Category Archives: Windows

Microsoft, Patches and updates, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8.x

Windows 10 upgrade process now running on Windows 7 & 8 desktops

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There’s a new process running on my Windows 8.1 desktop. I first noticed it just now, when I logged in for the first time after installing the June updates from Windows Update. Microsoft has confirmed that this new process was installed via the optional/recommended Windows Update KB3035583, which sports the somewhat misleading title “Update enables additional capabilities for Windows Update notifications in Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 SP1”.

The process name is GWX.exe. It appears in the notification area (aka system tray) as a white Windows logo. Right-clicking this icon shows the following options:

  • Get Windows 10 – pops up a dialog with some explanatory text (see below).
  • Reserve your free upgrade – pops up a dialog that says ‘Great, your upgrade is reserved!’ (see below)
  • Go to Windows Update – does exactly that
  • Get to know Windows 10 – opens a browser window and navigates to the Windows 10 FAQ

Reserve your free upgrade

On my computer, just before the upgrade reservation dialog appeared, another dialog flashed briefly on the screen. That dialog seemed to show information about the compatibility of the computer with Windows 10. All I managed to see was a bit of text that said something like ‘Windows 10 will work on this PC’.

Here’s the upgrade reservation dialog:

Get Windows 10 - Upgrade Reserved

In case you can’t read that, it says:

Once it’s available on July 29th, Windows 10 will be downloaded to your device. You’ll get a notification when it’s ready to install — install right away, or pick a time that’s good for you.

As you can imagine, I was somewhat alarmed at seeing this, since it seems to be telling me that I’ve agreed to upgrade my Windows 8 computer to Windows 10, or at least that Windows 10 will be automatically downloaded to my computer. I don’t actually want either of those things to happen; at least not that soon, and certainly not automatically. So I skipped the email confirmation step and simply closed the dialog, hoping that canceled the ‘reservation’.

Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to help. The notification icon’s menu changed from ‘Reserve your free upgrade’ to ‘Check your upgrade status’. Selecting that option just performs the compatibility check and shows the upgrade reservation dialog again.

Get Windows 10

Selecting this option displays another dialog, this one consisting of a series of five panels that explain ‘How this free upgrade works’. This again confirms that Windows 10 will automatically download when it becomes available. That’s a 3 GB download, which is apparently unavoidable at this point. Thankfully, I will apparently be given an opportunity to decide at that point whether I want to actually install Windows 10.

Another panel trumpets the fact that the Start menu is back in Windows 10. Thanks a lot, Microsoft. How about adding it back to Windows 8, you know, like you promised? Other panels mention Cortana and the new web browser in Windows 10.

Also on this dialog is a small ‘hamburger’ menu at the top left. Clicking it shows a menu that includes an option to ‘Check your PC’ (see below). Running that shows the compatibility checker that I previously observed flashing past when I clicked the ‘reserve’ option.

Another option on that menu is ‘View confirmation’. Clicking that shows yet another dialog, and this one includes a ‘Cancel reservation’ link. As you can imagine, I clicked that link. After confirming my decision, it was indeed canceled (hopefully). The notification icon’s menu reverted to ‘Reserve your free upgrade’ in any case.

Check your PC

According to the compatibility checker: ‘This PC can be upgraded but there may be some issues.’ It goes on to say:

  • Windows Media Center will be uninstalled during the upgrade. It isn’t available in Windows 10.
  • You’ll need to reinstall language packs after the upgrade is complete.
  • These apps will need to be reinstalled after the upgrade: Microsoft Network Monitor 3.

Details and limitations of the free Windows 10 upgrade

Much has been made of this free upgrade. Clearly, Microsoft wants to get everyone to upgrade to Windows 10. Especially if you’re running Windows 7 or 8, apparently. But if Microsoft was really serious about this, they would offer the free upgrade to users of Windows XP and Vista as well.

Here’s what you need to know about the reservation and upgrade:

  • You only have until July 29, 2016 to take advantage of this offer.
  • This is a full version of Windows, not a trial or introductory version.
  • When you reserve, you can confirm your device is compatible with Windows 10. Between reservation and when your upgrade is ready, the files you need for the upgrade will be downloaded to your PC to make the final installation go more quickly.
  • The only requirements are that a) your device is compatible, and b) you’re running genuine Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) or Windows 8.1 (Update).
  • There’s no obligation and you can cancel your reservation at any time.
  • Get Windows 10 is an app that’s designed to make the upgrade process easy push users to install Windows 10. It checks to make sure your device is compatible, and it reserves your free upgrade; it also has information to help you learn about the features in Windows 10. For devices running Windows 7 SP1 or Windows 8.1 Update with Windows Update enabled, the app shows up automatically as a Windows icon in your system tray at the bottom right-hand side of your screen.
  • The easiest way to get the free upgrade is to reserve, but you can upgrade even if you don’t reserve. Just open the Get Windows 10 app to schedule your upgrade.
  • You can get a free upgrade for each of your eligible Windows devices. Again, ‘eligible’ means ‘legally obtained and licensed’.
  • PCs that cannot run Windows 10 will not see the Get Windows 10 app before July 29, 2015. After July 29, 2015, the icon in the system tray will start to appear.
  • When you upgrade, you’ll stay on like-to-like editions of Windows. For example, Windows 7 Home Premium will upgrade to Windows 10 Home.

Getting rid of the upgrade app

Needless to say, I’d like to remove the Get Windows 10 app from the Windows startup process on my computer. If I want to upgrade, I’ll do it in my own time, thank you very much. I don’t need Microsoft constantly yelling at me to upgrade. Removing the app involves uninstalling update KB3035583 via Control Panel > Programs and Features.

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Update 2015Jun12: The KB3035583 update first became available from Windows Update in April 2015. I only started seeing it after I installed the June updates because I explicitly selected it from the list of optional updates, thinking it was actually something else. Mea culpa.

Flash, Internet Explorer, Microsoft, Patches and updates, Security, Windows

Microsoft updates for May 2015

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It’s the second Tuesday of the month, so Microsoft is pushing out another set of updates. This month there are thirteen updates, addressing about 50 vulnerabilities in Windows, Internet Explorer, .NET, Office, and Silverlight. Three are flagged as Critical.

As always with security updates affecting Windows, you should install these as soon as possible.

Two of the updates (MS15-044 and MS15-049) affect Silverlight. Once you install these updates, your version of Silverlight should be 5.1.40416.0, which you can confirm on the Get Silverlight page. Installing from that page will also update Silverlight to version 5.1.40416.0. That’s also the only way you can get the latest version if you’re using Windows XP.

Chrome, Google, Security, Windows XP

Google extends Chrome support for Windows XP

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Recognizing that millions of people are still using Windows XP, Google has extended support for that O/S in their web browser. That means they will continue to develop fixes for security issues in Chrome running on Windows XP. Anyone still using Windows XP is strongly encouraged to stop using Internet Explorer, which is no longer supported by Microsoft, and use Google Chrome instead.

Adobe, Flash, Internet Explorer, Microsoft, Patches and updates, Security, Windows

Patch Tuesday for April 2015

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It’s that time again. This month there are eleven updates from Microsoft, with four of them flagged as Critical, affecting Windows, Internet Explorer, Office and .NET.

Adobe has once again come along for the monthly festivities, today releasing a new version of Flash. Version 17.0.0.169 fixes at least fourteen vulnerabilities in Flash, including one for which exploits have been observed in the wild.

So, time to get busy updating your systems… especially where you’re using Flash in a web browser.

Update 2015Apr19: One of this month’s Windows updates is causing problems for people running Oracle VirtualBox, a popular emulator. The problematic update is KB3045999, also referred to as MS15-038. There’s no word yet from Oracle or Microsoft regarding a fix. Uninstalling the update appears to work, but this is obviously a temporary solution.

Microsoft, Windows

More fun with names from Microsoft

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Microsoft sure likes to keep people confused, don’t they? Most recently, they decided to designate the next version of Windows ’10’ instead of the otherwise completely sensible ‘9’ (being as it comes after 8).

Now, there’s a new chapter in the saga of ‘what the heck should we call applications that use the goofy new Start screen in Windows?’ Originally these applications were called ‘Metro apps’, to match the name of the new UI, Metro. Then they started calling them ‘Windows 8-style apps’. Then ‘Modern apps’. Then ‘Windows Store apps’. And then ‘Universal apps’. As of today, Microsoft has changed their collective minds once again, and now these Windows applications will be known as: ‘Windows apps’.

It would be fun to tally up what is has cost Microsoft to come up with the idea of calling Windows applications ‘Windows apps’.

Internet, Mac, Mobile, Patches and updates, Security, Windows

FREAK vulnerability affects Windows, Mac, mobiles

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It’s been about two weeks since the FREAK vulnerability was first reported. The flaw itself has existed for at least ten years, and we now know that it affects mobile devices, Mac OS X, and Windows.

From the related US-CERT alert:

FREAK (Factoring Attack on RSA-EXPORT Keys CVE-2015-0204) is a weakness in some implementations of SSL/TLS that may allow an attacker to decrypt secure communications between vulnerable clients and servers.

Google has released an updated version of its Android OS and Chrome browser for OS X to mitigate the vulnerability. Microsoft has released a Security Advisory that includes a workaround for supported Windows systems.

It’s now clear that this is a teaching moment for the Internet. The FREAK flaw exists because of the ridiculous (and short-lived) insistence by the US government that encryption software designated for export be made deliberately weak. The imposed restrictions ended, but the code involved in switching between strong and weak encryption remained. This intentional weakening of encryption is similar to the kind of ‘golden key’ (back door) for which intelligence organizations are currently clamouring. The lesson: Encryption Backdoors Will Always Turn Around And Bite You In The Ass. Bruce Schneier calls this a ‘security rollback‘. The Economist puts it succinctly, “…mathematics applies to just and unjust alike; a flaw that can be exploited by Western governments is vulnerable to anyone who finds it.”

Update 2015Mar19: Researchers determine that exploiting the remaining vulnerable systems is much easier than originally estimated. Thousands of iOS and Android apps are vulnerable.

Internet Explorer, Microsoft, Patches and updates, Security, Tools, Windows

EMET 5.2 released by Microsoft

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A new version of the Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit (EMET) was announced by Microsoft on March 12. EMET is an application that provides an additional level of security for Windows systems by detecting and blocking specific types of application behaviour that are associated with malware.

Version 5.2 of EMET adds new features for Windows 8.1 (and up), and for Internet Explorer.

EMET is highly recommended for Windows computers. You can obtain it from the main EMET page.

Update 2015Mar17: If you downloaded EMET 5.2 before March 16, you may have noticed that Internet Explorer on Windows 8.1 stopped working. Microsoft has re-released EMET 5.2 to address this problem.