Newsletter Archives

• Preparing for 24H2

  Posted on October 7, 2024 at 02:42 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  PATCH WATCH

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Don’t roll out Windows 11 24H2 yet. Defer. Delay. Wait.

  Most importantly, I always say wait, even if it’s just about monthly patches. But this is about what even Microsoft says is a major release, a complete OS overwrite. That makes 24H2 even more dangerous. Let other, more venturesome, souls take the slings and arrows, and use the lessons learned.

  Those lessons may be coming fast. Within the AskWoody community, forum posts associated with last week’s MS-DEFCON 2 Alert demonstrated that some brave testers ran into problems. Other sources have reported glitches, including BSODs. I’m still collecting data and beginning my own testing.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.41.0, 2024-10-07).

  Patch Watch CUPS, CVE-2024-47076, CVE-2024-47175, CVE-2024-47176, CVE-2024-47177, iOS 18, Linux Printing, Microsoft Surface, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, Port 631, Recall, Snapdragon X Elite, Windows 11 24H2, Windows Hello

• MS-DEFCON 2: Windows 11 24H2 is out!

  Posted on October 1, 2024 at 20:03 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 21.40.1 • 2024-10-01

  

  By Susan Bradley

  It’s not that 24H2 was unexpected — but we had very, very little notice.

  You won’t be surprised by this advice: Don’t take the 24H2 update just yet. Nobody has had time to react to today’s announcement — much less examine the changes, check out the new features, and assess the effects of the update on existing systems.

  I considered raising the MS-DEFCON level to 1 because of the suddenness of the news, but 24H2 is not exactly an emergency. So I’m raising the level to 2. I recommend that you use your preferred delaying tactic to prevent 24H2’s installation until we’ve gone through our testing and you reach your own comfort level. As usual, I suggest Steve Gibson’s easy InControl app.

  Anyone can read the full MS-DEFCON Alert (21.40.1, 2024-10-01).

  AskWoody Plus Alert, MS-DEFCON Alerts, KB5042207, KB5042209, KB5042211, KB5042214, KB5042215, KB5042217, KB5042749, KB5043145, MS-DEFCON, MS-DEFCON 2, Patch Lady Posts, Windows 11 24H2

• MS-DEFCON 2: 24H2 is around the corner

  Posted on September 5, 2024 at 02:45 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 21.36.1 • 2024-09-05

  

  By Susan Bradley

  I can always tell when fall is in the air.

  No, it’s not a decrease in temperatures — we’re still very hot here in Central California. No, it’s not that pumpkin-spice aroma around coffee shops.

  It’s the technology headlines about imminent updates from Redmond and Cupertino. Naturally, that means I’m raising the MS-DEFCON level to 2. Here are a few things you should consider.

  Anyone can read the full MS-DEFCON Alert (21.36.1, 2024-09-05).

  AskWoody Plus Alert, MS-DEFCON Alerts, Apple, CVE-2024-26248, CVE-2024-29056, InControl, KB5014754, KB5025885, KB5037754, MS-DEFCON, MS-DEFCON 2, Patch Lady Posts, RSA, TLS, Windows 11 23H2, Windows 11 24H2

• MS-DEFCON 2: Microsoft and Apple betas near finish line

  Posted on August 8, 2024 at 02:45 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 21.32.1 • 2024-08-08

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Hold off on updates from both companies until they are fully vetted.

  With so much activity around forthcoming Windows updates, continued caution is recommended. That’s why I’m raising the MS-DEFCON level to 2.

  I realize that the window between today and last week’s Alert has been brief. It’s just a matter of the calendar — more testing time was needed last month, and Patch Tuesday is next week.

  Anyone can read the full MS-DEFCON Alert (21.32.1, 2024-08-08).

  AskWoody Plus Alert, MS-DEFCON Alerts, Black Hat USA, CVE-2024-36971, iOS 18, KB5001716, KB5025885, MS-DEFCON, MS-DEFCON 2, Office 2019, Patch Lady Posts, Windows 11 24H2

• Lessons learned from CrowdStrike

  Posted on July 29, 2024 at 02:45 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 21.31 • 2024-07-29

  ON SECURITY

  

  By Susan Bradley

  It’s been over a week since the technology meltdown that impacted airlines, some banks, and even my sister’s Starbucks order through Uber Eats on Friday morning.

  Despite the carnage, only a very small segment of computer systems was impacted. In the Official Microsoft Blog, the post Helping our customers through the CrowdStrike outage pointed out that less than one percent of all Windows machines were affected.

  So why was this so impactful? More important, what lessons have we learned from this event? Is there anything we can do better next time?

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.31.0, 2024-07-29).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  On Security BitLocker, Crowdstrike, CVE-2024-26184, CVE-2024-28899, Microsoft Defender, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, Recovery, Recovery Keys, Windows 11 24H2

• ARM is really important for Windows 11

  Posted on July 22, 2024 at 02:43 CDT by Mary Branscombe • Comment in the Forums

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Mary Branscombe

  Microsoft is pushing people to Windows 11 to get AI features. Today, that means Windows 11 on ARM — even though the AI isn’t ready yet.

  When Microsoft announced the generative AI features in Windows 11 that Satya Nadella claimed would change the whole PC experience, the first thing that struck me about Microsoft’s Copilot+ PCs was how very far Windows on ARM has come. The new flagship devices that will run controversial, premium new Windows features such as Recall — and are supposed to make us think of Microsoft as “the AI company” rather than “the Windows company” — are, at least initially, powered by Snapdragon X Elite processors. Those are ARM architectures.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.30.0, 2024-07-22).

  Windows 11 AI, ARM, Copilot+ PCs, Intel, Newsletters, Qualcomm, Snapdragon X Elite, Windows 11, Windows 11 24H2

• The good and bad of 24H2

  Posted on June 3, 2024 at 02:41 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  PATCH WATCH

  

  By Susan Bradley

  We’re getting closer to the next round of Microsoft’s feature releases, this time in the form of Windows 11 24H2.

  Microsoft took advantage of its recent developer conference, BUILD, to talk about what 24H2 will include. But unless you have access to Entra ID, many of the features are ho-hum at best. And if you are a consumer, you’ll skip most of the enhancements.

  Unless you like living on the edge, prepare your system now to hold back 24H2.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.23.0, 2024-06-03).

  Patch Watch ARM, Newsletters, NTLM, Patch Lady Posts, Qualcomm, Recall, Snapdragon X Elite, Surface, Windows 11, Windows 11 24H2

• The Windows 11 disconnect

  Posted on May 6, 2024 at 02:42 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  PATCH WATCH

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Despite my being a CPA, earnings calls are not usually a part of my technology coverage for Patch Watch.

  I’m making an exception. I read the transcript of the Microsoft Fiscal Year 2024 Third Quarter Earnings Conference Call and found myself concerned with CEO Satya Nadella’s remarks. In the call, Nadella addressed recent problems Microsoft had encountered with security — from the company itself being hacked due to its own lack of attention to OAuth, to attackers breaking through using various other means.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.19.0, 2024-05-06).

  Patch Watch KB5036979, KB5036980, Microsoft, Microsoft earnings, Newsletters, OAuth, Patch Lady Posts, Windows 11 24H2
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