Woody on Windows
June cumulative updates cause multiple problems with network printers
There are reports all over of the Windows June cumulative updates – KB 4560960 (Win10 version 1903/1909), KB 4557957 (Win10 2004), KB 4561608 (Win10 1809/Server 2019) and KB 4561612 (Server 2012) – breaking network printers....
Some Win10 PCs are apparently being upgraded to version 2004 without consent
I’m seeing an increase in the number of people who claim that their Windows 10 version 1903 or 1909 computers were upgraded to version 2004, without warning. The behavior might be due to a bug in the way Win10 handles “Pause...
Microsoft Patch Tuesday is nigh: Pause updates now.
Take a minute right now and make sure you have Windows Update paused. Every month we see problems with patches -- some rare and innocuous, others toxic to a specific subset of Windows users. Step out of the line of fire. It’s easy.
It's a bumpy road for the Win10 version 2004 rollout
Microsoft’s been testing the “final” version of Win10 May 2020 Update - better known as version 2004 - for almost six months now. The number and nature of extant problems at this late date hits a new low, even by Microsoft’s...
Get your May 2020 Windows and Office patches installed
It was quite a month, with an undocumented drive-by patch, five (six?) zero-days, and voluminous reports of bugs that, with two exceptions, don’t appear to have any common cause. Now’s a good time to get Windows and Office patched.
It’s time to squirrel away a clean copy of Win10 version 1909
With Win10 version 2004 locked and loaded and ready to fire at any moment, now would be a very good time to store away an official, clean copy of Win10 version 1909. You never know when it might come in handy.
Check to make sure you have Windows updates paused
Patch Tuesday is here. While we aren’t expecting any big surprises, it would behoove you to ensure that Windows has been set to wait until the dust clears. Yes, you have to patch eventually. No, you don’t have to patch immediately.
Odd problems remain unresolved, but get the April Windows and Office patches installed
In spite of persistent reports of pesky problems with April’s updates, there doesn’t seem to be a single point of pain. You need to watch out for the long-documented 'missing' data/zapped desktop bug, and it’s possible your printers...
Cumulative Update bugs spur Microsoft to call for help. Where’s the telemetry when we need it?
The recent round of complaints about bugs in KB 4549951, this month’s Win10 version 1903 and 1909 cumulative update, have prompted a request from Microsoft to sound off. That’s great. But you have to wonder why we’re sending Microsoft...
Many reported problems with this month’s Win10 Cumulative Update, but few patterns
The Windows 10 version 1903 and 1909 Patch Tuesday patch for this month, KB 4549951, has drawn lots of criticism (and more than a few clickbaity headlines) for bugs and crashes. We’re seeing a reappearance of the old race...
Patch Tuesday alert: Get your system locked down.
With all the problems we’re having, the last thing you need is a bum patch throwing your system (or your family's systems) for a loop. Take a couple of minutes right now and make sure you have Windows automatic updating set to pause....
Five steps Microsoft should take RIGHT NOW to help us through the pandemic
Competitive decisions made in the past need to be re-examined in light of the world’s current COVID-fettered state. It’s time for Microsoft to look hard at how its behavior wreaks unnecessary havoc on a billion customers. We need to...
Get the March Windows and Office patches installed, but watch out for known bugs
Microsoft pushed four separate patches in March, including one to plug a leaked hole and another to fix a bug in an earlier patch, but never mind. The problems with the March patches are reasonably well understood. Now would be a good...
Reading between the lines about Microsoft 'pausing optional updates'
Starting in May, Microsoft won’t be releasing separate “optional, non-security, C/D Week” patches for Win10. That much is clear -- and welcome. But what about the bugs that have to be fixed? What happens to testing? Will the new...
Disappearing SMBv3 patch, non-security Office patches, and a so-far-mild Patch Tuesday
With lots of drama over a patch that was never released, and a handful of non-security Office patches that should’ve been released a week ago, this month’s Patch Tuesday is progressing surprisingly well.
Patch Tuesday’s tomorrow. We're in uncharted territory. Get Automatic Updates paused.
Even in the best of times, it’s wise to hold off on updating Windows until the dust has settled. This month, there are two additional, extraordinary reasons. Take a few minutes to make sure you aren’t in the line of fire.
In spite of the disappearing Windows desktop bug, now’s a good time to install the February patches
It doesn’t look as if Microsoft is going to fix the 'temporary profile' bug in the February Win10 cumulative update that causes random users to lose their desktops and files, but we have a pretty good handle on how to recover. Get...
With a fix for the 'temporary profile' bug still elusive, Win10 1903 and 1909 customers should check Pause Updates
Microsoft has not yet acknowledged — much less fixed — the widely publicized bug in its February Patch Tuesday update that causes Win10 1903 and 1909 customers’ desktops to disappear. If you haven’t yet installed KB 4532693, make sure...
The mess behind Microsoft’s yanked UEFI patch KB 4524244
Patch Tuesday’s truly odd Win10 patch KB 4524244 wreaked havoc before it was finally pulled last Friday night. Since then, accusations have flown about Kaspersky, in particular, and Microsoft’s complicity in signing a rootkit. There’s...
February Win10 1903 and 1909 cumulative update causing desktops to disappear
Reports are starting to pour in about a bug — or maybe a conflict — with the February cumulative update for Win10 1903 and 1909, KB 4532693. Installing the patch may leave your machine with a swapped-out main profile, removing all of...
