December Cumulative Patch Tuesday

Woody Leonhard posted the following update today:

It’s still too early to apply December patches

I’ll be looking again early next week, but we’ve had several monkey wrenches so far this month.

Patience. If you aren’t using Internet Explorer or Edge, and you avoid Flash, you’re fine.

MS-DEFCON 2: Patch reliability is unclear. Unless you have an immediate, pressing need to install a specific patch, don’t do it.

https://www.askwoody.com/2016/its-still-too-early-to-apply-december-patches/

I did install the latest version of Flash, but I'm still waiting to install the Windows Updates.

Earlier today Woody Leonhard changed his Microsoft Patch Defense Condition to:

MS-DEFCON 3: Cautiously update Windows and Office
https://www.askwoody.com/2016/ms-defcon-3-cautiously-update-windows-and-office/

I installed the rollups for Windows 7 (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3207752) and the .NET Framework (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3205402).

For some reason, the install of Windows 7 rollup failed the first time. I rebooted and that patch installed successfully on the second attempt.

There was no change to DiagTrack service that I disabled last month with POKEYE.BAT (http://www.imdb.com/board/bd0000100/thread/263119486?d=263308706#263308706). The December update did not make any changes to the status of the service.

Woody notes that there have been three optional Intel drivers pushed through Windows Update recently. One in particular, the “Intel System 8/19/2016 12:00:00 AM 10.1.2.80” patch he says to avoid, and that update seems to have been pulled. I hid all three earlier, but now I see only the ones dated 10/3/2016 and 3/13/2016 in my list of hidden updates.

I am downloading 3 important updates; the .NET Framework (KB3205402), the rollup (KB3207752), as well as the December 2016 Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool (KB890830 - https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/890830).

I am being offered two optional updates, both Intel. One 'System - 10/3/2016 12:00:00 AM 10.1.1.38', as well as some unnecessary graphics drivers. I'm not going to install either.


Wipe your tapes with lightning.

I am being offered two optional updates, both Intel. One 'System - 10/3/2016 12:00:00 AM 10.1.1.38', as well as some unnecessary graphics drivers. I'm not going to install either. - Coldheart2236

I hid all those driver updates. Woody Leonhard has indicated that they are bad news and posted instructions on how to recover from them:

How to roll back a bad driver update

I’m seeing complaints all over the web from people who installed a bad Windows driver update... Installing those driver updates (which look like patches without KB numbers) has been blamed for various ills... including touchpad failures, USB port failures, reports of missing system files, blue screens… the usual halt and catch fire stuff.

The usual admonition applies: Ain’t broke, don’t fix. If you discover that you have one of these updates installed, and you aren’t experiencing any odd problems, don’t touch anything.

https://www.askwoody.com/2016/how-to-roll-back-a-bad-driver-update/

It's been out almost a week at this point, but this is a fairly interesting article by Woody.How to hang on to Windows 7 for the long run

If Windows 7 represents peak Windows for you, you’re not alone. Twice as many people use Win7 as use Win10, even after 18 months of Microsoft pressure to get you to give up Win7 and jump to the shiny new version as your operating system of choice.http://www.infoworld.com/article/3153213/microsoft-windows/how-to-hang-on-to-windows-7-for-the-long-run.html


Wipe your tapes with lightning.

It's been out almost a week at this point, but this is a fairly interesting article by Woody. - Coldheart2236

Thanks for sharing. I'll give it a thorough read when I have more time.