Solved KB3138612 - Install or Hide?

[Wixi]

Hi,

Could someone tell me whether it's okay to install KB3138612? Windows Update rates it as 'Important', but I'm wary of patches like these as quite a few have been linked to Windows 10, which I'm trying to avoid. Would it be better to hide it?

Thanks.

 

[Ranger4]

KB 3138612 was installed on my computer on 2 March 16 & I have not experienced any problems with it.

As far as I know it is not associated with Windows 10.

 

[mjf]

I installed it on 10 March 2016. Also no problems.

 

[Wixi]

Thanks, Ranger4 and mjf.

 

[AddRAM]

Did you read it`s description ?

Do you need the update ?

The Microsoft information will tell you more about the update then we ever could.

 

[Wixi]

Hi AddRAM,

I've read its description but am still not very clear as to what it's for, which was why I was holding off from installing it. My main worry had been that it was connected with Windows 10, but neither Ranger4 nor mjf seem to think it is.

 

[maxseven]

I've read its description but am still not very clear as to what it's for, which was why I was holding off from installing it. My main worry had been that it was connected with Windows 10, but neither Ranger4 nor mjf seem to think it is.

Look again at the description:

KB3138612 This update contains some improvements to Windows Update Client in Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1.

That it is recommended for Server is an indication that it is not W10 related. I too installed this on all my machines including my WHS2011 which is rooted in Server 2008.

 

[JohnA2]

After installing this update, I ran into a subtle problem. Manually running Windows Update works fine. However, frequently, svchost would use up about 13% of my cpu for a long period of time. Restarting the Windows Update service would temporarily fix this. I noticed that however the Windows Update service is being used, it is not through the standard Windows Update mechanism. Even if I tell Windows Update never to check for updates, it eventually gets into that state. Uninstalling KB3138612 fixes the problem. I suspect that this has something to do with the Windows 10 Upgrade mechanism.

 

[maxseven]

I noticed that however the Windows Update service is being used, it is not through the standard Windows Update mechanism.

Can you explain please what you mean by this.

 

[JohnA2]

I noticed that however the Windows Update service is being used, it is not through the standard Windows Update mechanism.

Can you explain please what you mean by this.

The standard Windows Update mechanism would honor the directive never to check for updates. Indeed, on my Windows Update screen, the date last checked for updates never gets automatically updated unless I do a manual check leading me to conclude that something else is going on with the windows update service using CPU cycles. Windows Update is not the only software that can use the Windows Update service - the most likely suspect is the "Get Windows 10" applet or associated software.

 

[mjf]

The standard Windows Update mechanism would honor the directive never to check for updates. Indeed, on my Windows Update screen, the date last checked for updates never gets automatically updated unless I do a manual check leading me to conclude that something else is going on with the windows update service....

I don't appear to have this problem.
I have "Important Updates" selected to
"Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them"
I can do a manual check but Windows does it automatically. I do need to look to see if Important / optional updates are available. I then look at the important updates and install after making a system image in case one of them causes problems.

 

[JohnA2]

I don't appear to have this problem.

Thanks for letting me know. I previously had run the Microsoft Fixit on Windows Update unsuccessfully but because other diagnostics such as CheckSur reported no problems and I could do a Check Updates, I didn't think anything about it. So I backed out KB3138612 and this time was able to run the fixit successfully fixing three problems. I have reinstalled KB3138612 with no issues yet. My guess is that Windows Update must have had a lurking problem on my PC before installing KB3138612 and installing it in this condition just made the issue more obvious. Thanks for your help.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Yea it's just the March update client

I have read if KB3114323 which was a Important update is not installed you might see issue searching for updates
The one on this thread is a recommended update last I saw which would be listed as Important if your windows update settings were including recommended updates to be installed the same way as Important updates are.

 

[SevenOfNine]

Installation not recommended

Perhaps Microsoft changed the description of this update after this thread was created.

Microsoft states:

This update includes Windows Update support for Windows 10 updates (feature updates) that are distributed though WSUS (content released after May 1, 2016).

Source: https://support.microsoft.com/kb/3138612

In my opinion, this is a huge red flag, and consequently I don't recommend installing this update.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
One would only get windows 10 if someones update settings were mixing up recommended updates = "which is what windows 10 is classified as" with the real Important updates that are usually only security related.
Update clients also help find updates regardless of what they relate to because M$ is tweaking it's servers that deliver updates.

So the update client is fairly harmless it's peoples misunderstanding of the updates settings which is the problem really

 

[SevenOfNine]

Like many people, I've learned that I can no longer trust Microsoft. It's a shame.

When Microsoft states that this Windows 7 update (KB3138612) contains "support for Windows 10 updates (feature updates) that are distributed though WSUS" that makes it pretty clear that there is something in it specifically created to upgrade systems to Windows 10.

It's also unknown if it's collecting data to send back to Microsoft. According to Woody Leonhard, in regards to this update: The problem is that we simply don’t know – and won’t ever know – what info Microsoft is starting to collect from Windows 7.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
If you say so
I don't see it as some medieval update
As far as Woody goes he was banned quick around here

 

[mjf]

I've had "give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates" unchecked for quite a while now so I think KB3138612 installed in March 2016 was deemed Important.
About this update:
"This update contains some improvements to Windows Update Client in Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1.

This update includes Windows Update support for Windows 10 updates (feature updates) that are distributed though WSUS (content released after May 1, 2016)"

As I said earlier it doesn't appear to have caused me any problems. I haven't had a single update to Windows 10 nag (Yet!).

 

[Callender]

I installed it when it was released and no problems for me. Also a search of microsoft ip addresses connected to reveals no problems.



I will add that ip address to remapped routing table.

See post #27 here and the ones below:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/320978-static-routes-create-remove-3.html

 

[AddRAM]

Always read the description of an update, if you don`t need it, hide it.

The only updates I would even consider important are security updates, .net frameworks etc, and they have to be scrutinized too.

All updates do is waste space on your ssd.