Update to Problematic .NET Updates

June 30, 2011 4:57 AM from

I just got an email from WindowsSecrets.com and felt it important to inform you of potential Update problems. Now normally, I harp on keeping Security and software/drivers updated but this time

Susan Bradley who is a highly regarded writer and reporter has issued a warning about the latest round of updates of .NET from Microsoft:

“ .NET is one of the most troublesome updates we deal with.

In case you think you need June's .NET security updates, I'm here to tell you they're trouble — skip them.

The list of known issues documented in KB 2538814, however, is long. In the worst-case scenario, you have to rip out all of the .NET versions on your system using the Aaron Stebner tool. In the least-terrible case, you must run a repair install of .NET 4, if it gets stuck.

Here's what's on offer:

MS11-039 — XP: KB 2478656, KB 2478658, and KB 2478663; Vista: KB 2478657, KB 2478659, and KB 2478663; Win7: KB 2478662 and KB 2478663

MS11-044 — XP: KB 2518864, KB 2530095, KB 2518864, and KB 2518870; Vista: KB 2518863, KB 2518865, and KB 2518870; Win7: KB 2518867, KB 2518870, and KB 2518869 “

- Susan Bradley

Bradley also advises a pass on the latest Office 2010 updates because they didn’t come out in Public Beta yet.

If you don’t update with the .NET patches, the chance for exploitation are very low, according to Microsoft. I‘d advise listening to Bradley and although my update happened before her column was sent (and went uneventfully), pass on these two.

I also advise reading her articles on WindowsSecrets.

Source: http://windowssecrets.com/patch-watch/keeping-you-up-to-date-say-no-to-net-again/

Update:

Daiwa has posted a thread I'm linking here because his problem came from the June .NET update.

Problems from the .NET update can resemble malware infection (superficially) and file corruption. yrag solved this problem

so it's well worth your while to know of the thread's existence: https://forums.wincustomize.com/411380

67,410 views 29 replies

Reply #1 June 30, 2011 6:01 AM from

Sins Forums Top

My update was done before i read this post.

Reply #2 June 30, 2011 6:08 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Mine too... hope yours didn't screw up: Mine didn't. I can only bring news as quickly as it comes to me....

MS really does need to do a better job of this. Their updates really shouldn't be the cause of more problems.

SoundPackager - Customize the Windows sound scheme

Reply #3 June 30, 2011 6:25 AM from

Sins Forums Top

Thanks for another great update. You are definitely the doctor when it comes to this stuff.

I don't really get the point of updating as soon as an update is out. All my updates are off until it is required and most time I will try to find info and see how others are handling them but Windows I probably over trust and just do it if I need it. Thanks again for the warning.

Reply #4 June 30, 2011 6:52 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

My update happened already too but no problems. Thanks for the heads up anyway. I was going to dl the tool but after reading all that stuff...uh uh. If I run into a problem I'll just do it the old fashioned way. Use the my Revo or windows uninstaller then go back and get the replacements from cnet. Dumb microstuff anyway.

Reply #5 June 30, 2011 7:45 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

I have had an assortment of problems with the latest .net update. I'll post a list of specifics as soon as I clear everyrhing.

Thanks for the post. This is good advice for all.

Reply #6 June 30, 2011 8:47 AM from

Elemental Forums Top

Thanks for the caution. As always, I'm happy for the advice from people in the know.

I havn't updated... (whew) ...but for a different reason. Distant Worlds was a bear to install and get running. I found I had to run a NET cleaning tool. After that, DW runs fine. So I have avoided updating NET because i don't want to mess up DW.

Reply #7 June 30, 2011 8:47 AM from

Elemental Forums Top

I also ran into problems reinstalling some software, when it came to installing the .net distribution that comes bundled with many installation packages everything failed. Restored my computer from backup, and installation worked again.

Reply #8 June 30, 2011 8:56 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

This MS update problem for .net is not new, so it's kind of disappointing a better way to do it or to check compatibilities hasn't been found, for example a beta for devs.

Just to be very clear, folks: Stardock isn't guilty... and the solution for this lies with MS, and holding off until found.

Support is swamped enough without this.

Reply #9 June 30, 2011 9:40 AM from

Sins Forums Top

So far i have no problems with it. Running SINS no problem so far. Hope it stays that way.

Thanks for letting us know doc.

Reply #10 June 30, 2011 9:47 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Did all those already sadly ...

Reply #11 June 30, 2011 10:44 AM from

Stardock Forums Top

The problem with finding issues in updates is they can be inconsistent. For instance the file validation plugin works fine on one computer owns, but not on another. Specifically, it caused Excel to not be able to open a certain file that could be opened on the other. Same version of Excel and both machines had the same updates. Oh and the file was known to be fine.

Have the updates, no issues with .Net.

Reply #12 June 30, 2011 1:15 PM from

JoeUser Forums Top

Years ago, MS updates were often problematic. So much so, that I would not allow customers to download them automatically. I changed that recently (about a year ago) due to the zero day exploits. It looks like I am going to have to change it back. Grrrrrr!!!

Reply #13 June 30, 2011 1:42 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

I did these updates about an hour ago... so far so good. Hopefully it remains that way.

In future, Doc, would you please post these warnings before I update.

Reply #14 June 30, 2011 1:46 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

LOL.... I only wish I could have told folks yesterday.

I just got an email from WindowsSecrets.com and felt it important to inform you of potential Update problems. Now normally, I harp on keeping Security and software/drivers updated but this time

End of quote

Quoting DrJBHL, reply 2

Mine too... hope yours didn't screw up: Mine didn't. I can only bring news as quickly as it comes to me....

End of DrJBHL's quote

"I blame Skinhit."

Reply #15 June 30, 2011 2:03 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

hhmm, On win 7 home Premium 64 bit will check my Win 7 Ultimate 32 bit later

It gave me some of them. as of right now it seems to be working..

it gave me

MS11-039 —

Security Update for Microsoft .NET Framework 4 on Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems (KB2478663) Installation date: ‎6/‎15/‎2011 12:02 AM Installation status: Successful
not this one KB 2478662

MS11-044 —

Security Update for .NET Framework 3.5.1 on Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 for x64-based Systems (KB2518869) Installation date: ‎6/‎15/‎2011 12:04 AM Installation status: Successful

Security Update for Microsoft .NET Framework 4 on Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems (KB2518870) Installation date: ‎6/‎15/‎2011 12:04 AM Installation status: Successful
not this one KB 2518867

did anyone get the red ones? and if so are you having problems?

or get the red ones and not the black ones and is ok or having problems?

or all and all is ok or having problems? just trying to see if it is the problem with the red and or black...

on a side note but some what related to the OP

I have Office 2010 but have this in my update history

Security Update for the 2007 Microsoft Office System (KB2541012) Installation date: ‎6/‎15/‎2011 12:04 AM Installation status: Successful

why would I get an update for Office 2007 it not installed and never was on this PC

Reply #16 June 30, 2011 2:14 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting DrJBHL, reply 14

LOL.... I only wish I could have told folks yesterday.

End of DrJBHL's quote

I wish you could have been able to tell us (me) the 14th

oh as for my post above what is it that it will mess with give problems to so I can look their..

like will it mess with getting on line, how some thing will open etc.

Reply #17 June 30, 2011 5:30 PM from

JoeUser Forums Top

The .net update hung about 2/3 of the way thru on my XP desktop here just a few minutes ago. Had to do a power-off shutdown. Automatic updates still had it up for sale on reboot, but I declined it & told it to not bother me again. Thanks for posting - might have tried to let it run a couple of times more before giving up.

Had to do the same thing with a couple of MSOffice updates (junk email filter, I think, & something else) on patch Tuesday earlier this month. The updates installed without issue on two other XP rigs - go figure.

Reply #18 June 30, 2011 8:41 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Daiwa - my pleasure.

The whole randomness or dependency on non-purely .net presence bothers me.

However, Susan Bradley did imply that predictability of the problem was not possible. No reasons given.

Reply #19 June 30, 2011 10:52 PM from

Elemental Forums Top

Most of the PCs at work don't actually need it. I remove it (and lots of other junk) to save the trouble of updating.

Here at home I have it only because of Impulse. If that gets replaced by something that doesn't require .NET, .NET is gone. Or if I lose interest in Stardock games (gasp).

It got the same WindowSecrets email.

Also, I saw something a day or three ago about Microsoft possibly starting to regard .NET & Silverlight as "legacy". Fine with me if they both go away.

http://3000newswire.blogs.com/3000_newswire/2011/06/microsoft-grapples-with-nets-lifespan.html

Reply #20 August 30, 2011 12:14 AM from

JoeUser Forums Top

In case it affects anyone else without them realizing the connection, that security update for 2.0 published in late June could wreak havoc with scanning issues - it did for me at home and with 3 machines at work (all XPP). Only remedy was to use the cleanup tool to remove all versions of .NET, then methodically reinstall 1.0, 1.1 and 2.0, with their respective service packs, and NOT installing (hiding) that last security update. Once done, all 4 scanning normally again.

YMMV.

Reply #21 August 30, 2011 2:37 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

I got all the .NET updates. No issues here.

Reply #22 August 30, 2011 2:49 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Update

Daiwa, thanks for reminding me to update this thread and link it to yours, just in case anyone else runs into similar problems.

Link: https://forums.wincustomize.com/411380

Reply #23 August 30, 2011 11:42 AM from

JoeUser Forums Top

The missing MSConfig UI issue that prompted my original post was never resolved, FWIW.

MSConfig is there and has a normally positioned UI in Safe Mode. It is visible as a running process in TaskManager but has no UI when launched in normal mode, offscreen or otherwise near as we could tell.

Since MSConfig doesn't have unique functionality and all its capabilities can be achieved in other ways or with other third party utilities, yrag & I decided to just fuhgeddaboudit.

Reply #24 August 30, 2011 1:06 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Just for a hoot.....

Download to Desktop and run it from there: http://home.ptd.net/~miles4/msconfig.exe

If nothing, we're back to "fuhgeddaboudit"

Reply #25 August 30, 2011 2:50 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting yrag, reply 24

Just for a hoot.....

End of yrag's quote

Since when did ducks hoot?

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