Patch Tuesday | March 2017 ?

[michael diemer]

Many hard drives, and even motherboard utilities, also have free backup programs. I agree, there's nothing better than being able to restore your computer to what it was say a month ago. I usually have to settle for more like several months, ago, since I don't do it as often as I should. But even that is a lifesaver. I use both the Windows utility (if I'm feeling brave), but the best IMO is Macrium Reflect Free. That saved me once when Windows refused to see the image that it had itself created. So get Macrium or another third party app and you'll sleep at night.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Many hard drives, and even motherboard utilities, also have free backup programs. I agree, there's nothing better than being able to restore your computer to what it was say a month ago. I usually have to settle for more like several months, ago, since I don't do it as often as I should. But even that is a lifesaver. I use both the Windows utility (if I'm feeling brave), but the best IMO is Macrium Reflect Free. That saved me once when Windows refused to see the image that it had itself created. So get Macrium or another third party app and you'll sleep at night.

I agree about Macrium Reflect Free. All the more often you need to make an image of your system is just before you make a change to a setting or update the OS or a program (run your security scans first). If you don't change or update anything for a month, then that's all you need. If you update something every few days, then you should imaging just before the changes. I find that to be an easy way to remember when to make my images.

 

[ethel]

backup

Hello Everyone, I have never used Macrium or the other programs, I was wondering seeing as I have done
all the windows updates to November,2016, do they image all of these to, or is it just the rest of the system. Sorry for my ignorance on this.

 

[marsmimar]

Hello Everyone, I have never used Macrium or the other programs, I was wondering seeing as I have done
all the windows updates to November,2016, do they image all of these to, or is it just the rest of the system. Sorry for my ignorance on this.

If, for example, you did a full system image today (3/23/17) it would copy your hard drive and include everything currently installed including the Nov 16 Windows Updates. If you had to use this system image on, say, 3/31/17, your computer would be restored to the same configuration as 3/23/17 (when the image was made.) If you made any changes to your computer between 3/23 and 3/31, those changes would not be included in the 3/23 image. That's why it's advisable to make a new image after making changes, adding updates, new software, etc and you're satisfied your computer is working the way it should. Hope this helps.

 

[michael diemer]

Another groovy thing with images is that your documents, music projects etc. will be preserved. You can also choose the restore point you want. Say, you installed an app that really messed up your computer. The day before that, you installed some apps you like, and want to keep. You can restore it from the point of the bad app, keeping the good ones.

The reason a third party program is better than Windows' own utility is that the latter doesn't always work. It is maddening when you have made an image, and Windows says it can't find it. That won't happen with third party apps, they actually work.

 

[ethel]

system image

Thank you everyone for your help, I will download Macrium Reflect. I have a 160gb portable drive that I
can use to store the image on.

 

[antioch]

Hi to all
I have been holding back on this March update - I was offerred the KB4012215 Rollup but not the KB4012212 important.
I ran a 'check for updates' three times last night and was informed that there are no updates available for my computer.
This morning the same - dont know whether to cheer or get worried.
Has anybody else done a recent check for updates?
Antioch

 

[Melchior]

I did update checks just a sec ago... according to
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/894199
there should be updates for Internet Explorer and .NET but because of

Enabled detection of processor generation and hardware support when PC tries to scan or download updates through Windows Update.

I dono if I am being blocked from seeing new updates or not as I did not see any in Windows Update.. >_>

 

[Brds7t7]

I did update checks just a sec ago... according to
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/894199
there should be updates for Internet Explorer and .NET but because of
I dono if I am being blocked from seeing new updates or not as I did not see any in Windows Update.. >_>

The two updates you're referring to aren't delivered through Windows Update. The deployment info states they're only delivered through WSUS and Catalog, so you'd have to manually install those.
Probably due to the fact that they're not needed on many home systems. I've looked at the descriptions and they don't apply to my usage.
If you want to install them, you'll have to get them from the MS update catalog:

Microsoft Update Catalog

 

[Melchior]

ok, I will check that delivery method next time when I see updates there...

and here I was getting all worried about this and that... lol

 

[lehnerus2000]

I agree about Macrium Reflect Free. All the more often you need to make an image of your system is just before you make a change to a setting or update the OS or a program (run your security scans first). If you don't change or update anything for a month, then that's all you need. If you update something every few days, then you should imaging just before the changes. I find that to be an easy way to remember when to make my images.

I use "Patch Tuesday" as a reminder to create MR backup images (i.e. I create backups before downloading the current updates).

After a few bad (and weird) past experiences, I also create backup images before attempting driver installs.

Note:
My personal files (documents, music, pictures and videos) all have their own partitions, which I backup individually.

   Warning

Once a backup image is created it is important that it is Verified and additional copies are saved on external media.

 

[ethel]

windows update

Hello Everyone, It is good to read other people's comments regarding windows updates. I phoned a computer technician a few weeks ago, actually it was the technician that built this pc, and told him the
trouble I now have with the updates, and his answer was it could not be Windows Update, it has to be your
pc. I mentioned that everything was running well, not one problem, but as soon as a few of the newer updates were downloaded and installed, as soon as I restarted the machine the nightmare was there. I just
think if you have a pc that is running well, and as soon as you do an update everything is buggered, it has to be the updates. Reading around on the internet other people are having the same trouble as me.

 

[michael diemer]

It may actually be the updates on particular computers that is the problem. The interaction of software and hardware. It can be one, the other, or the interaction of one and the other.

 

[michael diemer]

So, what's the deal? Are we basically done with updates? I haven't installed anything but security only now for several months, but with MS withholding updates, and people continuing to experience issues, I haven't done so since January. Is this it? If so, we might as well say Windows 7 is already unsupported, EOL.

 

[ethel]

windows updates

Hello Michael, I cannot see how Microsoft says Windows 7 will be supported until 2020, and then throw
out updates that only some pcs can handle, to me that is not support.

 

[Barman58]

Extended support - which is the current status of Windows 7 - comprises just security updates, and related driver updates supplied by the hardware manufacturer. Not all of these updates will apply to every system - a driver or security update that applies to a specific piece of hardware or software, will only apply to those systems that has the required Hardware or software installed

No further system updates will be developed or new features added, including support for new technology - this is the normal procedure for superseded Microsoft operating systems

 

[michael diemer]

Thanks, Barman. So, if run Windows Update, it should tell me if I need any updates, security included? I have Automatic Updates turned off, and have just been installing Security-Only Updates from the MS site. Are you saying that I may not have needed to do that? Fortunately, my system does still work.

 

[Barman58]

If you run either the Security Updates or the full updates you should get the same security related updates, I say "Should" as this is Microsoft

What the full updates will do for you is to include the extra items that are excluded from the Security only - Things like Definition updates for the MS Defender, suspicious file checking, plus updates for Office and other Microsoft programs. Which of, any of these are important to you, depends on what you use for Anti-Virus / Anti Malware and Office type programs. It will also include some updates for hardware drivers where Microsoft includes them in it's base set that is included on the original install media, and, as I understand it, they have a security implications

 

[michael diemer]

At this point, like many, I'm holding off. For my Home Premium computer, monthly updating is just a formality. I'm almost never on it, let alone online. I use it as the test case, before I update my wife's laptop. For my Pro music computer, I'm only online for brief periods , to check a music forum or look something up. On both, I just have MSE for AV. But I installed the paid version of Malwarebytes on the wife computer, to be on the safe side.