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Forbes Blasts Latests Windows 7 Patch as Malware
Forbes contributor Jason Evangelho has nothing good to say about a recent Windows 7 patch that's causing a range of trouble for some users. He writes:
If you have Windows 7 set to automatically update every Tuesday, it may be to permanently disable that feature. Microsoft has just confirmed that a recent update — specifically KB 3004394 — is causing a range of serious problems and recommends removing it.
The first issue that caught my attention, via AMD’s Robert Hallock, is that KB 3004394 blocks the installation or update of graphics drivers such as AMD’s new Catalyst Omega. Nvidia users are also reporting difficulty installing GeForce drivers, though I can’t confirm this personally as my machines are all Windows 8.1. Hallock recommended manually uninstalling the update, advice now echoed officially by Microsoft.
More troubles are detailed in the article; on the upside, Microsoft has released a fix.
According to my update history they automatically uninstalled it the next day (via a new update). So the auto updates worked - no drama.
---- Den ene knappen er powerknapp, den andre er Bender voice knapp "Bite My Shiny Metal Ass"
Here's a tip: If updates are pending but you want to shutdown quickly, don't choose Shutdown. Choose Log Off instead. Then, from the logon screen, you can choose either "Install updates and shutdown", or just "Shutdown".
Ah, the great "you don't want to do that" solutions. As a anonymous coward I can finally say: I'm so sick of people like you. If you can't think of a real solution, then just say nothing.
- You got shot, and need to stop the bleeding. Solution: You don't want to get shot.
- Windows Vista doesn't update, how to solve it? Solution: You don't want to use Vista, and should upgrade.
(add your own)
Though I agree with your sentiment there was an additional patch in the group (KB2553154) that was a security update that conveniently broke ActiveX controls and macros in Excel 2013. It wasn't just one incredibly bad patch.
I pity the poor vendors and their even poorer customers whose spreadsheets suddenly stopped working on December 10th.
I have my settings adjusted so that Windows tells me about the updates, but I choose when to download and install them. It's best to wait a couple of days after they're released to find out if anybody is having a problem with one of them. Let some other poor sucker get his computer bricked.
Ah yes, one bad patch and we should all NEVER PATCH AGAIN BECAUSE THE SKY IS FALLING!
Did he actually say that?
Or did he say turn off *automatic* patching?
It seems reasonable to always be 1 week behind in patching your systems - let someone else be the lightning rod for goofs and mistakes. I know some sysadmins patch "test" systems and try things out to see if the patches break their currently-running code. They don't seem to mind a certain time lag in patching.
While your steps work, you can also just focus on the desktop (by clicking the background, for example), then press ALT+F4. You will then be presented with the shutdown menu which includes the same options you cited, but without the need to log off first.
From the history books I've seen, many written by non-americans, it was pretty clearly stated that if the USA hadn't finally gotten into the war in Europe, Germany would have pretty much steamrolled what was left of western Europe, then turned full forces including it's Luftwaffe on Russia (actually USSR) and overwhelmed them outside of winter. Instead they got beaten back and their forces continually depleted by the Allied forces on the Western Front, leaving the Eastern front vulnerable and less capable, loosing even their initial advances when the lack of supplies and brutal winter devastated their forces.
Things "might" have gone smoother with the American forces in Europe, but they were also engaged in the Pacific conflict at the same time, and needed the shifting of forces from the ending of the European conflict to bring a conclusion to the Pacific conflict. Of course there are the nukes, but those only ended it quicker and with far less bloodshed than would have happened otherwise, even with the most optimistic forecasts. It just goes to show that fighting a war on multiple fronts is never a good idea.