Firefox, Patches and updates

Mozilla getting sneakier about updates to Firefox

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According to the release notes, Firefox 47.0.1 was released on June 28. I only found out about it yesterday (half a month later), when I happened to run the FileHippo Update Checker.

After seeing the new Firefox version reported by FileHippo, I looked at Firefox’s ‘About Firefox’ dialog, and it offered to upgrade to version 47.0.1. I went ahead, and I’m now running 47.0.1.

Why is Mozilla no longer announcing new versions of Firefox? If their goal is to make updates invisible to users, why didn’t my version of Firefox update to the new version automatically?

For what it’s worth, Firefox 47.0.1 appears to fix one obscure crashing problem.

Microsoft, Patches and updates, Windows 10

More Windows 10 Insider Preview Builds

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The rapid pace of Windows 10 Preview builds being delivered to my test PC continues. I guess that’s what Microsoft meant when it described this release channel as ‘Fast’.

In the last week or so, my test PC has been updated four times, to Windows 10 preview builds 14383, 14385, 14388, and 14390.

Given that each of these new builds is effectively a new install of Windows 10, they are surprisingly non-intrusive. The downloads are of course large, so there’s a bandwidth consideration. But the downloads happen in the background, and the installs and subsequent restarts happen during off hours (at night). Often I don’t notice the change until I start copying files and notice that Explorer’s copy dialog has once again reverted to its default, simple view.

Note: the Windows 10 version number is no longer visible on the desktop. Microsoft says “the desktop watermark is now gone. This is because we’re beginning to check in final code in preparation for releasing the Windows 10 Anniversary Update”. I’m not sure I follow the logic there, but at least it’s somewhat consistent. The watermark stops appearing when a release is imminent.

Build 14383

Bug fixes and performance improvements.

Build 14385

Bug fixes and performance improvements.

Build 14388

Bug fixes; reliability and performance improvements.

Build 14390

Bug fixes.

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

Patch Tuesday for July 2016

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It’s a relatively light month for Microsoft patches: only eleven this time. The updates address security issues in the usual suspects, namely Windows, Internet Explorer, Edge, Office, and the Flash code that’s embedded in IE 10, IE 11, and Edge. Six of the updates are flagged as Critical. A total of fifty vulnerabilities are addressed.

Adobe joins in the fun again this month, with updates for Flash and Reader/Acrobat. The Flash update fixes a whopping fifty-two vulnerabilities, while the Reader update fixes thirty vulnerabilities. Update: an announcement for the Flash update appeared on July 14th, despite being dated July 12th.

Update 2016Jul17: Ars Technica points out that one of the Microsoft updates addresses a critical security hole in a Windows printer driver installation mechanism that dates back to Windows 95. The vulnerability was not actually closed by the update; instead, a warning was added to the driver installation process.

Microsoft, Patches and updates, Windows 10

Windows 10 anniversary update coming August 2nd

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Microsoft is planning a big update for Windows 10 on its release anniversary. The update is planned for August 2, 2016, but that date may shift as we get closer.

The anniversary update will include the new Windows Ink, Edge browser extensions, and numerous performance and stability improvements. In other words, all the changes we’ve already seen as part of the Windows Insider program.

The update will be free to install on any computer already running Windows 10. After July 29, upgrading to Windows 10 from Windows 7 or 8.1 will no longer be free, and is expected to cost $119 USD.

Microsoft, Patches and updates, Windows 10

More Windows 10 Preview Builds

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Microsoft is pushing out new Windows 10 Preview Builds with somewhat alarming rapidity recently. Alarming, because it seems my test PC is always either downloading one of the massive updates, or installing one.

My test PC is now running Build 14379, and I haven’t noticed any changes of interest, good or bad. Let’s look at the release notes to see what’s different in the new builds.

Build 14371

A new Activation Troubleshooter helps to resolve problems encountered by users after changing hardware such as hard drives and motherboards.

This build also includes improvements to accessibility, and easier to understand Edge download displays. Some tweaks were made to a few display settings, and more display settings will now be maintained between builds.

Build 14372

According to the release notes, Build 14372 has “a handful of fixes to [improve] overall performance and reliability.”

Build 14376

Performance and reliability fixes for Windows Store, various display fixes, a fix for a specific Edge/Explorer crash, and a fix for an authentication error related to Terminal Services.

Build 14379

More display fixes and crash fixes.

Crapware, Hardware, Microsoft, Security, Things that are bad, Windows 10

Pre-installed crapware still a problem

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A recent report from Duo Security shows that pre-assembled, ready-to-run computers purchased from major vendors almost always include pre-installed software that often makes those computers much less secure. That’s in addition to being unnecessary, unstable, resource-hungry, and often serving primarily as advertising conduits.

If you purchase a pre-assembled computer, you should uninstall all unnecessary software as soon as possible after powering it up. Before even connecting it to a network. It can be difficult to identify exactly which software should be removed, but a good starting point is to remove anything that shows the manufacturer’s name as the Publisher. PC World has a helpful guide.

And now the good news, at least for some of us: Microsoft now provides a tool that allows a user with a valid license to reinstall Windows 10 from scratch at any time. Minus all the crapware that the manufacturer originally installed.

Microsoft, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8.x

Microsoft now less sneaky about Windows 10 upgrades

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Now that their free Windows 10 upgrade offer is almost over, Microsoft thought this would be a good time to reduce some of the more devious tricks they’ve employed to fool users into upgrading from Windows 7 and 8.1 to Windows 10.

One incredibly annoying behaviour of at least one of the previous upgrade dialogs was that closing the dialog by clicking the ‘X’ button at the top right corner was actually interpreted by Microsoft as approval to proceed with the upgrade.

But it’s too little, too late for some users, many of whom encountered serious problems after their computers were upgraded to Windows 10 without their approval.

Techdirt has an amusing look at this issue.

Update 2016Jul04: Apparently Microsoft is making one final big push to get people to upgrade. The Verge reports on new, screen-filling upgrade prompts that are starting to appear on Windows 7 and 8.1 computers.

Patches and updates, Security, Things that are bad

Major vulnerabilities in Symantec security products

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Earlier this week, a Google researcher published a report on vulnerabilities affecting all Symantec security products, including Norton Security, Norton 360, legacy Norton products, Symantec Endpoint Protection, Symantec Email Security, Symantec Protection Engine, and Symantec Protection for SharePoint Servers. All platforms are affected.

From the original report:

These vulnerabilities are as bad as it gets. They don’t require any user interaction, they affect the default configuration, and the software runs at the highest privilege levels possible. In certain cases on Windows, vulnerable code is even loaded into the kernel, resulting in remote kernel memory corruption.

Symantec quickly released security advisories and updates to address the vulnerabilities, including SYM16-010 and SYM16-011.

Anyone who uses Symantec or Norton security products should install the available updates as soon as possible.

Rants and musings on topics of interest. Sometimes about Windows, Linux, security and cool software.

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