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Whatacrock
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Re: Surprise! Adobe Flash has a security flaw on Windows, Ma

Post by Whatacrock »

Thanks DesertJerry --- this has been taken care of, please refer to the Extras (AddOns) forum
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Microsoft's KB3001652 Breaks Down Windows 8.1 and Windows 7

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Microsoft's KB3001652 Breaks Down Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 Systems

One of the updates that Microsoft rolled out today is reportedly causing issues on a number of systems which are hanging all of a sudden during the installation process.
Details are very scarce right now, but we've received reports that both Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 computers are affected by the problem and the only way to address it is to hide the update until a fix is delivered.

It appears that KB3001652 is the bulletin causing problems on all these computers and users claim that their systems hang during installation and the only option is to shut down and then perform a cold start to get back into Windows.

Hiding the update until a fix is delivered could be the only option for those experiencing the issue, as reinstalling after a reboot doesn't make any difference.

Visual Studio 2010 Tools patch
According to Microsoft's very own patch description, KB3001652 is an update rollup for Visual Studio Tools for Office Runtime, which is required for Microsoft Office-based solutions designed with Microsoft Visual Studio 2010, Visual Studio 2012, and Visual Studio 2013.

Since it's just a rollup, this particular update contains a long list of fixes that were previously released to users on Patch Tuesday. The full list of changes is available after the jump.

Just like it's the case with all the other patches released by Microsoft, this botched bulletin is shipped via Windows Update, so computers get it automatically, which means that several systems might actually be affected by the very same problem unless the company decides to pull the update completely.

Right now, it's not yet very clear if this is a widespread issue or not, but we've reached out to Microsoft for more details and will update the article when we get an answer.

In the meantime, if you do experience the same issues, try hiding the update until a fix or at least a statement is provided by Microsoft on this.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsof ... 2767.shtml
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Re: Microsoft's KB3001652 Breaks Down Windows 8.1 and Window

Post by Whatacrock »

KB3001652 Update Pulled Due to Issues on Windows 8.1 and Windows 7

Microsoft shipped another botched bulletin on Patch Tuesday
Windows 8.1 is one of the affected systems
Microsoft rolled out this month's Patch Tuesday updates a few hours ago, but one of the released bulletins caused several issues on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 computers during installation.

Microsoft rolled out this month's Patch Tuesday updates a few hours ago, but one of the released bulletins caused several issues on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 computers during installation.
Reports coming from users who attempted to install KB3001652 confirmed that Windows Update hung during the process and rebooting or shutting down the computer was the only way to get back into Windows and continue their work.

Needless to say, the update was initially offered to all computers running any of the two operating systems, but Microsoft has pulled it shortly after that to prevent more PCs from experiencing the very same issues.

Microsoft has already confirmed for us that it pulled the update because of “some issues reported by users,” so the company needs more time to investigate, while in a post on the official KB3001652 page it notes that “there is a problem in the Microsoft products” that this update is aimed at.

The update rollup for Visual Studio 2010 Tools for Office Runtime is a cumulative pack of previous fixes, so it's hard to determine what causes the installation problems, since all of the previously released patches actually deployed fine on both Windows 8.1 and Windows 7.
Botched updates not a new concept
This is the first botched update of the year, but Microsoft is no stranger to bulletins that cause problems on a number of computers.

Back in 2014, there were plenty of broken Windows 7 and Windows 8 updates that caused several issues on these systems, including some that led to infinite installation loop for a number of users.

For example, KB2760411, KB2760588, and KB2760583 were continuously offered to Windows 7 computers despite the fact that installation failed to complete successfully at the first attempt and users were basically asked to reboot their computers every time they logged in.

Most of the affected computers were configured to hide the updates completely, as Microsoft needed several weeks to find the cause of the problems and to deliver a fix.

Right now, there's no statement on when a revised KB3001652 bulletin could be shipped, but in case you were experiencing the same problems, make sure that you hide the update until an official announcement is released.
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http://news.softpedia.com/news/KB300165 ... 2797.shtml
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Re: Microsoft's KB3001652 Breaks Down Windows 8.1 and Window

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KB3001652 Update Reissued to Address Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 Issues



KB3001652 is one of the updates that were launched by Microsoft as part of this month's Patch Tuesday rollout, but contrary to what people expected, it did more harm than good on a number of Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 computers.
After many users reported system freezes when trying to install the patch, Microsoft decided to remove it completely, and after further investigation, the company reissued it with some fixes to make sure that it would install fine and no other problems would be experienced.

Right now, the KB3001652 patch should show up in Windows Update on all computers that had previously failed to install it, and we've received reports that both Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 were affected. The software giant also confirmed that there was a problem with the update but provided no details as to what exactly went wrong on these systems.
“Switched my PC after an hour”
Many of those who had trouble installing KB3001652 on Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 explained that the patch caused their computers to freeze and the only way to get back in Windows was to shut down the system from the physical button.

We've also received reports from users who attempted to install the update several times, but in the end most decided to hide it completely and thus avoid being prompted to deploy it once again.

All these users need to unhide the update in Windows Update to make sure that they are offered the new version, which, according to the first information we got, appears to be installing fine on all computers.

Just like the previous version and all the other updates released by Microsoft, the revised version KB3001652 is shipped through Windows Update, so make sure that you check for new patches right now to deploy it.

If you're still experiencing issues with it, leave us a comment so we can ask Microsoft for another fix.


http://news.softpedia.com/news/KB300165 ... 2917.shtml
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How to Fix Windows Update “Service Is Not Running” Error

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How to Fix Windows Update “Service Is Not Running” Error

This error first appeared in 2012 but still persists today
The error is experienced on Windows 7 and 8.1
It's not a secret that some of the Windows updates that Microsoft has rolled out in the last 12 months or so actually caused plenty of issues on users' computers just because they failed to install or broke down other apps, so it's no surprise that many prefer to stay away from them.

It's not a secret that some of the Windows updates that Microsoft has rolled out in the last 12 months or so actually caused plenty of issues on users' computers just because they failed to install or broke down other apps, so it's no surprise that many prefer to stay away from them.
But some of those who don't are not allowed to install new patches because of an error that blocks Windows Update from running correctly on their PCs.

Whenever users click on “Check for updates,” they are provided with an error displaying the following message: “Windows Update cannot currently check for updates because the service is not running. You might need to restart your computer.”

The error first popped out on Windows 7 in 2012, but it turns out that Windows 8.1 is also affected by the same problem, even though two years have passed since it was first reported.
How to fix the issue
Basically, fixing the problem only comes down to a few steps that you need to follow in order to restart the Windows Update service and reset its settings.

To do this, launch a command prompt window with administrator privileges by typing “cmd” in the Start menu/Start screen and hitting enter.

Once you're there, type the following commands one by one:

Code: Select all

net stop wuauserv
ren c:\windows\SoftwareDistribution softwaredistribution.old
net start wuauserv
Once you do all of these, simply launch Windows Update and check for updates once again. A reboot is not usually required but in most of the cases could help if the same error is experienced.

This particular fix can be used on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, but in case you get this error on other Windows versions, you could also give it a shot and see if it works.

We've also contacted Microsoft for more details on what exactly breaks down Windows Update and will update the article when we get more information.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/How-to-F ... 3552.shtml
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Microsoft Patch Causes “Text Quality Degradation” on Windows

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Microsoft Patch Causes “Text Quality Degradation” on Windows Systems

Yet another update leads to more issues on Windows.
One of the updates that Microsoft released on Patch Tuesday and supposed to patch the Windows kernel mode drives was causing issues on a number of systems running Windows Vista Sp2, Windows Server 2003 SP2 and 2008 SP2.
The update in question, labeled as KB3013455, has already been pulled by Microsoft after receiving reports on the caused problems, as many users proceeded to removing the patch completely from their computers until the company delivered a fix.

Microsoft says that the botched update caused “text quality degradation,” which made text in Courier and other default Windows fonts very difficult to read, according to a report by InfoWorld, but only on the aforementioned operating systems. The font appears in everything included in the operating system, among which Internet Explorer, documents, apps, and system menus.

“After you install security update 3013455, you may notice some text quality degradation in certain scenarios. The problem occurs on computers that are running the following operating systems: Windows Vista PS2, Windows Server 2003 SP2 and Windows Server 2008 SP2,” the company said in a short advisory.
New update already up for grabs
Microsoft, however, not only pulled the update but also rolled out a fix shortly after that in the form of KB3037639, which apparently works flawlessly on all Windows versions.

Right now, users experiencing font issues after installing KB3013455 are recommended to check for updates once again to get the fix or to remove it completely to go back to the original configuration. Since this would leave your computer unpatched, you are strongly recommended to download KB3037639, which includes all files of the original patch, as well as fixes for the found bug.

Keep in mind that this fix is only offered to computers running any of the aforementioned OS versions, so you won't get it if your system is powered by Windows 7 or 8.1.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsof ... 3646.shtml
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Microsoft Updates Windows Defender

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Microsoft Updates Windows Defender to Remove Lenovo's Superfish Adware

Windows users who are still relying on the built-in antivirus protection provided by Windows Defender are now completely secure against Lenovo's Superfish adware that was said to be installed on a number of computers manufactured by the Chinese company.
It's been a really tough week for Lenovo as security researchers discovered that a number of devices built by the China-based manufacturer shipped with pre-installed adware that intercepted encrypted traffic to display ads.

The so-called Superfish adware could infect any Windows computer, no matter the browser being used by the customer, to intercept encrypted traffic between the client PC and the server and thus display ads by placing its own security certificate on the target device.

Since the adware existed on a large number of computers that were sold in the past months, the fastest way to clean the infection was for either Lenovo or Microsoft to step in and deliver a tool that could deal with it.

And yes, because Superfish is specifically aimed at Windows users, the Redmond-based tech giant was the one that moved faster, so today an update for Windows Defender that can remove the adware is available via the built-in updating system.
How to get it
The anti-Superfish protection is delivered just like any other virus definition update for Windows Defender via Windows Update, so the only thing that you need to do is check for new updates and install them all.

Once the update comes to an end, you're strongly recommended to scan your entire computer and remove any found infections. A reboot and a second scan could also help, just to make sure that your computer is entirely clean.

Most third-party antivirus solutions have also been updated to clean Superfish, so in case you don't trust Windows Defender, there are plenty of other security tools out there that could lend you a hand.

Security researchers suggest that those who are still afraid that Superfish could get past antivirus protection have a second option as well, as a clean install of Windows would remove any traces of the adware.

Obviously, this process takes more time and requires additional knowledge, so updating Windows Defender and scanning the system should be the preffered choice for most people.

Windows Defender is installed by default as an antispyware solution for Windows Vista and 7, and as an antivirus solution for Windows 8.1. Windows XP users can download Windows Defender manually to be protected against malware.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsof ... 3849.shtml
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Windows XP Still Has More Users than Windows 8 and 8.1

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Windows XP Still Has More Users than Windows 8 and 8.1 Combined

New stats show that XP is holding steady these days.

Microsoft launched Windows 8 in October 2012, Windows 8.1 one year later, is now working to bring Windows 10 out, and yet, an operating system it released nearly 14 years ago continues to have a market share that surprises pretty much everyone out there.
Windows XP is now powering a total of 19.15 percent of the desktop PCs out there, according to new stats provided by Net Applications, which is enough to make it the second most popular desktop OS in the world.

What's even worse for Microsoft is that Windows XP actually increased its share in February from 18.93 percent, which means that some users out there actually went back to XP last month.

The biggest problem for the Redmond-based software giant is the small market share that its modern operating systems continue to hold, as neither Windows 8.1 nor Windows 8 managed to post significant increases last month.
Windows 8 close to Vista levels
Right now, Windows 7 has a market share of 55.99 percent, so there's no doubt that it will remain the leading desktop OS for many years from now. In fact, Microsoft is worried that Windows 7 could become the new Windows XP in 2020 when its support will end, so the company will have a really hard time to convince users to upgrade.

Windows 8.1 is third in these charts with a share of 10.49 percent, while Windows 8 comes next with 3.55 percent. This means that Microsoft's modern OS has a combined market share of 14.04, so it's still behind Windows XP.

Windows 8, on the other hand, has lost users at a really fast pace in the last few months, as most of them switched to Windows 8.1 or other versions, so it's now very close to Windows Vista, which currently has a market share of 2.11 percent.

The good news is that Windows 10 is gaining ground despite the fact that it's still in Technical Preview stage and stats show that 0.08 percent of the PCs are running it.

Windows 10 is expected to debut in the fall of 2015 and expect its share to skyrocket after the public launch.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Windows- ... 4549.shtml
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Re: Windows XP Still Has More Users than Windows 8 and 8.1

Post by ChrisJ »

Windows 8.1 is simply not that great, my laptop might get downgraded (actually upgraded) to Windows 7 should I decide to spend the bookoo dineros.

XP is still a great OS despite what the wonks say! It would be even better still if support from the industry remained high but the pressure from Microsoft forced (and gave the industry an excuse) to abandon support going forward, and of course they did - one less thing to deal with, support truly is a hit & mis proposition nowadays - unless you want to spend even more than what you already forked over for your purchase. Think "worthless extended warranty".

I admit, some of this is just complaining but, my experience is such that little support is handled in the U.S. anymore, and the less that is supported the better is the motto - my GE fridge - outsourced, ISP - outsourced, Lenovo laptop - outsourced, APC battery backup - outsourced!

My point is we used to make products & services better in the U.S., now we simply replace em - not always with something better.
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Microsoft Releases Huge Batch of Security Updates

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Microsoft Releases Huge Batch of Security Updates for Windows

14 updates were launched on this month’s Patch Tuesday.


Microsoft rolled out a total of 14 security updates as part of this month’s Patch Tuesday cycle, with no less than 12 of them being aimed at the company’s Windows operating system.

Five of the updates released to computers across the world are rated as “critical,” and four are supposed to fix vulnerabilities in Windows, while the other one is expected to address a security glitch in Office. The other nine updates are considered to be “important,” with 8 of them once again aimed at Windows. The last one bring fixes for Exchange Server.

The two stars of this month’s Patch Tuesday rollout are MS15-018 and MS15-031, both of which are fixing critical security flaws that were publicly disclosed.
All Internet Explorer versions getting patched

MS15-018 brings fixes for an undisclosed number of vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer, which Microsoft says could allow remote code execution when the target computer loads a malicious website with the browser.

The company says that an attacker who manages to exploit the vulnerability in this way could obtain the same privileges as the logged-in user, and needless to say, administrator rights could allow an attacker to compromise a system in a very short time.

All Internet Explorer versions are affected, starting with IE6 and ending with IE11, but keep in mind that only newer versions of the browser are getting patched as Microsoft already ended support for IE builds that were working on Windows XP.

Last but not least, MS15-031 is aimed at the Schannel vulnerability, also referred to as the FREAK security hole, which has already been confirmed on many other platforms besides Windows.

“The vulnerability could allow a man-in-the-middle (MiTM) attacker to force the downgrading of the key length of an RSA key to EXPORT-grade length in a TLS connection. Any Windows system using Schannel to connect to a remote TLS server with an insecure cipher suite is affected,” Microsoft confirms.

Thanks to this patch, all Windows users are now fully protected, but don’t forget that the same flaw exists in Windows XP, an OS version that no longer receives support since April 2014.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsof ... 5455.shtml
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