March 8th 2016 Security Update Release Summary

[CarlSD]

Well, I've just installed this month's updates on my main PC. Took about 10-15 minutes of searching before they showed up.

I've installed all of them except the IE security update, (another) Windows Update Client, Malicious Software Removal Tool and the infamous KB2952664 which reappeared for what seems like the hundredth time. All hidden.

In fact, I've now gone into Programs and Features and removed Internet Explorer. Yep, I know that doesn't really remove it - just kinda 'hides' it. But, that's better than nothing since I never use it anyway. I received a nice caution that it might affect other programs but I'll bet it's only MS ones. The only program that seems affected was Windows Media Player which behaved like I was opening it for the first time (asking for preferences, etc.) but it was OK after that.

Meanwhile, my nearly 10 year old HP laptop is still grinding away "Checking for updates...". Been at it for nearly an hour now. I think it took nearly 3 hours for last month's updates to show up and about another hour after that to download and install them. No matter... I have infinite patience. I'll just leave it while I keep checking to see if everything is still OK on the main PC (I have Macrium Reflect to save me).

 

[ididntdoit]

So does everyone always install the security updates - are they safe for those of us going out of our way to avoid win10
Apart from the latest IE11 security update it seems.

Also I don't see any mention of kb3138612 which was among the 19 I got - its not listed as a security update and is in the important list what is it ?

 

[maxseven]

So does everyone always install the security updates - are they safe for those of us going out of our way to avoid win10
Apart from the latest IE11 security update it seems.

Also I don't see any mention of kb3138612 which was among the 19 I got - its not listed as a security update and is in the important list what is it ?

KB3138612 "contains some improvements to Windows Update Client in Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1" and since it's offered for Server also it likely has no W10-specific "threats" therein. I installed it some days ago to no ill effect.

I updated also the IE11 cumulative security update which apparently has some mechanism inside to display a W10 banner, but only with KB3123862 installed. I did not install 3123862, which is very clearly a W10 item, so don't see any new banners in IE11 which I do use quite a lot.

 

[Anak]

So does everyone always install the security updates - are they safe for those of us going out of our way to avoid win10
Apart from the latest IE11 security update it seems.

Also I don't see any mention of kb3138612 which was among the 19 I got - its not listed as a security update and is in the important list what is it ?

To help in your decision making when you are staring at the list of important updates.

Click on any update to highlight it, it can be checked off or not, then move your arrow cursor to the "More Information" link near the bottom of the right hand info pane and click on that.
If you are using a browser other than Internet Explorer [IE], IE will open by default to the page that relates to the update you highlighted.

Most, but not all related pages will have a link similar to Microsoft Security Bulletin MS16-026 at the top, you can click on that to find more detailed information.

 

[ididntdoit]

Off to check if I have 3123862

 

[ididntdoit]

Yep I do that Anak but the descriptions are usually either vague or I don't understand them, and so I look here and listen to people who do

 

[Anak]

Okay wasn't sure. Don't feel bad, a lot of users are in the same boat; The good ship, UnderstandablyVague.

 

[ididntdoit]

ok I have 2 pcs and 1 of them has kb3123862 so that is ok for me to get rid of then is it

 

[Anak]

Even if your two machines are networked they are two separate operating systems [OS] Depending on if you want to keep 3862, you need to install it onto the machine that doesn't have it.
If you want to get rid of it, you need to remove it from the one that does.

 

[4wd]

Clear message in pcworld

packaging Windows 10 upgrade prompts in a security update is a terrible idea and a breach of user trust

Microsoft slips Windows 10 upgrade ads into Internet Explorer security patch | PCWorld

 

[maxseven]

Clear message in pcworld

packaging Windows 10 upgrade prompts in a security update is a terrible idea and a breach of user trust

Microsoft slips Windows 10 upgrade ads into Internet Explorer security patch | PCWorld

No, actually there's nothing at all clear about that article. The author hasn't even bothered to try it himself, and even the people he quotes can't get the "supposed" blue banners to appear. So there is zero hard/useful information there.

It is truly alarming what is passing for "journalism" these days...

 

[4wd]

Clear message in pcworld

packaging Windows 10 upgrade prompts in a security update is a terrible idea and a breach of user trust

Microsoft slips Windows 10 upgrade ads into Internet Explorer security patch | PCWorld

No, actually there's nothing at all clear about that article.

And MS not clear either? They may back off, but original intent is very clear.

Updated Internet Explorer 11 capabilities to upgrade Windows 8.1 and Windows 7

adds functionality to Internet Explorer 11 on some computers that lets users learn about Windows 10 or start an upgrade to Windows 10

 

[Borg 386]

At least some of the grumbling may be attributable to a patch Microsoft pushed to a number of users this week as part of Patch Tuesday (KB3146449, which is buried inside Internet Explorer security patch KB3139929) which "adds functionality to Internet Explorer 11 on some computers that lets users learn about Windows 10 or start an upgrade to Windows 10." (This update seems only to create a "Get Windows 10" banner, and clicking the cancel button on it seems to remove it permanently, from what I can tell.)

Source

 

[ThrashZone]

I haven't seen any banners to upgrade at all
I did notice one browser add-on for windows update
But that might be tied to auto updating ie11 more that to 10 ?
Could be either one

 

[Painter]

I haven't seen any banners to upgrade at all
I did notice one browser add-on for windows update
But that might be tied to auto updating ie11 more that to 10 ?
Could be either one

You have Pro so you are not supposed to see the banner. See this thread from post #41 on, it explains why...

http://www.sevenforums.com/windows-updates-activation/392894-beware-kb3139929-5.html

 

[Barman58]

Reading that article make me wonder what are some users doing who complain that "they got up this morning to find windows 10 on their system", do they just ignore the banner completely more than once and then believe it's someone else's fault.

Many years ago in the days of DOS I had a sales manager who managed to format his C: drive not his A: drive Floppy because he typed Format and not Format A: (a known issue at the time was that Format if not qualified would clear the active drive). this user managed this dispite windows throwing up multiple warnings of increasing severity until finally formatting his system and all his work. OK DOS warnings were not that impressive but todays warnings should tell any one looking at the screen to the fact that something is going on

 

[ThrashZone]

I haven't seen any banners to upgrade at all
I did notice one browser add-on for windows update
But that might be tied to auto updating ie11 more that to 10 ?
Could be either one

You have Pro so you are not supposed to see the banner. See this thread from post #41 on, it explains why...

http://www.sevenforums.com/windows-updates-activation/392894-beware-kb3139929-5.html

Hi,
Only 1 of my installs is pro
2 are home premiums all 3 have the update and none are showing any banners unless I go to a M$ website and they have always had a large banner on them and most will produce a popup that they recommend upgrading to win-10
That has been going on for a while pretty much every since win-10 was released

There could be a delay
But then again I rarely use ie11 anymore I use pale moon x64 now primarily
But on pro I do have it as default browser mostly for Origin gaming since I don't want to download Chrome
Firefox is a tad to bloated imho :/

Otherwise gaming wise I'll probably just stick with Steam gaming darn thing just works without messing with browsers and defaults

 

[Painter]

I would also add that I think the MS spokeswoman released the standard Myerson boilerplate as her response. It was not an answer in the slightest to the questions posed by The Register. It is unfortunate that MS customers are not afforded a direct response to the intent of the nested KBs. If MS is going to introduce advertising (in general) to W7, they should say so. If they are just using the code to push W10 until July 29, 2016, then OK, say so.

 

[Seffrid]

Reading that article make me wonder what are some users doing who complain that "they got up this morning to find windows 10 on their system", do they just ignore the banner completely more than once and then believe it's someone else's fault.

You might want to read this:-

Windows 10 upgrade starting automatically ? and it happened to me @ AskWoody

 

[unifex]

Reading that article make me wonder what are some users doing who complain that "they got up this morning to find windows 10 on their system", do they just ignore the banner completely more than once and then believe it's someone else's fault.

You might want to read this:-

Windows 10 upgrade starting automatically ? and it happened to me @ ********

While that link does not work, I have read quite a few articles recently about Windows 10 installing itself on some people's machines.

I have two Windows 7 machines and none of that happened to me. I have not even seen the specific update that all those articles are talking about. However, after this bunch of updates a GWX key did show up in my registry (some reservation or something). Mind you, I did not have GWX on my machine, I've never installed any of the W10-related updates, and I have the Group Policy setting against the upgrading enabled.

What I can't understand, is why is MS so insistent that people upgrade their existing machines? I actually do have a W10 installation and not the free upgrade at that. But apparently that's not enough for them, they want ALL my machines to be W10 regardless of whether I want it or not. Now that's real annoying.