La semana del martes de parches es el momento del mes en el que estoy muy emocionado, emocionado y mareado con el lanzamiento de la serie de actualizaciones de seguridad de este mes. ¿Tendremos correcciones para los ataques de ejecución remota de código? ¿Correcciones para escaladas de privilegios? ¿Tendremos…? Oh, ¿no te estás poniendo nervioso, emocionado y mareado? ¿Realmente le temes a Patch Tuesday?
Let 'me help you. When installing updates from Microsoft, there are some basic rules to keep in mind.
First, when applying the patches, you should never lose any data. Several years ago, when Microsoft released the working version of Windows 10 1809, some users reported losing files and folders in the process. The issue caused Microsoft to stop the feature update to investigate what was triggering the issue. It turned out that the main cause was not the update, but the timing and implementation of a feature in One Drive. As Microsoft pointed out in a blog post at the time, the culprits involved three different scenarios with Onedrive, specifically a setting called known folder redirection. While the problems were not widespread, the damage and loss of confidence in the Windows update process was immense; even now users are reminded of this problem when updates arrive. Microsoft revised version 1809 to resolve the issue and the data loss did not recur afterwards.
I've also seen race condition issues that trigger what appears to be data loss when it really isn't. This happens after installing an update, and upon reboot, your user profile folders are locked; which causes the machine to boot into a temporary user profile, effectively hiding the normal user files. For many of these machines, a second reboot will once again access the locked files and the system will now boot normally. (Browsing the user directory while the system is in a temporary user condition allows you to see that your files are still there.)
The definitive solution to this problem? Review the third-party software to determine what is causing the problem. Often various security tools are to blame; narrowing it down to just one often helps solve the problem.
One thing to remember about the way Microsoft handles updates: It has to make patch decisions for Windows in a much different way than Apple does. Apple's ecosystem is much smaller by comparison and has less legacy hardware and apps. Many Windows users and businesses don't think about keeping printers and software for years, assuming everything will work. Testing patch side effects has never been Microsoft's forte, and even as it evolves towards telemetry as a way to get feedback, users are still forced to be reactionary when it comes to patches.
What should a proactive solution do?
Microsoft always encourages users to apply fixes immediately after Patch Tuesday updates are released. I advocate a more measured approach; the risk of side effects is not zero. (Conversely, the risk of doing nothing is also not completely zero.) Determining when one wins over the other is where the problem lies.
So what can users do to make sure their PCs survive the next week?
First of all, treat Patch Tuesday week like any other computer, like a ransomware attack, dead hard drive, or other disaster. What is the stimulus plan? Do you have a backup to restore the data? When was this stimulus package last tested?
If the answer to any of these questions is "I don't know," Patch Tuesday isn't your worst concern. Having a backup is essential to safely navigating the week of Patch Tuesday. With a backup, you ensure that you can go back and recover from any kind of update problem. Microsoft assumes that users store all documents on one drive and can reinstall Windows in the blink of an eye; I prefer to use third-party backup software that provides a full recovery of the operating system.
Then prepare your machine for the update and follow the instructions for Apple users. There comes a time when you have to leave the oldest things behind. I can report problems that I have caused on my own machines by trying to keep older versions of the software running past their peak. I have a rule I call "keep kids the same age on the playground." As much as possible I try to keep the software and hardware roughly in sync. I am not trying to install an outdated QuickBooks 2007 on Windows 10, nor am I trying to install QuickBooks 2021 on Windows 7. PDF software needs to be updated to match the operating system, just like printers and scanners.
As we move into June patch week, you can better prepare for patches by making sure you're also prepared for ransomware, viruses, lost hard drives, motherboard failures, and computer crashes. Lots of issues, including Patch Tuesday side effects.
Make sure you have a proven backup nearby.
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