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CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
Joined
May 9, 2000
Messages
75,399
Microsoft Update is playing musical chairs with patch KB 976902. The update was there one minute and gone the next with no information on what it was. If you had Automatic Updates turned on, you probably received it and the bad news is it isn’t removable. Thanks for the surprise gift Microsoft.

Here's where we stand now. The patch isn't listed on Windows Update. The KB article has been posted, but it doesn't include a link to the patch -- and it isn't clear at all where, or even if, the patch is currently available.
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I have that patch installed. hopefully it doesn't screw up the machine.
 
I too installed it immediately upon its notification. I tend to blindly trust these updates. Is there a good reason not to? Any idea if there is any negative effects from this update?
 
The following words come to mind when reading the article: Mountains, molehills, tinfoil, hat, tinfoil, hat, tinfoil, hat, tinfoil, hat, nuts.
 
It seems to be the guy is worried about what it does because Microsoft didn't create a KB article for it. As if that proves it's malicious and not something you'd want. Honestly, if Microsoft wanted to slip something in that was not entirely what people would want they could slip it in with any other update and never have to accurately state so in the corresponding KB article; they don't need some stealthy update without a KB article to do so.
 
This update was probably supposed to roll out the same day SP1 comes out.
 
Jajuka said:
I tend to blindly trust these updates. Is there a good reason not to?
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They could break things. Or, in the unlikely event the update repository is compromised, your installation would end up in a world of shit. Personally, I wouldn't install updates without waiting a day to see if anything goes wrong for people on [H], etc.
 
So a bunch of worry about nothing it would seem. It's been on my systems since it came out and I've not any problems.
 
I saw this update the other day and unchecked it the second I read the description. That's always a good policy with these types of updates, due to history, and see what happens to users who don't first. Anyway, I suspect it's similar to the pre-SP Vista update that mainly broke pirated copies for a brief period of time.
 
http://krebsonsecurity.com/2010/10/demystifying-kb976902-a-k-a-microsofts-blackhole-update/

Here is the official response I just received from Microsoft about this update:

On Tuesday Microsoft released KB 976902 to customers of Windows 7 through Windows Update. This update was pre-maturely released in English and the KB article had not been published yet. We are in the process of releasing the KB Article so users have more information about the update. This update is a Servicing Stack Update, which can’t be uninstalled. The update will be released at a later date, and it will be required to ensure compatibility with some future updates.

If you have already installed the update, there is no action required – there is no impact from the update being on your system. We apologize for any confusion this update may have caused.

Also, for extra context – Microsoft did a similar update when we were about to release the SP1 beta (what’s known as a “service stack” update – it helps the OS recognize and work better with the service pack code). As things like a service pack in development hit new milestones (i.e. we just hit RC, before that it was beta), the service stack update gets updated. That’s why folks don’t need to worry about removing it

Bottom line: It should be safe to install this relatively harmless update, which is designed in part to help pave the way for Service Pack 1, the first major bundle of fixes and stability updates for Microsoft’s flagship operating system. However, SP1 isn’t due out for a while yet, so it’s also safe to delay installing this update for a bit. Or at least until Microsoft gets around to issuing an official advisory about it.
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ChairmanMiau said:
They could break things. Or, in the unlikely event the update repository is compromised, your installation would end up in a world of shit. Personally, I wouldn't install updates without waiting a day to see if anything goes wrong for people on [H], etc.
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Well if you're working in IT for a large corporation, that kind of makes sense..

Very few people would run their home computers like that, though. I've never encountered a Windows update that truly broke anything or caused any new problems, and I've been running Windows since version 3.1.

Now Ubuntu updates however, have caused the whole system to refuse to boot etc. many times.
 
Any chance you can configure auto-updates and simply have them download the day after?
 
Windows update can be configured to download only or just notify. The default setting is download critical updates and install.
 
Delaying one day most likely won't help, this article was posted several days after the update.
Enterprise users, at least those who have a local Windows Update repository (WSUS), have better protection against these issues.

I don't understand the point of this article, it makes a fuzz about this update, but it's innocuous and does not need to be removed.

I am not too worried about Microsoft updates, although a couple have gone wrong over the years. There has been more issues coming from antivirus software like BitDefender last March. I had both this MS KB and the BitDefender update installed automatically but lost nothing, thankfully.
 
Yeah I got it as well, which is funny because it was installed automatically by the time of this thread.
It must have been uninstalled silently today to appear in the list of Windows updates.
So far so good. I don't plan on installing SP1 beta though, I have done my share of beta testing, but I guess it will be needed by beta RTM, as well install now.
 
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