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...

Servicing Stack Updates (SSU)

Servicing Stack Updates (SSU) seem to cause a lot of confusion.  Users see posts mentioning a SSU update but when viewing Update History, only the latest Cumulative Update is listed.  So, what is the Servicing Stack and why are the updates important?

What is the Servicing Stack?

Simply stated, the Servicing Stack is what actually installs Windows Updates.  However, it also contains the "component-based servicing stack" (CBS).  The CBS is key to DISM, SFC, as well as changing Windows features or roles, and repairing components.

Why are the SSU Updates Important?

The Microsoft Docs article referenced below explains the importance of SSU's as follows:

"Servicing stack updates improve the reliability of the update process to mitigate potential issues while installing the latest quality updates and feature updates. If you don't install the latest servicing stack update, there's a risk that your device can't be updated with the latest Microsoft security fixes."

As an example of a SSU update, following are the issues addressed in the July 26, 2019 Servicing Stack Update for Windows 10, 1903 x64-based Systems:

• Addresses an issue in which an update may not install with certain other updates and upon start up after installation of the other updates, will require a second scan of Windows Update and a second restart to complete installation.
• Addresses an issue in which reserved disk space may not be returned to free space when installation of Language Packs or Features on Demand (FODs) fails or is canceled.  The disk space is returned to free space when Storage Sense is run.
• Addresses an issue when Windows Update Check for updates is run during the installation or uninstallation of an update, Features on Demand (FODs) or Language packs, which may cause the installation to fail and may cause a restart to take up to an hour.

Getting the SSU:

When there is a Servicing Stack Update released with security or cumulative updates, the updates are automatically installed with Windows Update (you won't see the SSU offered in the list of updates available).  Because each Servicing Stack Update replaces the complete "stack" they do not require a restart.

If you are unsure whether you have the latest Servicing Stack Updates installed, the list of SSU's is at https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance/advisory/ADV990001.  Locate the update for your operating system.  Clicking the KB number will take you to the update, which includes the date of the last update.  You can now find the date of the last update on your device in the link to "View installed updates" located in Programs and Features of the Control Panel.

References:

• ADV990001 | Latest Servicing Stack Updates
• Servicing stack updates (Windows 10) | Microsoft Docs
• Windows Update History:
  • Windows 10
  • Windows 8.1
  • Windows 7
   

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

Windows Insider MVP! #WIMVP

So excited and proud to receive the email announcing that I have been re-awarded Windows Insider MVP again. 

Dear Corrine:

Congratulations! Thank you for your continued contributions to the Windows community, we are excited to re-award you as a Windows Insider MVP. This award is a token of our appreciation, your leadership and passion help make Windows the best yet. We look forward to our on-going collaboration with you and all of our Windows Insider MVPs as we continue to strengthen the Windows Insider MVP (WI MVP) Program.

References:

• Windows Insider MVPs
• Windows Insider Program
  

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

Windows Insider MVP! #WIMVP

What a nice way to start the day!

Dear Corrine:

Congratulations! Thank you for your continued contributions to the Windows community, we are excited to re-award you as a Windows Insider MVP. This award is a token of our appreciation, your leadership and passion help make Windows the best yet. We look forward to our on-going collaboration with you and all of our Windows Insider MVPs as we continue to strengthen the Windows Insider MVP (WI MVP) Program.

References:

• Windows Insider MVPs
• Windows Insider Program
  

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

Windows Vista Reaching End of Live (EoL)

Windows Vista, the operating system so many people learned to dislike. 

Personally, I enjoyed using Windows Vista during its prime but quickly learned to appreciate the many improvements in Windows 7 and, in particular, Windows 10.

The official RTM (Release to Manufacture) of Windows Vista was November 8, 2006.  Now, over ten years later, on Tuesday, April 11, 2017, the operating system is reaching EoL (End of Life).

Although there may be updates included for Windows Vista with the April 11 security updates, reaching EoL means that after that date the operating system will receive no additional

• Security updates,
• Non-security hot-fixes,
• Free or paid assisted support options, or
• Online technical content updates from Microsoft.

Although computers running the Windows Vista will continue to work, without future security updates, there may well be an increase in risk of viruses and other security threats.  In addition, signature updates for Microsoft Security Essentials are only expected to be available for a limited time.



References:

• Microsoft Lifecycle Policy
• Windows Vista Support

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

Microsoft Released Replacement Cumulative Updates

Microsoft released three replacement cumulative updates.

There is one update each for Windows 10 version 1607 (Anniversary Update) and version 1511.  The update includes quality improvements with no new operating system features introduced.

The third update is for Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1), and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 and is applicable if experiencing the symptom described below.

• Windows 10, 1607, OS Build 14393.970: KB4016635
• Addressed a known issue with KB4013429 that caused form display issues with CRM 2011 on Internet Explorer 11. 
• Addressed the issue with KB4013429 that prevents users from updating apps from Windows Store with 0x80070216 error.
• To get the stand-alone package for this update, go to the Microsoft Update Catalog
  
  
• Windows 10, 1511, OS Build 10586.842: KB4016636
• Addressed a known issue with KB4013198 that caused form display issues with CRM 2011 on Internet Explorer 11.
• To get the stand-alone package for this update, go to the Microsoft Update Catalog.
  
  
• Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1), and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1: KB4016446
• This update is only needed if you are experiencing an issue with forms in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 not displayed correctly after KB 4013073 is installed on a Windows system that is running Internet Explorer 11.
• To get the stand-alone package for this update, go to the Microsoft Update Catalog website.

If you installed earlier updates, only the new fixes contained in the respective package will be downloaded and installed.

The updates are also available from Windows Update.

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

Hotmail Security, Common Passwords Blocked

A commonality in hacked Hotmail accounts is a weak password.  A weak password is  not only a sequence of numbers or consecutive keyboard characters such as 3333333 or asdfgh.  Any dictionary word (regardless of language), abbreviations, and words spelled backward are weak passwords.  The list of common passwords also includes personal information, such as your children or pet's name, telephone number, house numbers, etc.

Hotmail Team Action

The Hotmail team is rolling out a new security feature that will prevent you from choosing a very common password when recovering a compromised Hotmail account, signing up for a Hotmail account or when changing your password. In addition, if you are already using a common password, you may, at some point in the future, be asked to change it to a stronger password.

Key to a Strong Password

The key to a strong password is both complexity and length.

Complexity is not merely adding an upper case letter or an obvious misspelling, such as P@$$w0rd.  That just won't pass muster. A list of the 500 worst passwords is in the references below.  If you use any of those examples or even something similar it is time to change it, especially for your e-mail, banking or any site where you pay bills or conduct on-line purchases. 


Although some websites limit the number of characters allowed in a password, the longer your password, the harder it will be for it to be compromised. 

Test the passwords you use with the Password Checker. If your password is weak or medium in strength, make it experiment with the Password Checker adding characters, with a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and keyboard symbols.

Additional Topics on Managing Hotmail

• Hotmail Security to Protect and Recover Your Account
• Hotmail Full-Session HTTPS Encryption
• Hotmail Security, How to Report a Hacked Account
• How to use Hotmail Aliases
• Link Windows Live IDs in Hotmail
• Use Hotmail to Manage All Your E-Mail Accounts
• Using Hotmail Plus Addresses

References

• Hey! My friend’s account was hacked!
• Password Checker: Using Strong Passwords
• What's My Pass? » The Top 500 Worst Passwords of All Time

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

Hotmail Security, How to Report a Hacked Account

Dealing with hijacked Hotmail accounts has long been a top priority for the Hotmail team.  The Hotmail Safety and Security blog recently reported about an increase in hijacked accounts and spam emails sent to a account owner's contact list without their knowledge.

Some of the symptoms reported to the Hotmail team by people whose account was hijacked include:

• Deleted contacts
• Deleted emails
• Safe sender's list is deleted
• Junk Mail Settings is set to Exclusive, which prevents mail from being delivered to the Inbox.

Unfortunately, the account owner is not always the first person to discover that their account has been hacked.  Instead, it is the recipients of the spam or phishing emails that arrived in their inbox from their friend's hacked account.

How to Report a Hacked E-Mail Account

Now, in addition to contacting your friend about the problem with their account, the Hotmail team is incorporating a way to report a compromised account. 

From the "Mark as" menu option, click the My friend’s been hacked!” option:

You can also report an account you believe is compromised while marking as Junk or moving it to the Junk folder:

What Happens After The Account is Reported

When Hotmail receives the report, the information is added to the other information from their compromise detection engine to determine if the account has been compromised.

If the reported account is a Yahoo! or Gmail account, arrangements have been made with those providers for the information to be forwarded to them to use in their respective systems to recover hacked accounts.

For Hotmail accounts identified as compromised, the following will occur:

• The spammer can no longer use the account
• When the account owner attempts to access their account, they will be referred to the account recovery process.

Additional Topics on Managing Hotmail

• Hotmail Security to Protect and Recover Your Account
• Hotmail Security, Common Passwords Blocked
• Hotmail Full-Session HTTPS Encryption
• How to use Hotmail Aliases
• Link Windows Live IDs in Hotmail
• Use Hotmail to Manage All Your E-Mail Accounts
• Using Hotmail Plus Addresses

References

• Recent reports of Account hijacks 
• Hey! My friend’s account was hacked!
• Security Checklist to Help Keep Your Account Safe

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

Link Windows Live IDs in Hotmail

Multi-faceted Windows Live Hotmail not only includes the ability to add up to four POP3 accounts to your Windows Live Hotmail account, you can also link multiple Windows Live IDs. With multiple Hotmail accounts, this enables you to easily switching between accounts without the necessity of signing in again.

Follow the simple steps below to link multiple Windows Live IDs.

Link Windows Live IDs

Sign in to your Windows Live Hotmail account.  In the left pane, next to Inbox, click the Tools icon , and then click Get email from another account.

In the window that opens, click Windows Live:

Next, click the link for "Linked IDs". 

• Linked IDs
  Link your Windows Live IDs so you can quickly switch between accounts.

For security reasons, it will be necessary to provide your password again in order to access Account options.  Then simply enter the Windows Live ID you want to link to the account that you signed in to and provide the password for that account.  Lastly, click the button to Link the accounts. 

To access the linked Windows Live ID, merely click the down arrow in the upper right next to your account name and select the account.  Windows Live will be redirected to that linked account.

Additional Topics on Managing Hotmail

• Hotmail Security to Protect and Recover Your Account
• Hotmail Security, Common Passwords Blocked
• Hotmail Full-Session HTTPS Encryption
• Hotmail Security, How to Report a Hacked Account
• How to use Hotmail Aliases
• Use Hotmail to Manage All Your E-Mail Accounts
• Using Hotmail Plus Addresses

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

Use Hotmail to Manage All Your E-Mail Accounts

The value of a Windows Live Hotmail account is increased exponentially by including the ability to access multiple e-mail accounts all from your Hotmail inbox. 

Not only can you can link multiple Windows Live IDs, you can also add up to four POP3 accounts to your Windows Live Hotmail account.  By following the steps below, you can send and receive e-mail from your Gmail, AOL Mail, and Yahoo! Mail Plus.

Note that POP access needs to be turned on in the other account for Hotmail to access the email. Some email services have POP turned off by default, so be sure to check those settings.  Using Gmail as an example, the option is located in Settings, Forwarding and POP/IMAP.

Add an email account

After logging on to your Windows Live Hotmail account, in the left pane, next to Inbox, click the Tools icon , and then click Get email from another account.

Enter your account information

In the window that opens, click Add an email account.

 Type the e-mail address and the password for the desired account to be added to your Hotmail account:

Set folders and icons

Select the folder where you'd like email from this account to go. You can also choose a colored icon to indicate mail from that account. When you're done, click Save.

Verify that you own this email address

An e-mail will be sent to the account to be forwarded to your Windows Live Hotmail.  It is necessary to approve forwarding by clicking the link in the e-mail.  

You have set up your Windows Live Hotmail account to send messages from this email address.
By adding this address, you'll be able to write messages and send them from this Windows Live Hotmail account: 

1. To verify that you own this account and want to send messages from it, click the link below:

{LINK}

2. The link will take you to the sign-in page for Windows Live Hotmail. Just sign in to the account that you want to send mail from. Once you've done that, your mail from that account will start being sent from this address.

Additional Topics on Managing Hotmail

• Hotmail Security to Protect and Recover Your Account
• Hotmail Security, Common Passwords Blocked
• Hotmail Full-Session HTTPS Encryption
• Hotmail Security, How to Report a Hacked Account
• How to use Hotmail Aliases
• Link Windows Live IDs in Hotmail
• Using Hotmail Plus Addresses

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

How to use Hotmail Aliases

Whether shopping online, joining an on-line tech forum, registering your account for on-line bill payment or some other service, a valid e-mail address is required to confirm the account.  Although you can use a plus address for easy management of your email, your primary e-mail address is easily discernible.

For situations where you do not want to use your general e-mail address, you can create an alias.  An alias is particularly useful in situations where the account being registered may result in spam.  All mail sent to alias addresses will be delivered to one Hotmail inbox.

To create an alias

1. In the left pane next to Inbox, click the Tools icon , and then click Create a Hotmail alias. You might need to sign in with your Windows Live ID.
   

   
   
   
   
2. In the dialog box, type an email address, and then click Create an alias.  Note, as in this example, you must select a unique address.
   
   

   

   
   
3. Select your inbox or a new folder for the messages sent to your alias.

To send messages from your new alias, click New to create a message.  Then just click the drop-down next to the Hotmail address to select the address you want to use.

Notes: 

• You cannot use an alias to sign in to Hotmail.  Rather, you need to use your original Hotmail email address and password, not the alias, to sign in to Hotmail.
  
• There is a limit of creating up to five e-mail aliases in your Hotmail account each year.
  
• Use the steps below to delete an alias that is no longer needed:

1. Log in to your primary Hotmail account.  
2. Click Options and select More Options.  
3. Under Managing your account, select Account details (password, aliases, time zone).  
4. Below Other Options, located at the bottom of the Account Overview page, select Your email addresses. 
5. Click Remove next to the alias you wish to delete.

Although Gmail offers the option of using plus addresses, it does not provide the capability of creating aliases.  Conversely, Yahoo! allows the creation of aliases but not plus addresses.  Hotmail provides both features, as well as the ability to manage where the mail is directed.

Additional Topics on Managing Your Hotmail

• Hotmail Security to Protect and Recover Your Account
• Hotmail Security, Common Passwords Blocked
• Hotmail Full-Session HTTPS Encryption
• Hotmail Security, How to Report a Hacked Account
• Link Windows Live IDs in Hotmail
• Use Hotmail to Manage All Your E-Mail Accounts
• Using Hotmail Plus Addresses

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

Using Hotmail Plus Addresses

The improvements in Windows Live Hotmail over the years have made it my preference over Gmail and Yahoo! for managing my e-mail.  One little-known feature is the ability to create plus addresses.

Plus addresses provide a simple way to sort, delete or move e-mail messages to specific folders.  .

How to Create a Plus Address

Creating a plus address is as simple as adding a plus sign (+) then a word to your Hotmail address. To create an address specifically for those occasions you register for a newsletter, simply add +newsletter to your address.

For example, if your e-mail address is spring123@live.com, to create a newsletter plus address, you would use spring123+newsletter@live.com when registering for newsletters. 

How to use a plus address

• From your Hotmail inbox, search for email messages sent to the plus address.  From the results, you can delete or move all of the messages to a separate folder.
  

  
  Easily search for messages related to the plus address that you created.  After typing the plus address in the search box, select the option to sort by "to".
  
  
  
  
  
• The next step is to create a rule to automatically manage the newsletters.
  
  

  1. From your Hotmail inbox, click Options, and then click More options.
  2. Under Customizing Hotmail, click Rules for sorting new messages, and click New.  
  3. In this example, a rule is created so all new messages addressed to spring123+newsletter@live.com will be moved to the Newsletter folder. 
  
  

  

Although Gmail allows the use of plus addresses, it lacks the flexibility of Hotmail.  The label feature of Gmail merely provides a way of identifying similarly labeled mail, leaving your inbox cluttered.  Yahoo! does not offer plus addresses.

Additional Topics on Managing Your Hotmail

• Hotmail Security to Protect and Recover Your Account
• Hotmail Security, Common Passwords Blocked
• Hotmail Full-Session HTTPS Encryption
• Hotmail Security, How to Report a Hacked Account
• How to use Hotmail Aliases
• Link Windows Live IDs in Hotmail
• Use Hotmail to Manage All Your E-Mail Accounts

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

Microsoft May 2011 Security Bulletin Release

Microsoft released two (2) security bulletins, one (1) rated Critical and other is rated Important.  Both bulletins relate to remote code execution.

Below is the description of the bulletins, as described in the MSRC Blog:

"MS11-035 (WINS or Windows Internet Name Server): This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in the Windows Internet Name Service (WINS). The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a user received specially crafted malware on an affected system running the WINS service. By default, WINS is not installed on any affected operating system. Only customers who manually install this component are affected by this issue and will be offered the update.

MS11-036 (PowerPoint): This security update resolves two privately reported vulnerabilities in Microsoft PowerPoint. The vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted malicious PowerPoint file. An attacker who successfully exploited either of these vulnerabilities could gain the same user rights as a logged-on user. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights. "

Support

The following additional information is provided in the Security Bulletin:

• The affected software listed have been tested to determine which versions are affected. Other versions are past their support life cycle. To determine the support life cycle for your software version, visit Microsoft Support Lifecycle.
  
• Customers in the U.S. and Canada can receive technical support from Security Support or 1-866-PCSAFETY. There is no charge for support calls that are associated with security updates. For more information about available support options, see Microsoft Help and Support.
• International customers can receive support from their local Microsoft subsidiaries. There is no charge for support that is associated with security updates. For more information about how to contact Microsoft for support issues, visit International Help and Support.

References

• MSRC: May 2011 Security Bulletin Release
• TechNet: Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for May 2011

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

Microsoft Virtual Academy, Free Training

MVA (Microsoft Virtual Academy) focuses on Microsoft Cloud Technologies.  The material is cloud-based, hosted on the Microsoft Azure platform.

The target audience is IT Pros.  The modules usually contain one self-assessment per module. In order to receive credit for the course, the corresponding material needs to be studied and the self-assessment passed.  Points are awarded for downloading and studying the materials and passing the self-assessment.  As levels are completed, additional courses become available.

This is a wonderful opportunity to advance your skills and career with Microsoft Cloud technologies.

Beginning Courses

• Introduction to Windows Azure
• Introduction to SQL Azure
• Planning, Building and Managing a Private Cloud
• Windows Azure Security Overview

FAQs and Registration

• Getting Started
• MVA FAQ's
•  Microsoft Virtual Academy

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

Windows Live Essentials Version Update

An optional update is being released on Windows Update this week in all 48 languages where Windows Live Essentials 2011 is available.  (Note:  Windows Live Essentials 2011 is not compatible with Windows XP.)

The update is referred to as QFE1, where QFE stands for Quick Fix Engineering) and addresses the following issues:

Messenger

• fixed a couple of issues where in some cases video calls or file-sharing activities could not be re-established after losing network connection. 
• sometimes status messages and display picture were not synchronizing correctly between PCs, resulting in a notification that changes made would not be seen on other computers. 
• various performance and stability improvements.

Photo Gallery

• a design change so that geo-tagging no longer overwrites GPS coordinates in image files.

In addition, various problems with language translation were corrected.

How to determine installed version

The version number is available in the "About" dialog for Messenger or Windows Live Photo Gallery. Version number is 15.4.3508.1109 is the latest release.  The Windows Live Team recommends updating if Version 15.4.3502.0922 is installed.

This optional update will download a package that only includes the new changes from the originally released version of Windows Live Essentials.  In other words, it will not be necessary to go through the entire setup with the update, although a restart will likely be needed to complete the installation.

All new installations of Windows Live Essentials 2011 include the QFE1 update.

References:

• QFE1 for Windows Live Essentials 2011 now available through Microsoft Update
• Windows Live Essentials

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

Adobe Flash Player Critical Security Update

Security Bulletin (APSB11-05) has been released to address critical vulnerabilities in Adobe Flash Player.

Vulnerability identifier: APSB11-02

CVE Numbers: CVE-2011-0558, CVE-2011-0559, CVE-2011-0560, CVE-2011-0561, CVE-2011-0571, CVE-2011-0572, CVE-2011-0573, CVE-2011-0574, CVE-2011-0575, CVE-2011-0577, CVE-2011-0578, CVE-2011-0607, CVE-2011-0608

Platform: All Platforms


Although Adobe suggests downloading the update from the Adobe Flash Player Download Center or by using the auto-update mechanism within the product when prompted, if you prefer, the direct download links are as follows:

• IE: http://fpdownload.adobe.com/get/flashplayer/current/install_flash_player_ax.exe
• Non-IE (Opera, Firefox etc) http://fpdownload.adobe.com/get/flashplayer/current/install_flash_player.exe

If you use the Adobe Flash Player Download Center, be careful to UNCHECK the box shown below. It is not needed for the Flash Player update. 

1 MB

Free McAfee® Security Scan Plus (optional) 

In addition, any toolbar offered with Adobe products can be unchecked if not wanted.


Verify Installation:

To verify the Adobe Flash Player version number installed on your computer, go to the About Flash Player page, or right-click on content running in Flash Player and select "About Adobe Flash Player" from the menu.

Do this for each browser installed on your computer.

References:

• Adobe Security Advisory: APSA11-01 - Security Advisory for Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Reader and Acrobat
• Adobe PSIRT Blog: Security update available for Adobe Flash Player (APSB11-05)

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