http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;2919355 (which
is Windows 8.1 update) This update will be out next Tuesday and must be
installed in order to continue to receive security and non security
updates in May.
If you have not already installed
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2919442 on your 2012 r2 and Windows 8.1
machines, now is the time to do so.
Windows 8.1 Update: The IT Pro Perspective:
http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/springboard/archive/2014/04/02/windows-8-1-update-the-it-pro-perspective.aspx
Today we announced the availability of Windows 8.1 Update. This is a
cumulative update for Windows 8.1 that includes a variety of
enhancements for enterprises, including improved IE 11 compatibility for
enterprise applications, usability improvements, extended mobile device
management and improved hardware support.
In this post we will provide detail on some of these enhancements and
how to deploy the update. For an overview of the Windows 8.1 Update
enhancements please see the Windows for your Business blog announcement.
One of the important enhancements in Windows 8.1 Update is the
introduction of Enterprise Mode for Internet Explorer 11, announced
today on the Exp! loring IE blog and the IE blog. This provides better
compatibility with older versions of Internet Explorer and tools to
manage which web apps use it. Businesses can benefit from the modern web
standards, better performance, and increased security of our latest
browser, while extending existing investments in legacy web apps. And by
decreasing dependencies on older versions, Internet Explorer helps you
stay up-to-date.
About the Windows 8.1 Update
As announced at the Build 2014 conference, the Windows 8.1 Update is
currently available on MSDN. It will be available on Windows Update, the
Windows Update Catalog, and WSUS on April 8th as part of the standard
"patch Tuesday" updates. And on April 14th, updated Windows 8.1 images
will be made available to all volume license customers via the Volume
License Service Center.
Depending on the update architecture (ARM, x86, x64), the update will
range in size from about 300MB to about 700MB.
Windows 8.1 Update has one dependency,
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2919442, which needs to be installed
before the Windows 8.1 Update. We recommend that you start the
deployment process for this update now, in preparation for the April 8th
broad availability of the update.
Windows 8.1 Update is a cumulative update to Windows 8.1, containing all
the updates we have released for Windows 8.1, so if you install this
update you do not need any earlier updates. It also becomes the new
servicing baseline for Windows 8.1, so next month's security updates (on
May 13th, the next "patch Tuesday") will be dependent on Windows 8.1
Update.
Windows 8.1 Update is categorized as "security update" because it
includes two new security fixes (as well as all previously-issued
Windows 8.1 updates). Separate versions of these security fixes
(KB2922229 and KB2936068) are also available for those organizations
that aren't yet ready to deploy the full Windows 8.1 Update.
Deploying Windows 8.1 Update!
Depending on where your organization is in your Windows 8.1 deployment,
there may be a few scenarios to consider. Each of these are reviewed below:
* Computers currently running Windows 8.1
For computers currently running Windows 8.1 and updating from Windows
Update directly, the deployment process is simple: Install the
dependency (KB2919442) if it's not yet installed, then install Windows
8.1 Update (KB2919355). For organizations using WSUS, Windows Intune, or
System Center Configuration Manager for patch management, just approve
or deploy those same updates instead.
* Existing Windows 8.1 images
If you have already built your own Windows 8.1 images, you can add these
same updates into your existing images by mounting the WIM files and
injecting the updates offline, following the instructions available in
KB2919355. But if you routinely rebuild this image (for example, to pick
up each month's security updates), we recommend that you instead
download an already-updated Windows 8.1 ISO from the Volume License
Service Center, available on April 14th, and use that image instead of
the original Windows 8.1 image released in October, since it will have
the needed updates already installed.
* New Windows 8.1 Images
If you haven't yet created a custom Windows 8.1 image, you can get
started (using the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit or System Center 2012 R2
Configuration Manager) by downloading the already-updated Windows 8.1
ISO from the Volume License Service Center, available on April 14th.
That becomes the base for your custom image. (Since the Windows 8.1
Update is cumulative, so you won't need to install or apply any older
updates when you use the new image from VLSC.)
* Updating from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1
If you are currently updating computers from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 by
leveraging the automated upgrade process ("setup.exe /auto:upgrade")
available in volume license versions of Windows 8.1 (Pro and
Enterprise), you can swap out the current Windows 8.1 installation fil!
es that you are using (which includes the INSTALL.WIM, SETUP.EXE, and
all other related setup files from the Windows 8.1 media) and replace it
with the new files from the updated Windows 8.1 ISO available from the
Volume License Service Center on April 14th. That saves you the trouble
of installing the new updates separately.
* Updating from Windows 7 to Windows 8.1
Unlike with Windows 8, there is no direct upgrade process to move from
Windows 7 to Windows 8.1. Instead, create a new Windows 8.1 image using
the new ISOs available on April 14th, and then deploy that with a
wipe-and-load deployment process using System Center Configuration
Manager or the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit.
Updates have also been released for the Windows Assessment and
Deployment Kit for Windows 8.1, adding support for a new "Windows Image
boot" process (also called "WIMboot") introduced in the Windows 8.1
Update. These updates are not required for deploying or using the
Windows 8.1 Update, so no action needs to be taken in regards to these;
they will not impact existing deployment tools (such as MDT or
Configuration Manager).
It's important to note that because the Windows 8.1 Update is not a new
Windows release, no additional actions need to be taken in regards to
infrastructure readiness or product activation. Management tools like
System Center Configuration Manager and Windows Intune will fully
support updated Windows 8.1 computers. Your existing KMS infrastructure
can support updated Windows 8.1 computers, and existing MAK and
sideloading keys will continue to work. Speaking of sideloading, we'll
be making improvements in this as well, as mentioned in the Windows for
Your Business blog. Look out for more details on the Springboard Series
blog coming soon.
--
Got your CryptoLocker prevention in place?
http://www.thirdtier.net/2013/10/cryptolocker-prevention-kit-updates/
Only one more patching days of XP.... are you ready?
