shortcuts on your desktop, you might be tempted to forgive Microsoft for some of these cosmetic bugs.

  Anyone can read the full MS-DEFCON Alert (20.13.1, 2023-03-28).

  AskWoody Plus Alert, MS-DEFCON Alerts, DCOM, Graphics Cards, Motherboards, MS-DEFCON, MS-DEFCON 4, Windows 10, Windows 11

• MS-DEFCON 2: March Madness begins

  Posted on March 9, 2023 at 02:45 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 20.10.1 • 2023-03-09

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Ready for Windows 11 dribbles?

  In addition to waiting for side effects of security patches to manifest themselves, sometimes you need to wait to see the impact of changes from the prior month’s preview updates. This month more than ever, you should to delay or defer to see the impact of the March changes for Windows 11 22H2.

  Accordingly, I am raising the MS-DEFCON level to 2.

  Anyone can read the full MS-DEFCON Alert (20.10.1, 2023-03-09).

  AskWoody Plus Alert, MS-DEFCON Alerts, MS-DEFCON, MS-DEFCON 2, Windows 11 22H2

• MS-DEFCON 4: Wrapping up a short month

  Posted on February 28, 2023 at 02:45 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 20.09.1 • 2023-02-28

  

  By Susan Bradley

  February’s patches affected you either severely, or not at all.

  The good news: If you are a consumer, home user, or business that does not use Windows Server 2022 or any version of on-premises Exchange server, you will be just fine installing the updates at this time. Therefore, I am very comfortable with lowering the MS-DEFCON level to 4.

  However, if you are a business patcher with Windows Server 2022 hosted in VMware, you may have been significantly impacted. In addition, patch administrators are still dealing with the side effects of the Exchange updates.

  Anyone can read the full MS-DEFCON Alert (20.09.1, 2023-02-28).

  AskWoody Plus Alert, MS-DEFCON Alerts, Exchange Server, MS-DEFCON, MS-DEFCON 4, VMWare, Windows Server 2022, Windows Update, Windows Update block

• MS-DEFCON 2: .NET and Remote Desktop

  Posted on February 9, 2023 at 02:45 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 20.06.1 • 2023-02-09

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Defer until the February updates are fully understood.

  Even though I don’t anticipate any specific problem with February’s updates, it’s always hard to know for sure. For that reason, the MS-DEFCON level is raised to 2. Don’t be surprised by a Microsoft update before you’re prepared to deal with it!

  Anyone can read the full MS-DEFCON Alert (20.06.1, 2023-02-09).

  AskWoody Plus Alert, MS-DEFCON .NET Framework, Alerts, MS-DEFCON, MS-DEFCON 2, Patch Lady Posts, Remote Desktop, Windows 11

• MS-DEFCON 4: Patching weather is clearing

  Posted on January 24, 2023 at 02:45 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 20.04.1 • 2023-01-24

  

  By Susan Bradley

  In general, the January updates have been well behaved.

  So far, I’m not seeing any trending issues with them; accordingly, I’m lowering the MS-DEFCON level to 4. But that’s not to say we haven’t seen some other issues related to other types of updates. In addition to describing those, I’ll discuss a vulnerability in a part of your computer you may never think about.

  Two issues recently impacted Start menus and shortcuts but were unrelated to one another.

  Anyone can read the full MS-DEFCON Alert (20.04.1, 2023-01-24).

  AskWoody Plus Alert, MS-DEFCON Alerts, Hardware drivers, macOS Ventura, MS-DEFCON, MS-DEFCON 4, Printer Drivers, Windows Recovery Environment

• MS-DEFCON 2: Getting ready for 2023

  Posted on January 5, 2023 at 02:45 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 20.01.1 • 2023-01-05

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Once again, we are preparing for another year of patching.

  And to start out the year auspiciously, I must raise the MS-DEFCON level to 2. That’s because I’m recommending that updates to Windows be deferred until later in the month. Although Microsoft takes a long Christmas vacation, and the resulting January is usually limited to just security updates, it’s best to be very cautious until the issues that cropped up in December are resolved.

  Anyone can read the full MS-DEFCON Alert (20.01.1, 2023-01-05).

  AskWoody Plus Alert, MS-DEFCON Alerts, BSOD, Microsoft Lifecycle, MS-DEFCON, MS-DEFCON 2, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, Windows Servers EoL

• MS-DEFCON 3: Windows 10 22H2 may leave you blue

  Posted on December 27, 2022 at 02:45 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 19.52.1 • 2022-12-27

  

  By Susan Bradley

  I have a favorite Christmas song titled “We need a little Christmas,” from the Broadway musical “Mame.”

  The uplifting tone of the song expresses the pleasure and happiness we experience during the holiday. We don’t usually associate “blue” feelings with the season (except Elvis).

  Windows 10 could use a little of that holiday spirit. Unfortunately, two different patches for 22H2 appear to be throwing off blue screens of death for some — but not all — users. As much as I’d like to lower the MS-DEFCON level to the more serene level 4, so you can enjoy the holiday while applying updates, out of caution I am dropping it only one notch.

  Anyone can read the full MS-DEFCON Alert (19.52.1, 2022-12-27).

  AskWoody Plus Alert, MS-DEFCON Alerts, BSOD, MS-DEFCON, MS-DEFCON 3, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, Windows 10

• MS-DEFCON 2: The maintenance window for Windows closes

  Posted on December 8, 2022 at 02:45 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 19.49.1 • 2022-12-08

  

  By Susan Bradley

  This is your last call to install updates.

  Businesses typically have a concept in their information technology divisions about maintenance windows. It’s a period of time set aside to install updates, review computer systems, and in general ensure that everything is working as it should.

  Consumers and home users should follow a similar concept. Devote a period of time, no matter the platform, to ensure that your devices are working as they should. Then let your maintenance window close. That’s why I’m raising the MS-DEFCON level to 2 — with fresh updates due next week, get the current updates installed now.

  Everyone can read the full MS-DEFCON Alert (19.49.1, 2022-12-08).

  AskWoody Plus Alert, MS-DEFCON Alerts, Domain Controllers, macOS Ventura, MS-DEFCON, MS-DEFCON 2, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts

• MS-DEFCON 3: Side effect with Domain patch

  Posted on November 25, 2022 at 15:51 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  Special alert

  

  By Susan Bradley

  November Domain controller update leads to memory leak

  Business patchers only:  Microsoft has posted up a known side effect introduced by the November updates applied to domain controllers.

  As they note in their health release: (with my slight edits for clarification)

  After installing November or later updates on Domain Controllers (DCs), you might experience a memory leak with Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS,exe). Depending on the workload of your DCs and the amount of time since the last restart of the server, LSASS might continually increase memory usage with the up time of your server and the server might become unresponsive or automatically restart. Note: The out-of-band updates for DCs released November 17, 2022 and November 18, 2022 do not fix the issue and are also affected by this issue.

  Workaround one if you can remove the patch: Uninstall the November 8th updates and out of band updates that are listed here.

  Workaround two if you are mandated to keep the patch installed: To mitigate this issue, open Command Prompt as Administrator and use the following command to set the registry key KrbtgtFullPacSignature to 0:

  • reg add “HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\services\KDC” -v “KrbtgtFullPacSignature” -d 0 -t REG_DWORD

  Note that this ONLY impacts business patchers and does NOT impact consumers.

  AskWoody Plus Alert, MS-DEFCON Alerts, Master Patch List, Patch Lady Posts

• MS-DEFCON 3: Issues with domains

  Posted on November 22, 2022 at 02:45 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 19.47.1 • 2022-11-22

  

  By Susan Bradley

  November updates lead to side effects

  My usual advice regarding updates with known side effects is to wait until the problems are resolved. But every so often, the risk of waiting is greater than the risks associated with the side effects.

  That’s the way I see the situation now. The November updates require you to slog through the issues and deal with the side effects. For that reason, I’m lowering the MS-DEFCON level to 3. I’d really like to go to 4, but I think greater caution is required.

  Anyone can read the full MS-DEFCON Alert (19.47.1, 2022-11-22).

  AskWoody Plus Alert, MS-DEFCON Alerts, Domain Controllers, MS-DEFCON, MS-DEFCON 3, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts