Windows 10 Optional Out-of-Band Update For PDF Opening Issue

 

Microsoft released KB5004760, an optional out-of-band non-security update for Windows 10 Versions 21H1, 20H2, and 2004. 

As described in the KB Article:   

• Updates an issue that might prevent you from opening PDFs using Internet Explorer 11 or apps that use the 64-bit version of the WebBrowser control. Additionally, a PDF might render as just a gray background when using the Adobe Acrobat plug-in.

The purpose of the update is to fix the issue causing blue screens (BSOD) when printing to network printers with Type 3 printer drivers.  The issue showed up after installing the March 2021 cumulative updates.

Because the update is optional, it is not available via Windows update.  However, if you have been affected by this issue, the update can be downloaded manually from the Microsoft Update Catalog.

Windows 10 update history

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

PC Health Check app for Windows 11 Update

With all of the excitement for Windows 11, many users have already run the PC Health Check app to find out if their current PC is eligible to upgrade to Windows 11. 

Although I was happy that my PC is eligible, when others ran the app, they received the following indication:

If you received the above notification, you may want to download a fresh copy of the PC Health Check app because it has already been updated.  In fact, according to Steve Dispensa, VP of PM, Microsoft Endpoint Manager and Windows Commercial on Twitter:

We've just released an updated PC Health Check app here: https://microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11?OCID=pchc_windows_app_omc_win… Navigate lower down to the “Check for Compatibility” section and click “Download app” We still have more work to do, but this version shows more information about why a device is ineligible.

That aside, unfortunately, one of the primary reasons for PCs not meeting the system requirements is the processor.  The lists of supported processors is available at the following locations:

Supported AMD Processors
Supported Intel Processors
Supported Qualcomm Processors

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Windows 11 is What's Next for Windows!

It is official!  Windows 11 is the next version Microsoft operating system.  As Satya Nadella said in the "What's Next for Windows" event, "It's the beginning of a new generation".  Highlights of that new generation are described in the article on the Windows Experience Blog by Panos Panay, Chief Product Officer, Windows + Devices, "Introducing Windows 11".  You can also be certain that all the "tech bloggers" will be publishing numerous articles highlighting the new Windows 11.

A question that many home computer users have been wondering about since rumors of the new operating system started is whether the upgrade from Windows 10 will be free. We now know that Windows 11 will be available through a free upgrade for eligible Windows 10 PCs and on new PCs beginning this holiday and will continue into 2022. 

The minimum system requirements to run Windows 11 are as follows:

Minimum system requirements

Processor	1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with 2 or more cores on acompatible 64-bit processor or System on a Chip (SoC)
Memory	4 GB RAM
Storage	64 GB or larger storage device
System firmware	UEFI, Secure Boot capable
TPM	Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0

Minimum system requirements

Graphics card	DirectX 12 compatible graphics / WDDM 2.x
Display	>9” with HD Resolution (720p)
Internet connection	Microsoft account and internet connectivity required for setup for Windows 11 Home

Minimum system requirements

Certain features require specific hardware, see detailed system requirements.

To determine if your current PC is eligible for the free upgrade to Windows 11, download the PC Health Check app. 

I happy that my PC meets the system requirements for Windows 11 and am looking forward to testing the new Windows Insider Builds for Windows 11 next week.

You can keep track of what's happening with Windows 11 at Inside Windows 11.

(Note  If you had a problem with the event streaming as I did during the event, you can watch a replay here.)

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Adobe Acrobat DC and Adobe Reader DC Optional Hotfix

 

Adobe released another optional hotfix Adobe Acrobat DC and Adobe Reader DC for Windows and macOS that addresses important bug fixes.

Release date:  June 23, 2021
Vulnerability identifier: None
Platform: Windows and MacOS

Bug fixes

Browser

• 4333092: Adobe Reader shows 10:10 error on opening PDF in Internet Explorer

Editing

• 4333085: Copy/Pasting characters from PDF removes accented characters

Fill and Sign

• 4333182: On some locales, placeholder text get inserted instead of actual text
• 4333131: On some locales, Greek/barcode characters appear instead of placeholder text

PDFMaker

• 4333416: PDFMaker error when converting/combining Office format to PDF

Update or Complete Download

Reader DC and Acrobat DC were updated to version 21.005.20054.  Updates should become available via the internal updater or checks can be manually activated by choosing Help/Check for Updates.  Reader DC and other versions are available here: https://get.adobe.com/reader/

Note: UNcheck any pre-checked additional options presented with the update. They are not part of the software update and are completely optional.

References

• PSIRT
• Release Notes
• Security Bulletin
• System Requirements

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Mozilla Firefox Version 89.0.2 Released

Mozilla sent Firefox Version 89.0.2 to the release channel today to fix an issue on Linux.

Fixed

• Fix occasional hangs with Software WebRender on Linux (bug 1708224)

Update 

To get the update now, select "Help" from the Firefox menu, then pick "About Firefox."  Mac users need to select "About Firefox" from the Firefox menu. If you do not use the English language version, Fully Localized Versions are available for download.

References

• Security Updates
• Release Notes
• Rapid Release Calendar
  
  

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Windows June C Release Preview Update for Windows 10 Versions 21H1, 2004 and 20H2

Microsoft released KB5003690, the monthly “C” release preview cumulative update with non-security improvements and fixes for Windows 10 Versions 21H1, 20H2, and 2004.  The highlighted changes include the following:

• Updates an issue in a small subset of users that have lower than expected performance in games after installing KB5000842 or later.  

• Updates an issue that causes the Japanese Input Method Editor (IME) to suddenly stop working while you are typing. 

• Updates an issue in which signing in using a PIN fails. The error message is "Something happened and your PIN isn’t available. Click to set up your PIN again."

• Updates an issue that, in certain cases, takes you out of the exclusive virtual reality (VR) app and back to Windows Mixed Reality Home when you press the Windows button on the controller.

• Updates an issue that causes blurry text on the news and interests button on the Windows taskbar for some screen resolutions.

• Updates an issue with Search box graphics on the Windows taskbar that occurs if you right-click the taskbar and turn off News and interests. This graphics issue is especially visible when using dark mode.

• Updates an issue that might prevent you from using your fingerprint to sign in after startup or waking up your device from sleep.

Microsoft now combines the latest servicing stack update (SSU) for your operating system with the latest LCU. For general information about SSUs, see Servicing stack updates and Servicing Stack Updates (SSU): Frequently Asked Questions.

For information about the types of updates released by Microsoft each month see Windows 10 update servicing cadence primer.

Update:  To get the update, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.  The link to download and install the update can be found in the Optional updates available area.  To get the standalone package for this update, go to the Microsoft Update Catalog website.

Windows 10 update history

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Countdown to What's Next for Windows

The livestream Microsoft event disclosing what's next for Windows is scheduled for June 24, 2021 at 8:00 AM Pacific Time, 3:00 PM GMT.  You can get a reminder to add to your calendar from the event announcement at Microsoft Windows Event - Watch the June 24 LIVE stream.

Rest assured, I am excitedly waiting for the event and have a countdown clock keeping track!

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Mozilla Firefox Version 89.0.1 Released With Security Update

Mozilla sent Firefox Version 89.0.1 to the release channel today.  The update includes one security update, rated moderate.

 

Moderate

• 
  

  #CVE-2021-29968: Out of bounds read when drawing text characters onto a Canvas

Fixed

• Windows: Resolved an issue causing some screen readers to not interact correctly with Firefox anymore (bug 1714212)
• Updated translations, including full Spanish (Mexico) localization and other improvements (bug 1714946)
• Fix various font related regressions (bug 1694174)
• Linux: Fix performance and stability regressions with WebRender (bug 1715895, bug 1715902)
• macOS: Fix screen flickering when scrolling a page on an external monitor (bug 1715452)
• Enterprise: Fix for the DisableDeveloperTools policy not having effect anymore (bug 1715777)
• Linux: Fix broken scrollbars on some GTK themes (bug 1714103)

Update 

To get the update now, select "Help" from the Firefox menu, then pick "About Firefox."  Mac users need to select "About Firefox" from the Firefox menu. If you do not use the English language version, Fully Localized Versions are available for download.

References

• Security Updates
• Release Notes
• Rapid Release Calendar
  
  

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Windows 10 End of Support Date 14 October 2025!

A number of articles have appeared about Windows 10 end of support.  This has been confirmed at Windows 10 Home and Pro - Microsoft Lifecycle | Microsoft Docs and, as indicated, applies to the following editions: Home, Pro, Pro Education, Pro for Workstations.

Edit Note:  Come to find out, the end of support date has been known since before the release of date of Windows 10 (July 29, 2015).  From Support for Windows 10 Will Last Until 2025, published July 20, 2015:

Quote

Microsoft today said that its next OS release will have official support for the customary 10 years.

An update on the company's Windows lifecycle fact sheet Web site showed that official extended support for Windows 10 will end on Oct. 14, 2025 and mainstream support will conclude five years earlier on Oct. 13, 2020.

Along with the end of support for Windows 10, there has been vast speculation about the naming convention for the next version.  Although many of the articles reference Windows 11, others suggest SunValley as the next version.  

Rather than speculate, I'll wait for the official announcement which is scheduled for June 24th at (Microsoft Windows Event - Watch the June 24 LIVE stream.

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Out-of-Band Update for Windows 10 Xbox Game Pass

  

Microsoft released an out-of-band update to fix an Xbox Game Pass issue for Windows 10 Version 21H1, Windows 10 Version 20H1 and Windows 10 Version 2004.  

As described in KB article KB5004476:  "Updates an issue that might redirect you to the Microsoft Store page for Gaming Services when you try to install or start an Xbox Game Pass game on your Windows 10 device."  

Update:  To get the update, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.  The link to download and install the update can be found in the Optional updates available area.  To get the standalone package, go to the Microsoft Update Catalog website.

Note:  If you are not experiencing this issue, you do not need to install the update.

 

References

• Security Update FAQ
• Security Updates Guide
• Update history for Windows 10

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Microsoft June 2021 Security Updates

 

The Microsoft June 2021 security updates have been released and consist of 50 CVEs.  Of these 50 CVEs, 5 are rated Critical and 45 are rated Important in severity.  

According to Microsoft, six of these bugs are currently under active attach and three are publicly known at the time of release.

  

The  updates apply to the following products:  Microsoft Windows, .NET Core and Visual Studio, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based and EdgeHTML), SharePoint Server, Hyper-V, Visual Studio Code - Kubernetes Tools, Windows HTML Platform, and Windows Remote Desktop. 

 

See the KBs listed at June 2021 Security Updates - Release Notes - Security Update Guide - Microsoft  for information regarding known issues with the security updates.

Prerequisite:

You must install the May 11, 2021 update (KB5003173) before installing the latest cumulative update (LCU).

Microsoft now combines the latest servicing stack update (SSU) for your operating system with the latest LCU. For general information about SSUs, see Servicing stack updates and Servicing Stack Updates (SSU): Frequently Asked Questions. 

Recommended Reading:   See Dustin Childs review and analysis in Zero Day Initiative -- The June 2021 Security Update Review.

 

Additional Update Notes:

• MSRT -- The Malicious Software Removal Tool is now run on a quarterly basis rather than monthly.  See Remove specific prevalent malware with Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool.
• Servicing Stack Updates -- Microsoft now combines the latest servicing stack update (SSU) for your operating system with the latest cumulative update (LCU). For general information about SSUs, see ADV990001.
• Windows 10 updates are cumulative. The monthly security release includes all security fixes for vulnerabilities that affect Windows 10, in addition to non-security updates. The updates are also available via the Microsoft Update Catalog.
• For information on lifecycle and support dates for Windows 10 operating systems, please see Windows Lifecycle Facts Sheet.
• Windows Update History:
• Windows 10
• Windows 8.1

 

References

• Security Update FAQ
•  Security Updates Guide

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Adobe Acrobat DC and Reader DC Security Updates Released

 

Adobe has released security updates for Adobe Acrobat and Reader for Windows and macOS. These updates address multiple critical vulnerabilities. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. 

 

Release date:  June 8, 2021
Vulnerability identifier: APSB21-37
Platform: Windows and MacOS

The update includes numerous new features.  See What's new in Adobe Acrobat DC.

Update or Complete Download

Reader DC and Acrobat DC were updated to version 21.005.20048.  Updates should become available via the internal updater or checks can be manually activated by choosing Help/Check for Updates.  Reader DC and other versions are available here: https://get.adobe.com/reader/

Note: UNcheck any pre-checked additional options presented with the update. They are not part of the software update and are completely optional.

References

• PSIRT
• Release Notes
• Security Bulletin
• System Requirements

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Pale Moon Version 29.2.1 Released

 

Pale Moon has been updated to version 29.2.1.  This is a bugfix release.  Linux versions will follow soon.

Changes/Fixes:

• Worked around an issue with autocomplete popups sometimes failing to work (and added some debug console logging to it in case it happens to help find the root cause)
• Fixed an issue with DOM mouse scrolling throwing errors.
• Fixed a race with network detection routines firing incorrectly when resuming from standby.
• Fixed a crash when using large uploads through DOM.
• Fixed an issue where the menulist-button on editable menulist widgets was not visible on GTK3.
• Reduced the number of reported "important preferences" in troubleshooting information, excluding individual printer details.
• Fixed an issue with the JS JIT compiler not tracing debugger environments (DiD).

*DiD This means that a fix is "Defense-in-Depth": It is a fix that does not apply to a (potentially) actively exploitable vulnerability in Pale Moon, but prevents future vulnerabilities caused by the same code, e.g. when surrounding code changes, exposing the problem, or when new attack vectors are discovered.

Pale Moon includes both 32- and 64-bit versions for Windows:  Pale Moon for Windows downloads.

Update

To get the update now, select "Help" from the Pale Moon menu at the upper left of the browser window.  Select About Pale Moon > Check for Updates.

Release Notes

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Mozilla Firefox Version 89.0 Released With Security Updates

 

Mozilla sent Firefox Version 89.0 to the release channel today.  The update includes eight security updates of which one (1) is rated high, five (5) moderate and two (2) rated low.

 

Firefox ESR was updated to Version 78.11.

 

High

 

• #CVE-2021-29967: Memory safety bugs fixed in Firefox 89 and Firefox ESR 78.1
  
  

Moderate

 

• #CVE-2021-29960: Filenames printed from private browsing mode incorrectly retained in preferences
• #CVE-2021-29961: Firefox UI spoof using `<select>` elements and CSS scaling
• #CVE-2021-29963: Shared cookies for search suggestions in private browsing mode
• #CVE-2021-29964: Out of bounds-read when parsing a `WM_COPYDATA` message
• #CVE-2021-29966: Memory safety bugs fixed in Firefox 89
  

 

Low

 

• #CVE-2021-29959: Devices could be re-enabled without additional permission prompt
• #CVE-2021-29962: No rate-limiting for popups on Firefox for Android

 

New

Mozilla made many new changes, best viewed in the illustrated Release Notes. 

Fixed

• Colors in Firefox on macOS will no longer be saturated on wide gamut displays, untagged images are properly treated as sRGB, and colors in images tagged as sRGB will now match CSS colors.
• In full screen mode on macOS, moving your mouse to the top of the screen will no longer hide your tabs behind the system menu bar.
• Also in full screen mode on macOS, it is now possible to hide the browser toolbars for a fully immersive full screen experience. This brings macOS in line with Windows and Linux.

Update 

To get the update now, select "Help" from the Firefox menu, then pick "About Firefox."  Mac users need to select "About Firefox" from the Firefox menu. If you do not use the English language version, Fully Localized Versions are available for download.

References

• Security Updates
• Release Notes
• Rapid Release Calendar
  
  

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...