January 3, 2018 - KB4056897 (Security-only update) Windows 7

Well, just did it with my x86 system. No BSOD, but as Anak said, it was an unusually long reboot. Despite being a geek since 1980, my heart attack, surgery and long recovery has really frelled up my wetware.
This old brain just not as acute in solving mysteries as it once was, which is why in 2013 I gave up hacking and splicing 2000 Pro, with kernel mods and the like, as the gang at MSFN are still doing.

You all made me frelling nervous about this update. This CPU used to be a Sempron 145, but when I decided not to install my second legacy MyHD MDP-130 tv tuner and capture card, I used the ASUS utility to unlock the other cores, making it an Athlon series. Instead keeping it to run in another XP HTPC.

I wasn't presented with any update on the third, just this morning at 03:32 Eastern Standard.
So far, so good, no need apparently to use the restore point, I might actually be glad when 2020 gets here, then it will be MY responsibility to keep this machine secure, but I'd like to build my first x64 machine to try out Poser and Blender, not necessary for now, as my spheres and cylinders are quite crude and need practice.

With my Ataris it was Motorola, and I didn't have to worry about CPU flaws, flawed CPUs were simply junked. Then Intels became too expensive for my budget, so moved to AMD. I'm getting way off topic, as I tend to do. Basically, I had no problems with this Patch Tuesday and glad to see everyone else getting through also.

Hellriser said:

So the January 2018 SQMR (Security Quality Monthly Rollup) hasn't rolled out yet?

Yes it has, I'm taking the out of band update on the 3rd as the SQMR, see post #1

Improvements and fixes

This security update includes quality improvements. No new operating system features are being introduced in this update. Key changes include:

• Security updates to Microsoft Graphics Component, Windows Graphics, Windows Kernel, and Windows SMB Server.

For more information about the resolved security vulnerabilities, see the Security Update Guide.

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Hellriser said:

Because nothing has appeared on my up update window except the .Net Framework one. And I'm a bit reluctant to install the out-of-band patch.

On occasion this has happened to me; I've seen an update but didn't have the time to install it. Then when I did, it was pulled and I waited until MS was happy with it and re-offered it to me. I would believe you never saw one because it didn't get around to your regional area when MS decided to "pull it". I believe you'll see it once things calm down.
The reason MS pulled it is because there was so much confusion if users of AMD CPU's were affected by Meltdown and when they did install it they were having problems so MS wants to refine the update for them. There'll be a delay even though you show an Intel CPU in your specs. So remain vigilant, don't be surprised if you see another "out of band" update before February.

• The only caveat that I know of for installing the Jan. 3rd update is that, that QualityCompat key needs to be set by your AV as related to in my post #10. You could check This List to see if yours has, I would have for you but you don't have it listed in your specs.

Did you only get one .net update or two like I show in post #50?

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This is at the bottom of "Known Issues" for the Jan. 8th 2018 Monthly Rollup: This KB only Applies to: Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard

Microsoft has reports of some customers with AMD devices getting into an unbootable state after installing this KB. To prevent this issue, Microsoft will temporarily pause Windows OS updates to devices with impacted AMD processors at this time.

Microsoft is working with AMD to resolve this issue and resume Windows OS security updates to the affected AMD devices via Windows Update and WSUS as soon as possible. If you have experienced an unbootable state or for more information see KB4073707. For AMD specific information please contact AMD.

And this in turn has slowed updates for everyone.

No, AMD is not the same as Intel.

• You're confusing the two intel problems, this update will patch the meltdown problem. Do yourself a favor and search for: meltdown, spectre, and read, read, read.

• The specter problem is what you're thinking will slow down a machine and you might not be updated with a 6year old machine. I have a 7year old gateway that I seriously doubt acer will touch, they do have 4 gateway machines on their list but not mine. As of my posting the spectre patch has to be delivered by your OEM in your case samsung. I'm using my gateway on-board updater to see if it's available.

• There are slowdowns but they are negligible with the spectre update, it depends on what you use your machine for, do you use any intensive programs like photoshop or database work that have multiple files open?

• There are some intel users that have experienced hangs with the meltdown update, and BSOD's and bricking with the spectre update.

• If you mean affected by hacker exploits, that may be true for now but give the blackhats some more time to figure it out and they will be knocking on your door.

• If you mean affected as in these intel cpu's aren't vulnerable then you should get a better news source.

• I went over this with you back in my post #10, if you have the qualitytcompat key and it is set as shown you should be okay.

BlueGuy: I've seen it, but there's so much posted between z3r010's forums I'm not sure if it has, but you took care of it here...