Microsoft October Updates IMPORTANT

[dave.m]

Posted here because not everyone looks in the Computer Section:
(So can you please leave it here)

Microsoft will issue its biggest ever security update on 13 October.

The update will include 13 bulletins that between them tackle 34 vulnerabilities.

Microsoft said that eight of the bulletins were rated as critical - the most serious sort of vulnerability.

To prevent any of these updates causing problems with your system and software programs, may I suggest that you turn off Automatic Updates and wait until Wednesday and, using Internet Explorer, go to MS Updates and click Custom.
Then install just two of the updates (make a note of the KB numbers) and reboot and see how your computer runs.
If OK then repeat and get another two.

Any problem, go straight to Add/Remove section and remove the last two that you downloaded.
Then proceed with two more until they have all downloaded and installed.

It is a labourious job but better to know that if any of them causes problems, which ones it was.

Safe Updating.

13 bulletins on the 13th may be an omen, but it's my birthday so I'll be OK.

dave

Remember to reset your update settings when you are happy with this lot.

 

[solo]

How do we turn off Automatic Updates in XP and Vista?

 

[dave.m]

Hi Solo,

How to turn off Automatic Updates in Vista

How to turn off Automatic Updates in XP

dave

 

[Steve]

mine never even downloaded service packs for vista, so i'm snookered if MS think im gonna be able to get these.

 

[conny]

Nice one Dave, thanks for the advice.

 

[oompah]

I always leave mine notify me but don't automatically download or install, is this alright

 

[dave.m]

I always leave mine notify me but don't automatically download or install, is this alright

That will be OK but only click a couple at a a time to download and install if you can to follow what I said.

There isn't a panic with these updates so the advice is basically because one update just may conflict with something on your PC and if all 13 have installed it is a hell of a job to find the culprit.

dave

 

[dave.m]

Someone has just posted a good suggestion to my thread on another forum,
set a system restore point before you start.
Make one on the 13th and you can call it Lucky 13 SR point. You should remember it then if you need it.

dave

 

[Space cat]

set a system restore point before you start.

That's a good plan but it's not foolproof. That abominable piece of spyware WGA, which Microsoft pushed out as a critical update, deleted all the system restore points. I always review updates before I download them and I see they're at it again.

For what it's worth, I allow Microsoft to notify me about updates but I download them myself, save them to CD and install them manually. This is really useful when I'm setting up a PC for somebody who only has dial-up internet access.

 

[dave.m]

Well, how did everyone get on with the massive list of updates.

The number will be different for most people because of the different Microsoft programs and OS that we all have.

The first Custom scan showed 18 critical updates for my systems.
When I checked the list and clicked on each + sign to read what each one was for, Three were for MS Outlook which I don't use but it is part of my Office 2003. One of them must have a problem with some software because they had also included an update to cure the problem of the other update stopping something, so those two were unticked. Also the Outlook Junkmail filter was unticked.

I ended up downloading and installing 13.
All systems are go!

Remember to set your Automatic Updates back to what you normally have it.
Mine is set to "Notify but do not download or install"

Hope it went OK for everyone.

If you do find any problems occuring start a thread in the Software Forum, give your OS (Vista or XP), browser and any error messages.

dave

 

[tim west]

Being lazy (and live by the seat of my pants ) I just let it download the lot and so far all is ok

 

[Shutpa]

Only came across your tip today Dave and because I have the setting at the recommended "Install updates automatically", I expected them all to be installed. However when I checked only one update (KB915597 {definition1.67.698.0}) was installed yesterday and another 14 importants are asking to be downloaded. Should I change the settings and use your advice of a couple of updates at a time?
Edit: Have changed settings to download but let me choose etc.

 

[Estrella]

Being lazy (and live by the seat of my pants ) I just let it download the lot and so far all is ok

Yup. Same here. I must admit that this does sound a little over hyped. My small customer bank of Win users - (Approx 100 clients) and no one has reported any issues.

 

[dave.m]

Bolo,
It appears that they are all working with whatever programs are installed.

One I did notice was to cure a problem in an Outlook Update that was amongst them. It turns out that this security update for Outlook was causing problems when tested so instead or rewriting it, they issued another critical update to rectify the fault.

That is what sometimes happens and if a glitch installs the problem one but not the rectifying you you can have a dead program or worse on your computer. Then it takes ages to try and find it.

BoxCleva:

I must admit that this does sound a little over hyped. My small customer bank of Win users - (Approx 100 clients)

My OP stated that:
"To prevent any of these updates causing problems with your system and software programs, may I suggest that you turn off Automatic Updates and wait until Wednesday "

Not one mention of hype or anything else. Just a bit of common sense learned from previous experiences of when a large number of critical updates have come together and caused problems.

One example was when IE7 was an update that loaded automatically if the settings were set and when installed the HP Director would not show and so EVERYONE who had PSCs that used the Director to run scans could not scan pics or docs for about three weeks until HP came up with a workaround then a download fix.
So I suppose 100 clients with a problem like that could give you a few headaches.

dave

 

[Estrella]

So I suppose 100 clients with a problem like that could give you a few headaches.

dave

Wouldn't cause a problem at all. You assume that all my 100 clients have HP PSC's and even if they had the problem only arose if using the Director app to scan. Kind of minimises the impact really doesn't it ?

Not one mention of hype or anything else

LOL.. You dont have to mention the word 'hype' to create some! Things like ' Microsoft October Updates IMPORTANT and capitalising sections of post are things that create the 'hype'

But ignoring all of that, I wasn't referring to you at all, I was referring the various techies across the net getting their undies in a bunch every time MS does something like this. Lets be honest Dave, this is all over the place at the moment isn't it ? Over hyped, over exaggerated. Brian in Coventry not being able to scan his wife's knitting patterns onto the pooter isn't going to bring the country to a stand still is it ?

But I will stop now as reading my post back it sounds that I am defending the raft of security holes in MS products and how the company address them. Ugh!