There’s no stopping the juggernaut of monthly updates coming from our pals in Redmond.

This month’s load of updates, based on analysis of the new, ‘improved’ Security Update Guide, shows that we have updates for Edge, Office (2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019), Sharepoint, SQL Server, Visual Studio, Windows (7, 8.1, and 10), and Windows Server (2008, 2012, 2016, and 2019), addressing eighty-three security vulnerabilities in all.

There’s a summary of this month’s updates linked from the SUG, but as usual, it’s bafflingly incomplete.

Windows 8.1 computers can get this month’s updates via Windows Update in the Control Panel. Windows 10 computers will get the updates over the next few days, unless they’ve been configured to delay updates temporarily. Windows 7 users are still basically out of luck.

Flash is DEAD

Adobe’s kill switch for Flash went into effect as scheduled yesterday. Any Flash media you try to view from now on will show a placeholder image, which links to the End Of Life announcement for Flash.

That includes any Flash media you have lying around on your computer. For example, I found the Flash test animation on my main computer and uploaded it to my web server, where until January 12, it worked perfectly. That same Flash animation used to show on the main Flash help page, but of course that page now shows the placeholder as well.

And so ends the long, exasperating, security nightmare that was Flash. Good riddance.

Yesterday’s crop of updates includes the usual pile from Microsoft, as well as a few from Adobe, for Flash and Reader.

Analysis of Microsoft’s Security Update Guide for February 2020 reveals that there are thirty-eight updates, addressing one hundred and one security issues in Internet Explorer, Edge (both the old and new versions), Flash embedded in Internet Explorer, Office, and Windows. Thirteeen of the updates have been flagged as Critical.

To install Microsoft updates, go to Windows Update in the Control Panel for older versions of Windows, and in Settings > Update & Security for Windows 10. Alternatively, for Windows 10, you can just wait for the updates to be installed automatically.

The latest version of Flash, 32.0.0.330, fixes a single security vulnerability in earlier versions.

Update Flash on pre-Windows 10 computers by heading to the Windows Control Panel and running the Flash applet. On the Updates tab, check the version and click the Check Now button. Click the link to the Player Download Center. Make sure to disable any checkboxes for installing additional software, then click the big Install Now button. Follow the prompts. You may have to restart your web browser for the update to finish.

Adobe Reader 2020.006.20034, also released this Patch Tuesday, includes fixes for seventeen security vulnerabilities in earlier versions.

Recent versions of Reader typically update themselves, but you can check your version and force an update by navigating Reader’s menu to Help > Check for Updates...

It’s another Patch Tuesday, and this month we have the usual pile from Microsoft, along with a new version of Flash.

Analysis of the summary spreadsheet — helpfully provided by Microsoft on the Security Update Guide site — shows that there are forty-nine updates, addressing eighty vulnerabilities in Windows, Internet Explorer, .NET, Edge and Office. Seventeen of the vulnerabilities are critical.

Those of you running Windows 10 will get these updates automatically, unless you’ve explicitly configured Windows to delay updates. Everyone else should navigate to Windows Update in the Windows Control Panel or Windows Settings.

The new version of Flash is 32.0.0.255. It addresses two critical security bugs in earlier versions, both of which were discovered and reported by independent security researchers.

Anyone who still uses Flash, especially if it’s enabled in any web browser, should update Flash as soon as possible. Go to the Flash applet in the Windows Control Panel to check your version and install the new version.

It’s update time once again, and along with the updates from Microsoft and Adobe, I’m going to annoy you with yet another reminder that Only You Can Prevent Internet Worms. That sounds kind of gross, actually.

Analysis of the Security Update Guide spreadsheet, so thoughtfully provided by Microsoft each month, shows that this month there are thirty-three updates, addressing eighty-eight security vulnerabilities in Windows (7, 8.1, 10, and Server); Flash in Internet Explorer and Edge; Internet Explorer 9 through 11; Edge; and Office 2010, 2016, and 2019. At least twenty-one of the vulnerabilities are categorized as Critical.

If you missed last month’s update festivities, you may not be aware that there’s a very dangerous vulnerability (CVE-2019-0708) in Microsoft’s Remote Desktop feature in Windows XP, Windows 7, and Server 2008. Updates for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 computers are available in the usual way, via Windows Update. An update for Windows XP is also available, but you’ll have to download and install it manually, from the Microsoft Update Catalog.

I’m pestering you about this because the last time a vulnerability like this appeared, we got the global WannaCry worm mess. Patch those systems and prevent a similar worm from giving the world another major headache. Here’s Microsoft on the subject, as well as Ars Technica.

As usual, Adobe has released software updates to coincide with Microsoft’s Patch Tuesday, which makes things nice and tidy with Flash being integrated into IE and Edge. Flash 32.0.0.207 fixes a single security vulnerability.

There are a few ways to update Flash on Windows, but starting with the Flash Player Control Panel works for me. On the Flash CP’s Updates tab, you’ll find a Check Now button, which will take you to the Get Adobe Flash page. That will tell you which version you’re running. If you need an update, click the Player Download Center link on that page.