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Windows 7

Patch Tuesday

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Windows Updates

Windows 10
Provides protections against a new subclass of speculative execution side-channel vulnerabilities.
Addresses an issue that causes high CPU usage from SearchUI.exe for a small number of users. This issue only occurs on devices that have disabled searching the web using Windows Desktop Search. (1903 only)
Security updates galore.

1903 – September 10, 2019—KB4515384 (OS Build 18362.356) ***This fixes the Bad Win10 1903 Update aka Search UI issue. I checked it myself and the issue is now gone.
1809 – September 10, 2019—KB4512578 (OS Build 17763.737)
1803 – September 10, 2019—KB4516058 (OS Build 17134.1006)
1709 – EOL, time to update to 1809 or 1903

Windows 8.1
Provides protections against a new subclass of speculative execution side-channel vulnerabilities… and a host of Security updates.
September 10, 2019—KB4516064 (Security-only update)
September 10, 2019—KB4516067 (Monthly Rollup)

Windows 7
Provides protections against a new subclass of speculative execution side-channel vulnerabilities… and a host of Security updates.
September 10, 2019—KB4516033 (Security-only update)
September 10, 2019—KB4516065 (Monthly Rollup)

Software Updates:

O&O ShutUp10 1.6.1403
NEW: Chinese (simplified) language integrated
NEW: Search field in task bar can be deactivated (from Windows 10 1903)
FIX***: Deactivating the Bing search is only recommended reservedly, as there are currently problems with Windows search under Windows 10 1903
FIX: The wording in the English version was changed from passive to active to make it clearer
Available in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian and Chinese (simplified)
***The fix about Bing is the Bad Win10 1903 Update that was fixed today with today’s Win10 1903 update (see above). So, kinda pointless?
Download | Home Page | Changelog

Nvidia Geforce Game Ready WHQL Driver 436.30
“Provides increased performance and the optimal gaming experience for the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare PC Open Beta, Gears 5, and Borderlands 3”
Download | Release Notes

Patch Tuesday

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Patch Tuesday
Windows 7
July 9, 2019—KB4507456 (Security-only update)
Security updates to Windows Server, Microsoft Graphics Component, Windows Storage and Filesystems, Windows Shell, Windows Input and Composition, and Windows Kernel.
July 9, 2019—KB4507449 (Monthly Rollup)
Security updates to Windows Server, Microsoft Graphics Component, Windows Storage and Filesystems, Windows Shell, Windows Input and Composition, and Windows Kernel.

Windows 8.1
July 9, 2019—KB4507457 (Security-only update)
Security updates to Windows Wireless Networking, Windows Server, Windows Storage and Filesystems, Microsoft Graphics Component, Windows Input and Composition, Windows Kernel, and Windows App Platform and Frameworks.
July 9, 2019—KB4507448 (Monthly Rollup)
This security update includes improvements and fixes that were a part of update KB4503283 (released June 20, 2019) and addresses the following issues:
– Addresses an issue that may cause BitLocker to go into recovery mode if BitLocker is being provisioned at the same time as updates are being installed.
– Security updates to Windows Wireless Networking, Windows Server, Windows Storage and Filesystems, Microsoft Graphics Component, Windows Input and Composition, Windows Kernel, and Windows App Platform and Frameworks.

Windows 10
1903 – July 9, 2019—KB4507453 (OS Build 18362.239)
This update includes quality improvements. Key changes include:
– Addresses an issue that may cause BitLocker to go into recovery mode if BitLocker is being provisioned at the same time as updates are being installed.
– Addresses an issue that may cause Mixed Reality users to see a tilted world after connecting their headsets.
– Addresses visual quality issues some users may have seen with Windows Mixed Reality (WMR) headsets and Steam®VR content.
– Security updates to Windows Wireless Networking, Microsoft Scripting Engine, Windows Server, Windows Storage and Filesystems, Windows Kernel, Microsoft HoloLens, Internet Explorer, Windows Input and Composition, Windows Virtualization, Windows App Platform and Frameworks, Microsoft Graphics Component, Microsoft Edge, and Windows Cryptography.

1809 – July 9, 2019—KB4507469 (OS Build 17763.615)
This update includes quality improvements. Key changes include:
– Addresses an issue that may cause the system to become unresponsive when an application uses the CameraCaptureUI API.
– Addresses an issue that may cause BitLocker to go into recovery mode if BitLocker is being provisioned at the same time as updates are being installed.
– Security updates to Windows Server, Microsoft Scripting Engine, Microsoft Graphics Component, Internet Explorer, Windows Input and Composition, Windows Virtualization, Windows App Platform and Frameworks, Windows Kernel, Microsoft Edge, Windows Cryptography, and Windows Fundamentals.

1803 – July 9, 2019—KB4507435 (OS Build 17134.885)
This update includes quality improvements. Key changes include:
– Addresses an issue that may cause BitLocker to go into recovery mode if BitLocker is being provisioned at the same time as updates are being installed.
– Security updates to Windows Wireless Networking, Windows Server, Microsoft Scripting Engine, Windows Storage and Filesystems, Microsoft Graphics Component, Windows Kernel, Internet Explorer, Windows Input and Composition, Windows Virtualization, Windows App Platform and Frameworks, Microsoft Edge, Windows Cryptography, and Windows Fundamentals.

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Firefox 68
Download | Release Notes
This means Tails has been updated and Tor Browser will be.

Nvidia Geforce Game Ready WHQL Driver 431.36
“Provides the optimal gaming experience for Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, Strange Brigade, and Metro Exodus”
Download | Release Notes

Patch Tuesday

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Updates available for all supported versions of Windows.
Office updates available too. (how to check for Office updates)

Win10 1809 – February 12, 2019—KB4487044 (OS Build 17763.316)
Win10 1803 – February 12, 2019—KB4487017 (OS Build 17134.590)
Win10 1709 – February 12, 2019—KB4486996 (OS Build 16299.967)

Windows 8.1 – February 12, 2019—KB4487028 (Security-only update)

Windows 7 – Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 update history

Office 365 11231.20174 and other versions

Note from Microsoft:
February 11, 2019 12:45 PM PST
Windows Update customers were recently affected by a network infrastructure event caused by an external DNS service provider’s global outage. A software update to the external provider’s DNS servers resulted in the distribution of corrupted DNS records that affected connectivity to the Windows Update service. The DNS records were restored by January 30, 2019 (00:10 UTC), but downstream effects continued. We believe the issue to be fully mitigated because the majority of local Internet Service Providers (ISP) have refreshed their DNS servers and customer services have been restored. If you are still encountering download failures, please contact your local ISP.
While this was not an issue with Microsoft’s services, we take any service disruption for our customers seriously. We will work with partners to better understand this so we can provide higher quality service in the future even across diverse global network providers.

Using Macrium Reflect Boot Media

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First and foremost, I do not backup from within Windows. I only use the boot CD.
Why? After many years of backup and restoring Windows and Linux I have seen just about every method fail at one time or another.
It is my belief that the only way to do an Operating System backup and restore is:
1 – Only use system images.
2 – Not to be using that OS. This is referred to as being offline.
[Read more…] about Using Macrium Reflect Boot Media

Out Of Band Update

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CVE-2018-8653 | Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer…

Updates for all currently supported Windows versions.

Windows 10
Build 1809 – December 19, 2018—KB4483235 (OS Build 17763.195)
Build 1803 – December 19, 2018—KB4483234 (OS Build 17134.472)
Build 1709 – December 19, 2018—KB4483232 (OS Build 16299.847)

Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 update history pages not updated as of this writing.

Patch Tuesday

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Windows Updates available. “Addresses an issue” as well as many security updates.
I recommend backing up and updating as soon as you can.

Windows 10
Build 1809 – December 11, 2018—KB4471332 (OS Build 17763.194)
Build 1803 – December 11, 2018—KB4471324 (OS Build 17134.471)
Build 1709 – December 11, 2018—KB4471329 (OS Build 16299.846)

Windows 8.1
December 11, 2018—KB4471322 (Security-only update)
December 11, 2018—KB4471320 (Monthly Rollup)

Windows 7
December 11, 2018—KB4471328 (Security-only update)
December 11, 2018—KB4471318 (Monthly Rollup)

Blocking A Programs Internet Access Via The Windows Firewall

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Many programs on your computer access the internet even though they don’t need to. They phone home for a variety of reason including telemetry and checking for updates.
I don’t need or want most programs phoning home for any reason. Still, they try.
With programs getting more invasive I thought it would be appropriate to show you how to block their access to the net.
[Read more…] about Blocking A Programs Internet Access Via The Windows Firewall

Patch Tuesday

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Windows 7, 8.1, and 10 have updates.

Windows 7
November 13, 2018—KB4467106 (Security-only update)
November 13, 2018—KB4467107 (Monthly Rollup)

Windows 8.1
November 13, 2018—KB4467703 (Security-only update)
November 13, 2018—KB4467697 (Monthly Rollup)

Windows 10
Build 1809 –
November 13, 2018—KB4464455 (OS Build 17763.107)
November 13, 2018—KB4467708 (OS Build 17763.134)
Build 1803 – November 13, 2018—KB4467702 (OS Build 17134.407)
Build 1709 – November 13, 2018—KB4467686 (OS Build 16299.785)
Build 1703 – November 13, 2018—KB4467696 (OS Build 15063.1446)

Additionally Windows 8.1 & 10 have Flash updates.

Win10 “October” Update
Windows 10, version 1809 Re-Released
When you have it offered to you is anyone’s guess.
Media Creation Tool / ISOs available here: Download Windows 10 Disc Image (ISO File)