Microsoft Removes KB2949927 Botched Windows 7 Update
Installing the monthly Patch Tuesday updates released by Microsoft slowly becomes a very risky job for every Windows user out there, as many of the fixes that are shipped to computers actually cause more harm than good.
The same happened this month with KB2952664, an update that was only supposed to help Windows 7 users upgrade to a newer operating system, but it turns out that another patch was the source of even bigger issues.
So big that Microsoft itself acknowledged the problems and even decided to pull the update completely.
Redmond this morning decided to withdraw KB2949927 and remove download links from its official Download Center, admitting that some users are indeed experiencing issues after installing the patch.
The company's Community forums are full of complaints pointing to this update as the source of the problems, but at this point it appears that Windows 7 is the only OS version that's impacted.
What's in KB2949927
According to Microsoft's very own advisory on KB2949927, this particular patch adds support for SHA-2 signing and verification functionality on Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 only.
Newer Windows releases, such as Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows RT, Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 already have such functionality, so there's no need for such an update, while older OS versions, such as Vista and Server 2003, do not get it.
The patch was automatically shipped to the two aforementioned platforms automatically via Windows Update, so many of those who received the October 2014 Patch Tuesday fixes were involuntarily impacted by the buggy KB2949927.
Unexpected system reboots
Some of the users who installed the patch claimed that their computers reboot all of a sudden and despite a number of workarounds that have been published online, removing the update from the system seems to be the only way to fix it.
Microsoft already confirmed the issue in a statement published in the advisory but didn't provide a statement on when it might re-release the patch for affected users.
“Removed Download Center links for Microsoft security update 2949927. Microsoft recommends that customers experiencing issues uninstall this update. Microsoft is investigating behavior associated with this update, and will update the advisory when more information becomes available,” it says.
Customers whose computers are affected by this buggy patch are recommended to remove it completely from their systems by launching Control Panel, clicking on “Uninstall a Program” and selecting the “View installed updates” in the left sidebar. Search for KB2949927, right-click it and hit “Uninstall.”
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsof ... 2493.shtml
Old Posted News
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Microsoft Removes KB2949927 Botched Windows 7 Update
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Re: System Update Readiness Tool
A new version of this tool has been released : System Update Readiness Tool for Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Vista (KB947821) [October 2014]
Link the same as in the original post..
Just a little slow posting this, my apologizes
Link the same as in the original post..
Just a little slow posting this, my apologizes
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Microsoft Announces 16 Security Updates for Windows
Microsoft Announces 16 Security Updates for Windows and Office
The company will release Patch Tuesday updates next week.
Microsoft and its users will “celebrate” Patch Tuesday next week, so today the company has revealed the number of updates expected to be released as part of this rollout, along with the name of the software solutions to be targeted by these improvements.
The upcoming Patch Tuesday cycle is more or less a “one-app show” as Windows gets the majority of improvements, with all versions that are still supported to receive more or less important security fixes.
Five of the of 16 security updates that will be released next week are rated as critical and at least four will require a restart, so system administrators must prepare to save the current state of their computers before deploying the fixes.
In addition to Windows, Office, Internet Explorer, and .NET Framework are also getting security updates next week, so make sure that you keep an eye on the rollout on Tuesday to get the patches as soon as they're released.
Windows 10 to also get patched
All Windows versions will receive security fixes next week, including the Windows 10 Technical Preview that has already been downloaded by 1 million Windows Insider Program members who registered with their accounts in order to give the upcoming operating system a try.
A total of four updates will be shipped to Windows 10 machines, all via Windows Update, and reboots will be required, but that shouldn't be a problem since this particular OS version is specifically designed for testing purposes.
As Wolfgang Kanded, CTO of Qualys, notes, the upcoming Patch Tuesday will bring quite a lot of work for IT admins, so some efforts in advance of the release are required.
“A big release like this month's covers all versions of the Windows operating system, both for servers and workstations, the .NET stack, Microsoft Office, Sharepoint and Exchange. Plenty of work for IT admins on all levels, server, desktop and applications, but the focus should be on the top five,” he says.
Internet Explorer to get critical patch as well
All versions of Microsoft's in-house browser will get patched next week, starting with Internet Explorer 6 on Windows Server 2003 and ending with Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 8.1.
Kandek says that this will be the highest priority bulletin because of the risks caused by browser vulnerabilities, so make sure that you deploy this one as soon as possible, especially if you use Internet Explorer to browse the web.
All updates will be shipped via Windows Update, as is the case every month, so an Internet connection should be all you need to get them. Hopefully, no botched updates will be shipped this time.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsof ... 4352.shtml
The company will release Patch Tuesday updates next week.
Microsoft and its users will “celebrate” Patch Tuesday next week, so today the company has revealed the number of updates expected to be released as part of this rollout, along with the name of the software solutions to be targeted by these improvements.
The upcoming Patch Tuesday cycle is more or less a “one-app show” as Windows gets the majority of improvements, with all versions that are still supported to receive more or less important security fixes.
Five of the of 16 security updates that will be released next week are rated as critical and at least four will require a restart, so system administrators must prepare to save the current state of their computers before deploying the fixes.
In addition to Windows, Office, Internet Explorer, and .NET Framework are also getting security updates next week, so make sure that you keep an eye on the rollout on Tuesday to get the patches as soon as they're released.
Windows 10 to also get patched
All Windows versions will receive security fixes next week, including the Windows 10 Technical Preview that has already been downloaded by 1 million Windows Insider Program members who registered with their accounts in order to give the upcoming operating system a try.
A total of four updates will be shipped to Windows 10 machines, all via Windows Update, and reboots will be required, but that shouldn't be a problem since this particular OS version is specifically designed for testing purposes.
As Wolfgang Kanded, CTO of Qualys, notes, the upcoming Patch Tuesday will bring quite a lot of work for IT admins, so some efforts in advance of the release are required.
“A big release like this month's covers all versions of the Windows operating system, both for servers and workstations, the .NET stack, Microsoft Office, Sharepoint and Exchange. Plenty of work for IT admins on all levels, server, desktop and applications, but the focus should be on the top five,” he says.
Internet Explorer to get critical patch as well
All versions of Microsoft's in-house browser will get patched next week, starting with Internet Explorer 6 on Windows Server 2003 and ending with Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 8.1.
Kandek says that this will be the highest priority bulletin because of the risks caused by browser vulnerabilities, so make sure that you deploy this one as soon as possible, especially if you use Internet Explorer to browse the web.
All updates will be shipped via Windows Update, as is the case every month, so an Internet connection should be all you need to get them. Hopefully, no botched updates will be shipped this time.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsof ... 4352.shtml
"Now if you Sons of B*@ches got anything else to say, NOW'S THE F@#%ING TIME!!"
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Internet Explorer Starts Blocking Outdated Silverlight Ver
Internet Explorer Starts Blocking Outdated Silverlight Versions
Microsoft announced in September that Internet Explorer would start blocking outdated Java versions, and an update released this month as part of the Patch Tuesday cycle comes to add a new layer of security to machines running the company’s in-house browser.
Starting this month, Internet Explorer will block outdated version of Silverlight, thus trying to prevent vulnerable content that could be harmful to computers from reaching the client PC.
As was the case of Java blocking features, the new update will be based on a Microsoft-hosted HML list that includes all websites containing outdated Silverlight plug-ins. Once you visit a website included on this list, the browser automatically blocks the plug-in from loading and displays a message reading, “Silverlight was blocked because it is out of date and needs to be updated.”
Two options will be offered to update or “run this time,” but the latter isn’t obviously recommended as it could be an open door for malicious content to reach your computer.
This feature is available for all Internet Explorer versions that are still getting updates from Microsoft, but the best recommendation is obviously to switch to the latest releases. Windows 8 currently comes with Internet Explorer 10, while Windows 8.1 includes by default the new Internet Explorer 11.
Windows 7 can run both IE10 and IE11, while Windows 8 cannot be updated to IE11, so depending on your operating system, make sure that you’re running the latest browser version on your computer for better security.
http://www.softpedia.com/blog/Internet- ... 4995.shtml
Microsoft announced in September that Internet Explorer would start blocking outdated Java versions, and an update released this month as part of the Patch Tuesday cycle comes to add a new layer of security to machines running the company’s in-house browser.
Starting this month, Internet Explorer will block outdated version of Silverlight, thus trying to prevent vulnerable content that could be harmful to computers from reaching the client PC.
As was the case of Java blocking features, the new update will be based on a Microsoft-hosted HML list that includes all websites containing outdated Silverlight plug-ins. Once you visit a website included on this list, the browser automatically blocks the plug-in from loading and displays a message reading, “Silverlight was blocked because it is out of date and needs to be updated.”
Two options will be offered to update or “run this time,” but the latter isn’t obviously recommended as it could be an open door for malicious content to reach your computer.
This feature is available for all Internet Explorer versions that are still getting updates from Microsoft, but the best recommendation is obviously to switch to the latest releases. Windows 8 currently comes with Internet Explorer 10, while Windows 8.1 includes by default the new Internet Explorer 11.
Windows 7 can run both IE10 and IE11, while Windows 8 cannot be updated to IE11, so depending on your operating system, make sure that you’re running the latest browser version on your computer for better security.
http://www.softpedia.com/blog/Internet- ... 4995.shtml
"Now if you Sons of B*@ches got anything else to say, NOW'S THE F@#%ING TIME!!"
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Visual Studio 2013 - free
Visual Studio Community 2013 - free download - http://betanews.com/2014/11/13/microsof ... nity-2013/
Is a big downwload if you want everyhting and are using Visual Basic to create programs.
Is a big downwload if you want everyhting and are using Visual Basic to create programs.
Re: Visual Studio 2013 - free
I saw this... was kind of stoked about it.
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Microsoft Announces Emergency Security Patch for Windows
Microsoft Announces Emergency Security Patch for Windows
Microsoft has just announced a brand new security update for all Windows versions currently on the market, obviously excepting Windows XP, whose support ended earlier this year in April.
The new out-of-band security update is pretty much an indication that Microsoft has come across a critical vulnerability in the operating system that would require emergency patching, so the company has no other choice than to release this as soon as possible.
Microsoft usually launched security improvements on the second Tuesday of each month, a day also known as Patch Tuesday, when Windows, Office, Internet Explorer, and the other products in its lineup receive updates supposed to fix the latest vulnerabilities.
This time however, the patch only affects Windows, and since it’s an out-of-band release, exploits might already be out there in the wild, so it’s really vital for all users to deploy it when it becomes available.
All Windows versions are affected
Microsoft will release the update later today, so the company hasn’t yet shared all details about the vulnerability that it wants to fix in order to keep users on the safe side and make sure that no further exploits are being developed. More info, however, will be provided later today at 10 AM PST.
All Windows versions will get the patch, including the following: Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows 8 and 8.1, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows RT, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows 10 Technical Preview, no matter the installed build.
Microsoft has labeled the patch as “critical,” explaining that it allows for elevation of privileges. A reboot will be required, so system administrators should be prepared to save their work before starting the deployment process.
Systems automatically patched via Windows Update
Just like it usually happens with all the other security patches that Microsoft ships each month, this emergency fix for Windows will be delivered to users via the built-in Windows Update, so if your systems are configured to receive updates automatically, there’s not much you can do right now.
Once the update is downloaded and installed on your computer, you will be prompted to reboot the system and you are strongly recommended to do this as soon as possible to complete the installation.
More information, including the exact details of the found vulnerability, will be disclosed later today, when the update finally becomes available for all users worldwide. Do not forget that all Windows versions are affected. Windows XP users won’t get the patch, so the best way to stay secure is to update to a newer Windows version.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsof ... 5286.shtml
Microsoft has just announced a brand new security update for all Windows versions currently on the market, obviously excepting Windows XP, whose support ended earlier this year in April.
The new out-of-band security update is pretty much an indication that Microsoft has come across a critical vulnerability in the operating system that would require emergency patching, so the company has no other choice than to release this as soon as possible.
Microsoft usually launched security improvements on the second Tuesday of each month, a day also known as Patch Tuesday, when Windows, Office, Internet Explorer, and the other products in its lineup receive updates supposed to fix the latest vulnerabilities.
This time however, the patch only affects Windows, and since it’s an out-of-band release, exploits might already be out there in the wild, so it’s really vital for all users to deploy it when it becomes available.
All Windows versions are affected
Microsoft will release the update later today, so the company hasn’t yet shared all details about the vulnerability that it wants to fix in order to keep users on the safe side and make sure that no further exploits are being developed. More info, however, will be provided later today at 10 AM PST.
All Windows versions will get the patch, including the following: Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows 8 and 8.1, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows RT, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows 10 Technical Preview, no matter the installed build.
Microsoft has labeled the patch as “critical,” explaining that it allows for elevation of privileges. A reboot will be required, so system administrators should be prepared to save their work before starting the deployment process.
Systems automatically patched via Windows Update
Just like it usually happens with all the other security patches that Microsoft ships each month, this emergency fix for Windows will be delivered to users via the built-in Windows Update, so if your systems are configured to receive updates automatically, there’s not much you can do right now.
Once the update is downloaded and installed on your computer, you will be prompted to reboot the system and you are strongly recommended to do this as soon as possible to complete the installation.
More information, including the exact details of the found vulnerability, will be disclosed later today, when the update finally becomes available for all users worldwide. Do not forget that all Windows versions are affected. Windows XP users won’t get the patch, so the best way to stay secure is to update to a newer Windows version.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsof ... 5286.shtml
"Now if you Sons of B*@ches got anything else to say, NOW'S THE F@#%ING TIME!!"
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Re: Unofficial Windows XP Service Pack 4 Available for Downl
Has been updated to SP4 V2 - for those interested. ![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif)
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif)
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Microsoft Rolls Out Major Update for Windows 8.1
Microsoft Rolls Out Major Update for Windows 8.1
Even though so many eyes are now on Windows 10, as Microsoft continues development of the operating system, the company still works on Windows 8.1, so new updates are released on a regular basis in order to improve performance and add new features based on consumer feedback.
This is exactly what happened a couple of day ago when Microsoft quietly rolled out a large pack of improvements for Windows 8.1 as part of the Patch Tuesday cycle.
Windows 8.1 machines received what Microsoft calls November 2014 update rollup for Windows RT 8.1, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2, so users on these platforms are strongly recommended to install it as soon as possible.
What’s new in the November 2014 Windows 8.1 update
As Microsoft reveals in the official description of the patch, the November 2014 update comes with refreshed language packs, improved manageability, and performance and reliability improvements in clustered virtual machine mission-critical environments.
Additionally, the new update also comes with support for newer hardware, which includes SD card improvements, USB debugging, and boot order allowance, and additional hardware support, which Microsoft says allows “devices that have third-party disk encryption software enabled to now be upgraded to Windows 8.1 more easily.”
The full list of changes can be found after the jump and all users are recommended to save their work before installing the update because a reboot is mandatory.
Delivered via Windows Update
Just like it’s the case with all the other updates released for Windows 8.1 users, the November 2014 release is shipped via Windows Update, so no user input or additional steps are required.
It’s very important to know that the November 2014 is not mandatory for systems in order to receive additional security updates and improvements, but Microsoft still says that it’s critical for everyone to deploy it as soon as possible.
“Unlike our April update, the November update rollup is not required to be able to continue to receive security or other updates. However, we strongly recommend that you deploy it to Windows clients and servers to benefit from these new features and improvements as well as to prevent many known issues that have been resolved since April,” the company said in the official description of the update.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsof ... 5417.shtml
Refer to http://autopatcher.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=343 for download links
Even though so many eyes are now on Windows 10, as Microsoft continues development of the operating system, the company still works on Windows 8.1, so new updates are released on a regular basis in order to improve performance and add new features based on consumer feedback.
This is exactly what happened a couple of day ago when Microsoft quietly rolled out a large pack of improvements for Windows 8.1 as part of the Patch Tuesday cycle.
Windows 8.1 machines received what Microsoft calls November 2014 update rollup for Windows RT 8.1, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2, so users on these platforms are strongly recommended to install it as soon as possible.
What’s new in the November 2014 Windows 8.1 update
As Microsoft reveals in the official description of the patch, the November 2014 update comes with refreshed language packs, improved manageability, and performance and reliability improvements in clustered virtual machine mission-critical environments.
Additionally, the new update also comes with support for newer hardware, which includes SD card improvements, USB debugging, and boot order allowance, and additional hardware support, which Microsoft says allows “devices that have third-party disk encryption software enabled to now be upgraded to Windows 8.1 more easily.”
The full list of changes can be found after the jump and all users are recommended to save their work before installing the update because a reboot is mandatory.
Delivered via Windows Update
Just like it’s the case with all the other updates released for Windows 8.1 users, the November 2014 release is shipped via Windows Update, so no user input or additional steps are required.
It’s very important to know that the November 2014 is not mandatory for systems in order to receive additional security updates and improvements, but Microsoft still says that it’s critical for everyone to deploy it as soon as possible.
“Unlike our April update, the November update rollup is not required to be able to continue to receive security or other updates. However, we strongly recommend that you deploy it to Windows clients and servers to benefit from these new features and improvements as well as to prevent many known issues that have been resolved since April,” the company said in the official description of the update.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsof ... 5417.shtml
Refer to http://autopatcher.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=343 for download links
"Now if you Sons of B*@ches got anything else to say, NOW'S THE F@#%ING TIME!!"
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MS Announces Critical Windows & Internet Explorer Updates
Microsoft Announces Critical Windows and Internet Explorer Updates
Microsoft has recently revealed that this month’s Patch Tuesday rollout will bring us a total of seven security updates for a wide array of software, including the Windows operating system and Internet Explorer.
Three of these security bulletins are considered to be critical and at least one will require a computer reboot, which means that system administrators must prepare to save the current state of their systems in order to restart each machine.
What’s more important, however, is that the most popular Microsoft products will be patched next week, starting with Windows and ending with Internet Explorer, Office, and Exchange.
Critical Word patch coming
Wolfgang Kandek of Qualys says that, while Windows is getting a critical patch, which makes this Patch Tuesday really important for all those running Microsoft’s operating system, a Word patch is actually getting a bit more attention.
Kandek explains that this particular bulletin is aimed at issues on both Windows and Mac OS X, and the latest versions of Office are all affected.
“A critical rating is only given if the vulnerability can be triggered without user interaction, which happens fairly rarely, typically when the Outlook preview can be tricked to run the malicious code automatically,” he explains.
Windows 10 not getting any patch
Windows 10 Technical Preview won’t receive any security update during the next Patch Tuesday cycle, as the found vulnerabilities only exist in Windows 8.1 and older versions of the Windows operating system.
At this point, build 9888 is the latest version of Windows 10 that’s available for users, and instead of rolling out security fixes, Microsoft is more focused on fixing bugs and performance issues in the operating system in order to make sure that everything works really well when development is completed.
Windows 10 is very likely to reach a new milestone next month, when Microsoft plans to launch the Consumer Preview build of this product, thus making sure that more users actually give it a chance and send feedback that can be analyzed in time for the public launch.
Windows XP users, on the other hand, are still recommended to upgrade to a newer Windows version, and although it’s not yet clear whether these flaws also exist in XP or not, there’s no doubt that a 13-year-old operating system cannot provide the same protection as a modern release does.
Windows XP is still installed on approximately 13 percent of desktop systems worldwide, according to the latest statistics, so the risk of getting hacked is still there for a large number of companies and organizations.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsof ... 6644.shtml
Microsoft has recently revealed that this month’s Patch Tuesday rollout will bring us a total of seven security updates for a wide array of software, including the Windows operating system and Internet Explorer.
Three of these security bulletins are considered to be critical and at least one will require a computer reboot, which means that system administrators must prepare to save the current state of their systems in order to restart each machine.
What’s more important, however, is that the most popular Microsoft products will be patched next week, starting with Windows and ending with Internet Explorer, Office, and Exchange.
Critical Word patch coming
Wolfgang Kandek of Qualys says that, while Windows is getting a critical patch, which makes this Patch Tuesday really important for all those running Microsoft’s operating system, a Word patch is actually getting a bit more attention.
Kandek explains that this particular bulletin is aimed at issues on both Windows and Mac OS X, and the latest versions of Office are all affected.
“A critical rating is only given if the vulnerability can be triggered without user interaction, which happens fairly rarely, typically when the Outlook preview can be tricked to run the malicious code automatically,” he explains.
Windows 10 not getting any patch
Windows 10 Technical Preview won’t receive any security update during the next Patch Tuesday cycle, as the found vulnerabilities only exist in Windows 8.1 and older versions of the Windows operating system.
At this point, build 9888 is the latest version of Windows 10 that’s available for users, and instead of rolling out security fixes, Microsoft is more focused on fixing bugs and performance issues in the operating system in order to make sure that everything works really well when development is completed.
Windows 10 is very likely to reach a new milestone next month, when Microsoft plans to launch the Consumer Preview build of this product, thus making sure that more users actually give it a chance and send feedback that can be analyzed in time for the public launch.
Windows XP users, on the other hand, are still recommended to upgrade to a newer Windows version, and although it’s not yet clear whether these flaws also exist in XP or not, there’s no doubt that a 13-year-old operating system cannot provide the same protection as a modern release does.
Windows XP is still installed on approximately 13 percent of desktop systems worldwide, according to the latest statistics, so the risk of getting hacked is still there for a large number of companies and organizations.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsof ... 6644.shtml
"Now if you Sons of B*@ches got anything else to say, NOW'S THE F@#%ING TIME!!"