Woody Leonhard
Computerworld
Nashville, TN, United States
Contact Woody
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
| Recent: |
|
| Past: |
|
Past articles by Woody:
This month's Windows and Office security patches: Bugs and solutions
Now that Microsoft has fixed an Outlook-killing bug on Microsoft’s own servers by updating Office 365, and re-issued the .NET patch so paying Windows 7 Extended Update customers can get it installed, the remaining problems are largely procedural. → Read More
The Windows 10 'End-of-Service' myth
Microsoft publishes an “End of Service” date for each version of Windows 10. While you might think you can hold onto your version of Win10 until that date, Microsoft starts pushing you onto the next version four months early. That takes a big bite out of the promised 18-month lifespan. → Read More
It's Patch Tuesday; make sure you pause Windows Updates
Every month we see the same pattern: Microsoft releases a ton of patches, some of them go kablooey, the Chicken Littles cry that you need patch everything right now -- and there are no immediate security problems. Break the habit. Protect your PC. Pause Windows Update. → Read More
How to block the Windows 10 May 2020 update, version 2004, from installing
Windows 10 version 1909 presents an invitation to install, rather than a “gotcha” grab for your PC. If you want to take control of your computer and upgrade to version 1909 when you feel ready, here’s how to get the ducks lined up. → Read More
Microsoft confirms yet another Search bug in the latest Win10 1903 patch
Last month we saw Microsoft slowly admit there were Search bugs in the second monthly cumulative update for Win10 version 1903. Although this month’s first 1903 cumulative update, KB 4515384, was supposed to fix the bugs, we now have official acknowledgment that the bugs are back, albeit in a different form. → Read More
Heads up: A free, working exploit for BlueKeep just hit
If you haven’t yet installed the May Windows patches (yes, May), your machine just inherited a giant “Kick me” sign. → Read More
Installing Windows 7 from a backup? You need a BitLocker patch right away
Whether you’re installing Win7 from backup on bare metal or on a VM, watch out for a missing patch. On Friday, Microsoft issued a hidden advisory saying you need to run bcdboot.exe and get the SHA-2 patch KB 3133977 – a BitLocker fix – before you do anything else. → Read More
New Surface firmware/driver update knocks out Wi-Fi on some systems
The problem seems to lie with a new driver, “Marvell Semiconductor, Inc. – Net – 15.68.17013.110,” which was also installed on many Surface machines running the beta of Win10’s next version, 20H1 -- and caused similar problems. Is Microsoft listening to the Feedback Hub? → Read More
It’s time to install most of July's Windows and Office patches
If you’ve been keeping your Windows 7/Server 2008 R2 machines clean with “Security-only” patches, July has an important change to consider. For most people, the coast is clear to install the July 2019 patches. → Read More
It's time to install the June Windows and Office patches
June was a lazy, buggy month for Windows and Microsoft Office, with silver bullet patches galore. Things have calmed down now, and it’s time to get the lot installed. → Read More
Windows 10 version 1803 customers: Brace for impact
Microsoft just officially announced that it’s revving up its algorithms, with an eye toward pushing Win10 version 1903 on machines running Win10 1803 or earlier. One little problem: It didn’t say how it's going to push. Possibilities — many of them unpleasant — abound. → Read More
The case against knee-jerk installation of Windows patches
You have to install Windows and Office patches sooner or later. But there’s little reason to install them as soon as they’re rolled out the automatic update chute — and all the reason in the world to wait a couple of weeks. Unless you have a staff charged with vetting patches, it’s much smarter to crowdsource patch beta-testing. → Read More
Save yourself a headache: Make sure Windows automatic update is off
If you’re running Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7, and you haven’t yet installed the latest patches, drop everything and get patched now. For everybody else, it's Patch Tuesday week; you’d be well advised to remove the claws from Windows Update. → Read More
It’s time to install the May Windows and Office patches
If you haven’t yet installed the Windows XP/Vista/Win7 patches to guard against the “wormable” BlueKeep Remote Desktop hole, do so now. → Read More
This month's Windows and Office security patches: Bugs and solutions
May’s Windows patches included location-dependent Win10 cumulative updates and the late arrival of the Vista fix for the 'wormable' BlueKeep RDP hole. → Read More
Now’s the time to install the April Windows and Office patches
With one final April patch delivered in May, the time looks ripe to install last month’s patches. One antivirus manufacturer has a significant disagreement with Microsoft about the April patches, but you can easily bypass the problem — if you know the trick. → Read More
About that Windows 7 End-of-Life nag screen: It ain’t working
Microsoft's end-of-life screen telling Windows 7 users to back up their files and prepare for what's next has had zero effect on Windows 7 usage statistics. → Read More
Microsoft Patch Alert: April patches have sharp edges, with several missing, others reappearing
April started with a bad spate of bluescreens for some antivirus products – and didn’t get much better. We’re still missing the second Win10 1809 cumulative update. And a buggy 2016 Internet Explorer patch makes a reappearance. → Read More
Second-wave April Windows patches arrive, not with a bang, but a Japanese whimper
We waited an extra 10 days for this? Microsoft has released its second monthly patches for Windows. Oddities abound, but there’s no fix for the mammoth bluescreen antivirus conflict in Win7 or 8.1, and precious little improvement unless you’re using Japanese calendars. → Read More
Where are the April Windows patches?
The April second cumulative updates and Monthly Rollup Previews have gone missing. Usually we get them on the third Tuesday. Now the fourth Tuesday has passed, and we still have nothing. Patching predictability? Pshaw. → Read More