Will this kill autopatcher?

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just-starting
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Will this kill autopatcher?

Post by just-starting »

From a Microsoft security bulletin dated 21April2016

"Effective as of the May 2016 security bulletin release, all Windows
updates will be available only via the Microsoft Update Catalog
(http://catalog.update.microsoft.com/), and will no longer be
available on the Microsoft Download Center
(http://download.microsoft.com/). Making the updates available
from only one location simplifies the process for our customers
of finding and downloading security updates."

This is also being discussed on
http://www.askwoody.com/2016/future-win ... e-catalog/

If I understand correctly, autopatcher uses the download center which implies a big problem.

I hope I am incorrect.
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TheAPGuy
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Re: Will this kill autopatcher?

Post by TheAPGuy »

This could be a problem but, only in the way that we would have to go through all the scripts an point to new locations. I believe this because I remember setting up a year ago or so ... one of the scripts had a download pointing to the catalog. Looks like they changed it a lot. I don't think links can be made now since the site uses its own IE browser plus a download tool. Does not seem like there is a way to scrape download locations. If they do this... there is bound to be a public outcry from administrators.
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Whatacrock
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Re: Will this kill autopatcher?

Post by Whatacrock »

Looked into this also and appears the Microsoft have already started to integrate this. Earlier this week a group of Non Security updates were released and upon checking the security bulletin there were NO download links to the installers, only way to download was via Windows Update or the Microsoft Update catalog.
Did a little testing today to see if the download manager I use to grab the links with would work, the answer is NO. Only the Download Manager that MS incorporates with the catalog does the downloading.
If this is incorporated for the Security (Critical) updates then this will make updating the releases extremely difficult.

Will need to see what transpires when the May Edition of Update Day comes around.
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TheAPGuy
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Re: Will this kill autopatcher?

Post by TheAPGuy »

Any news WAC?
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Whatacrock
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Re: Will this kill autopatcher?

Post by Whatacrock »

As having completed all updates for releases for the month of May, it would appear to be business as usual, this may change in the near future.
If there is to be a change it would take time for them to execute it.

On a similar note, if this change does occur tracking the download link will be an extremely daunting task, having attempted this previously ( ending up searching the internet till I found what I was looking for). I also see another problem if this change is implicated, that is all files from the Microsoft Update Catalog are in the form of cabs, not sure how this would affect autopatcher.
One other note to add, if this does become active then you would be required to use Internet Explorer in the Update Catalog (won't work with any other browser) for downloading as well as MS Update Catalog utilizes its own Download Manager (no chance of collecting the link for use)

So for now it appears we are continuing to update releases in the usual manner.... :roll: :roll: 8-)
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Re: Will this kill autopatcher?

Post by TheAPGuy »

Cab files are similar to MSI files. They are executables as far as Windows is concerned IF they have the install script in them otherwise they are treated as a zip. I used to have a cab tool that made install cabs for windows 95.

As for the special download manager... ya thats a pain in the arse. There has to be some sort of URL scraping tool. We could possibly use a proxy to log all download urls. Will look into it.
just-starting
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Re: Will this kill autopatcher?

Post by just-starting »

I was reading this article on Woody's site -
http://www.askwoody.com/2016/future-win ... e-catalog/
and commentator abbodi86 says: "You can use/search MU catalog site with any browser without the need for ActiveX
you just need to manually use RSS feed search url"
So I tried this link in Firefox - http://catalog.update.microsoft.com/v7/ ... =7+for+x64
and received a list of 100 entries (I assume there is a way to get more entries)

Tried the first entry (for .net) which displayed
http://catalog.update.microsoft.com/v7/ ... cdfd3844ad
Clicked the download now link and a pop-up occurred with this final link to the file
http://download.windowsupdate.com/d/msd ... 58a6e7.exe

A very convoluted way to get to the patch.
I looked at the sources for the web pages but could not see where the link was encoded but I am not overly familiar
with web programing
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Re: Will this kill autopatcher?

Post by TheAPGuy »

thanks for this. Will look into that as well. Might be able to come up with some parsing scrip to pull links out of it.
fragXpert
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Re: Will this kill autopatcher?

Post by fragXpert »

According to this article, rollup updates are coming to Windows 7 and 8.1:
http://www.ghacks.net/2016/05/17/micros ... -1-easier/
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Re: Will this kill autopatcher?

Post by Whatacrock »

In my travels today came across an support bulletin which verifies the posting by fragXpert
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3125574
Convenience rollup update for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1

This article describes a convenience rollup for Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1)-based and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1-based computers. This rollup package includes almost all the updates that were released after the release of SP1 for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, through April 2016. This convenience rollup is intended to make it easy to integrate fixes that were released after SP1 for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. We recommend that you include this rollup package in the image creation process to make it easier to quickly set up a computer.

Prerequisites: You also need at least 4 GB of free disk space to install this update. After a brand-new installation, the disk usage will increase by between 1 GB and 2 GB, depending on processor type (x86 vs. x64) and edition (Enterprise or ThinPC).

If this is the future for Windows Seven and Eight 1, then we are indeed in trouble. Furthermore according to the bulletin registry entries need to be edited so these rollups are not for the faint at heart. Searching a little further found other rollup updates for Win7 and Win8.1 (small in size and download links provided), these will be added to their respective releases at a convenient time time later today...

Keep you posted ............................
"Now if you Sons of B*@ches got anything else to say, NOW'S THE F@#%ING TIME!!"
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