Hi, Folks!
Today is Patch Tuesday for November 2019 and this month is huge.
The next build of Windows 10, version 1909, is being released this week. This version is minor compared to other Windows 10 upgrades and should be nearly indistinguishable from 1903. If you’re running 1903 now installing 1909 should have no negative impact. If you’re running an older version I recommend upgrading to 1903 before switching to 1909. In either case, don’t do it yet. There is nothing so critically important in 1909 that the update can’t wait a month. Wait for it.
Windows 7 will fall completely out of support in only 60 days. Don’t run out the clock. If you are running a licensed version of Windows 7 or 8 you can still upgrade to Windows 10 and have a supported version of Windows for the foreseeable future. Get it done before it’s too late. Don’t want to do it yourself? Call me!
Catalina has been out for a month now and the backlash is huge. Installation lockups, forced password resets, permission resets, iCloud sync problems, dropped support for 32-bit apps, and incompatibility issues requiring reinstallation or upgrade of many others are just a few of the issues experienced by the unlucky lemmings that Thought Things Would Be Different™. Apple is gradually resolving problems, but I recommend you hold off until at least 10.15.3 before upgrading (and then only if you don’t need any 32-bit apps). x.3 seems to be the sweet spot for macOS stability. That should be out sometime next month. With that said, don’t postpone installing the patches for your current build of macOS. These are always security updates.
In the news this month Google is buying Fitbit (so find another tracker), we’re reminded to always disable NFC, compromising fingerprint readers is still extremely easy, light is as effective as voice, punctuation is still important, iOS 13+’s aggressive memory cleanup is more “abusive” than “aggressive,” and still broken, anything you share with any business or entity will no doubt inevitably be exposed, especially if it’s Adobe, or even your antivirus company, that “user interface design” and “security” are far removed, and that IoT is putting us all further at risk every single day.
The co-founder and CEO of Mine, an online privacy advocacy organization, observes that cybersecurity is becoming less accessible to smaller companies, but that’s why I’m here. Check out our subscription to learn more. Our goal is to provide enterprise-level support to everyone at a cost that is reasonable even for home users.
Now back to our regularly scheduled program. The typical computer should see roughly 2 GB in updates today. Let’s get started.
Microsoft released updates for Windows, Internet Explorer, Servicing Stack, and MSRT (~800 MB). This includes security updates. A reboot is required.
Apple released updates for iOS 13.2.2, iPadOS 13.2.2, macOS Catalina 10.15.1, Security Update 2019-001 Mojave, Security Update 2019-006 High Sierra, tvOS 13.2, watchOS 6.1, Safari 13.0.3, and Xcode 11.2. These are security updates. Use Apple Software Update to install the most current versions.
macOS Catalina (10.15) is available. This is a large download and will take between 2 and 4 hours to install on most hardware. The release of macOS Catalina (10.15) means that macOS Sierra (10.12) is now no longer supported. If you can not install at least macOS High Sierra (10.13) on your Mac then you should immediately remove it from the Internet and use it offline only. It will no longer receive patches or updates and can now no longer be secured.
iOS 13.2.2 is a security update. Use Settings, General, Software Update to install the most current update.
watchOS 5.3.3 and 6.1 are security updates. Use the Watch app on your iPhone to install the most current version.
tvOS 13.2 is a security update. Use System, Software Update to install the most current version.
Google Chrome OS 78.0.3904.92 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version. A reboot is required.
Fedora 31-1.9 is a major update. This version is now released only as a 64-bit release. Though 32-bit apps are still supported the CPU architecture now requires 64-bits. New features include the Fedora Toolbox (an improved launcher), updated packages, improved stability and bug tracking, removal of YUM, improved security, and Cgroups v2 support.
Adobe Flash Player 32.0.0.270 is a security update.
Win: https://12pd.com/click?flash
Win: https://12pd.com/click?flashie
Mac: https://12pd.com/click?flashmac
Don’t forget to check your mobile devices, too! Many updates will also apply to your tablet, phone, kindle or television – so check your device-appropriate App Store and install updates.
Important Notes
Everything above this section should be checked by everyone on every computer. Chances are good that close to every single computer you touch will be affected by those updates. This is not the case with the items below, though you should still check each line item below to see if it applies to software you have installed.
The release of macOS Catalina (10.15) means that macOS Sierra (10.12) and older are no longer supported. If you can not install at least macOS High Sierra (10.13) on your Mac then you should immediately remove it from the Internet and use it offline only. It will no longer receive patches or updates and can now no longer be secured.
The now-current release of the Windows 10 (1903) will cause your computer to feel unusually slow until it is installed. This is a side-effect of the Windows 10 upgrade cycle, which pushes out 3-6 GB through Windows update to get you to the latest Windows 10 release every 6 months. If you don’t let it finish and you’re on a slow connection, it will kill your Internet performance forever. If you don’t have the bandwidth to download the bits, I’m happy to provide loaner USB drives to our local clients, or, if you prefer to have me mail it to you please contact me for information.
Please remember that while I list many different applications within these updates, most people should ONLY install updates for a program if they already have a previous version of that program installed.
It is essential to maintain all the applications you have installed on your computer, but often you can minimize the time investment and the potential for exploitation simply by uninstalling software you do not need or use, reducing the attack surface.
Also note that using the applications own “check for updates” function, when available, will best preserve your current settings, and often avoid any crapware that might come with a fresh installer. Use this option if it’s available to you.
Finally, if you’re sick of doing this all yourself, let me! Call or email me any time, and we can set you up with subscription SaferPC updates which will be installed each month whenever necessary. Click, call or email for more details:
https://saferpc.info/updates/
209-565-12PD
shawn@12pointdesign.com
Driver Updates
If you’re using this hardware – these updates are for you.
Intel Driver and Support Assistant 19.10.42 improves the installer and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.intel.com/p/en_US/support/detect
Crucial Storage Executive 5.05 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.crucial.com/usa/en/support-storage-executive
nVidia 441.20 resolves several bugs, improves compatibility, and adds support for newer hardware. This is not a security update.
https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us
Browser Updates
One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.
Google Chrome 78.0.3904.97 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
Firefox 70.0.1 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
Firefox ESR 68.2.0 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
Vivaldi 2.9.1705.41 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
Email Updates
One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.
Mailspring 1.7.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://getmailspring.com/
Thunderbird 68.2.0 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
OutlookAttachView 3.30 adds option to scan only unread messages and set the read flag on mesages on extraction. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/outlook_attachment.html
Internet Updates
One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.
WinSCP 5.15.5 is a security update.
https://winscp.net/eng/index.php
FreeFileSync 10.17 adds private key support for SFTP and resolves several bugs. This should be treated as a security update.
https://www.freefilesync.org/download.php
Java 8u231 is a security update. You should remove Java instead of upgrading if you are not 110% sure you require it.
https://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp
MaxMind GeoIP2 201911 is a data refresh.
http://dev.maxmind.com/geoip/
Npcap 0.9984 is a security update.
https://nmap.org/npcap/
BrowsingHistoryView 2.26 adds the ability to configure what happens on double-clicking an item in the results.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/browsing_history_view.html
Media Updates
These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.
iTunes 12.10.2 is a security update.
https://www.apple.com/itunes/download/
Picard 2.2.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://picard.musicbrainz.org/
Game Updates
These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.
Steam 2019.11.06 replaces the Library with a new interface, resolves several bugs, improves stability. This is not a security update.
Office Updates
One or more of these are likely to be of interest to most people.
Atom 1.41.0 updates libraries and resolves several bugs. This should be treated as a security update.
https://atom.io/
LibreOffice Still 6.2.8 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update. This is the stable version of LibreOffice, so if you’re upgrading you should install Still.
https://www.libreoffice.org/
LibreOffice Fresh 6.3.3 resolves many bugs. This is not a security update. This is the beta version of LibreOffice, so if you’re upgrading you should install Still.
https://www.libreoffice.org/
Notepad++ 7.8.1 (Free Uyghur Edition) resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://notepad-plus-plus.org/
Adobe Reader DC 19.021.20049 resolves several bugs. This should be treated as a security update. Use Help, Check for Updates to get the most current version.
Security Software Updates
One or more of these is likely to be of interest to most people.
RogueKiller 13.5.6 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.adlice.com/softwares/roguekiller/
Capture Updates
These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.
SnagIt 2020.0.1 is a security update.
https://download.techsmith.com/snagit/enu/snagit.exe
Converter Updates
These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.
DVDFab 11.0.5.8 adds support for new encodings, adds cloud backup for configuration. This is not a security update.
https://www.dvdfab.cn/download.htm
MKVToolnix 40.0.0 resolves several bugs and improves automation. This is not a security update.
https://www.fosshub.com/MKVToolNix.html
Utility Updates
These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.
1Password for Mac 7.4.1 resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://1password.com/downloads/mac/
RoboForm 8.6.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://12pd.com/click?rf
8GadgetPack 31.0 improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://8gadgetpack.net/
Beyond Compare 4.3.2.24472 resolves several bugs and improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://www.scootersoftware.com/download.php?zz=dl4
BulkFileChanger 1.70 adds support for Office format date/time values. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/bulk_file_changer.html
DesktopOK 6.71 adds new explore path feature. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Freeware/DesktopOK
DevManView 1.60 adds option to Open Device Properties Window and option to create a shortcut to Device Properties window on your desktop. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/device_manager_view.html
DriveLetterView 1.50 adds Open Device Properties Window option. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/drive_letter_view.html
Etcher 1.5.63 updates libraries. This should be treated as a security update.
https://www.balena.io/etcher/
FolderChangesView 2.31 resolves a stability bug and changes keyboard accelerators for find and open in explorer. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/folder_changes_view.html
GoodSync 10.10.12 resolves several stability issues and annoyances. This should be treated as a security update.
https://12pd.com/click?goodsync
IsMyHdOK 1.91 improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Microsoft/IsMyHdOK
Ketarin 1.8.11 adds several new features including global “on update failed” command, variable sorting, and improved FileHippo integration. This is not a security update.
https://ketarin.org/
MS ISO Downloader 8.23 updates names and adds ISOs. This is not a security update.
https://www.heidoc.net/joomla/technology-science/microsoft/67-microsoft-windows-and-office-iso-download-tool
NTLite 1.8.0.7217 adds support for 20H1, resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.ntlite.com/download/
OSForensics 7.0.1005 adds several new features, resolves bugs, and improves reliability. This is not a security update.
https://www.osforensics.com/download.html
PointerStick 3.71 resolves a bug and improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Freeware/PointerStick
SearchMyFiles 3.06 resolves the time range bug. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/search_my_files.html
TaskSchedulerView 1.53 adds an option to display only running tasks. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/task_scheduler_view.html
USBDeview 2.81 adds an option to open Device Properties window. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usb_devices_view.html
WifiInfoView 2.55 adds ability to connect to an access point from within WifiInfoView and from the CLI. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wifi_information_view.html
WinScan2PDF 5.09 improves compatibility with certain hardware and WIA. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Microsoft/WinScan2PDF
WizTree 3.30 adds enterprise licensing, improved treemap, in-app context menu improvements, and search improvements. This is not a security update.
https://antibody-software.com/web/software/software/wiztree-finds-the-files-and-folders-using-the-most-disk-space-on-your-hard-drive/
WSUS Offline 11.8.2 updates libraries, improves compatibility, and supercedence rules. This is not a security update.
http://download.wsusoffline.net/
Developer Updates
These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.
AutoHotkey 1.1.31.01 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.autohotkey.com/download/
Android Studio 3.5.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://developer.android.com/studio/index.html
Inno Setup 6.0.3 and Inno Setup QuickStart 6.0.3 adds several new features including dark theme, new messages, and directives. This is not a security update.
http://www.jrsoftware.org/isdl.php
Node.js 13.1.0 resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/
SQLite 3.30.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.sqlite.org/download.html
TortoiseGit 2.9.0 updates libraries and resolves many bugs. This is a security update.
https://tortoisegit.org/
TortoiseSVN 1.13.1 updates library and adds digital signature. This should be treated as a security update.
https://tortoisesvn.net/downloads.html
Visual Studio Code 1.40 resolves over 4600 issues. This is a security update.
https://code.visualstudio.com/
Virtual Machine Updates
These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.
VirtualBox 6.0.14-133895 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads
Web Package Updates
These are likely to be of interest only to web developers.
Adminer 4.7.4 is a security update.
https://www.adminer.org/en/
phpList 3.4.8 doesn’t provide a changelog, so should be treated as a security update.
http://www.phplist.com/download
Nextcloud Server 17.0.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://nextcloud.com/
Drupal 8.7.9 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://drupal.org/download
Joomla 3.9.13 is a security update.
https://www.joomla.org/
MailEnable 10.27 is a security update.
https://www.mailenable.com/
ScreenConnect 19.4.25759.7247 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.connectwise.com/software/control/download
WordPress 5.3 is a security update. This version adds the Twenty Twenty theme, improved block editor, accessibility and keyboard improvements, automatic image rotation, and more.
https://wordpress.org/
Akismet 4.1.3 improves compatibility and resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
bbPress 2.6.0 improves moderation, engagements, and several other features, adds compatibility with PHP 7.1+, and resolves over 400 bugs. This is not a security update.
Contact Form 7 5.1.5 improves the configuration validator. This is not a security update.
Custom Facebook Feed 2.12 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
myStickymenu 2.2.6 is a security update.
WooCommerce 3.8.0 doesn’t have a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
WP Mail SMTP 1.7.1 improves compatibility and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
That’s all for now folks. Keep it clean out there. 😉
Regards,
Shawn K. Hall
https://SaferPC.info/
https://12PointDesign.com/