updates Archives - Page 10 of 10

Old Server Brings Paris Airport to a Halt

Feb 2016

Chaos reigned supreme at Orly airport, Paris recently thanks to a technical fault on an old server running the ancient operating system Windows 3.1.

Yes, you read that correctly, the server was running on Windows 3.1 which is an operating system (OS) launched in 1992 and, as far as we thought, made redundant 20 years ago by Windows 95! It was the ancient nature of this OS which caused so many problems.

Let’s take a look at exactly what happened and the lessons it can teach us on maintaining and upgrading your servers.

All Flights Cancelled

Pilots and air traffic controllers at Orly airport rely on a computer system called DECOR which helps communicate information about poor weather conditions. As you can imagine, this is crucial for taking off and landing, so it’s a vital piece of software. However, the problem is that DECOR doesn’t run on the lovely new OS Windows 10. Neither does it run on Windows 7. Or even Windows XP.

Instead, it uses the antiquated OS Windows 3.1 which certainly seemed a marvel back in the early 90s, but these days it looks like a dusty relic from the past. And, due to a glitch in DECOR, air traffic controllers were suddenly unable to relay critical runway conditions to their pilots. As a result, all flights were grounded as technicians raced to find a solution.

Outdated Software on Old Server

For an airport, having all your flights grounded is an absolute disaster, but Orly airport only has themselves to blame.

Upgrading your software intermittently is very important for the health and security of your servers. By ignoring this practice you run the risk of the following:

Loss of knowledge: Alexandre Fiacre – from France’s UNSA-IESSA air traffic controller union – has conceded that they only have three specialists who understand DECOR. One of these is retiring soon and they still haven’t found a replacement. Due to the obsolete nature of Windows 3.1 it’s unlikely any newcomers will have the required knowledge either.

Lack of Spares: Outdated servers, naturally, use outdated parts. And this becomes a huge issue when a spare part is required. Many manufacturers these days don’t like to give more than a 10 year lifespan for products, so parts are often made obsolete after this cut off point. And if the parts are no longer available for your server you’re going to face a big problem when they fail.

Risk of Hacking: The lack of interest in an old piece of software such as DECOR means that the creation of any security upgrades and patches would have ceased a long time ago. This opens up the software to potential hacking incidents where the client will be left defenseless.

How to Avoid An Orly Airport Incident At Your Business

The simplest way to ensure your servers can be maintained efficiently is to upgrade them every couple of years. Sure, this has financial ramifications, but is less disruptive and embarrassing than having to temporarily close your business.

France’s transport minister has promised to upgrade the Orly’s software by 2017, but in our opinion that’s too late. It should have been upgraded in 1997!

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

Microsoft Downloading Windows 10 To Your Machine Anyway

Networkbandwidth, updates, windows 10Ophtek, LLC

Nov 2015

By now you will have seen the ‘Get Windows 10’ popup on your PC, but did you know that it’s being downloaded to your system even if you haven’t opted in?

Microsoft has decided to start installing Window 10 on systems and this, of course, is eating into people’s broadband usage, so it’s riled many consumers. It’s not the first time that Microsoft has ‘borrowed’ peoples broadband, so let’s take a look at this latest scandal in a little more detail.

Pushing Windows 10

Many users of previous Windows are more than happy with their current operating systems; after the criticism of Windows 8 it’s no surprise that consumers are a little reticent to trust Microsoft’s software.

Even though Microsoft is working hard to shout “IT’S FREE!” from every available rooftop, some people are still refusing the upgrade. However, it’s been discovered that Windows is prepping your system to accept the upgrade.

Microsoft is so confident that users will want Windows 10 eventually that they’re downloading it to a hidden folder on people’s systems. The folder – labelled ‘$Windows.~BT’ – is around 3.5GB to 6GB, so counts for a significant section of your hard drive.

It’s an intrusive move on Microsoft’s part and, given the recent spate of Windows 10 security concerns, highlights the software giant as being somewhat arrogant and out of touch.

Microsoft Responds

When questioned about this latest accusation, Microsoft has been keen to point out this being for the customer’s benefit:

“For individuals who have chosen to receive automatic updates through Windows Update, we help upgradable devices get ready for Windows 10 by downloading the files they’ll need if they decide to upgrade.”

Now, of course, almost all of us sign up to the automatic updates as we’re advised it’s the best way to protect the security of our systems. However, it feels as though Microsoft is exploiting this need for security to push their own products at the expense of their users’ choice.

How Do You Remove Windows 10?

Understandably, many users are unhappy with Microsoft’s underhanded tactics, so are intent on removing Windows 10 for good and taking back control of their system.

It’s not as simple as just deleting the ‘$Windows.~BT’ folder as it will just keep re-populating and using up more of your broadband allowance. However, it is possible by going through the following steps:

Go to Windows Updates and click on Installed Updates
Locate update KB3035583 as this is the update which downloaded Windows 10
Windows 7 users need to delete and hide this update along with KB2952664, whilst Windows 8 users should delete KB3035583 and KB2976978
Head to the root directory where your current Windows OS is installed and delete $Windows.~BT
Run ‘Disk Cleanup’ on your system and delete all ‘Temporary Windows installation Files’

Final Thoughts

Is it right to sneak a product onto everyone’s system through the patch management interface?

Despite most Windows updates installing new files on our systems the size has never been an issue. In this instance, however, Microsoft may have forced some users into unknowingly exceeding their broadband limits.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

What To Do When Windows Update Won’t Work

Office ITsecurity, updates, WindowsOphtek, LLC

Mar 2015

Windows updates are always around the corner. Fixing Windows update when Windows update isn’t working is as important as keeping your antivirus up to date.

Just when you’ve finished installing that large update that took forever finish, another 20 pop up the next time you boot. It’s annoying but it is a necessary evil for every PC user. The updates patch security holes in your system so hackers and other cyber criminals can’t exploit them to gain your information or take control of your computer. Sometimes Windows update won’t work however. Not being able to install these updates leaves the users computer vulnerable to attack.

Here are a few ways to make sure the updates are pushed through to maintain your business’ security and stability.

1. Use a system restore

A system restore point is a snapshot of your computer’s working state at that moment in time. Many Windows events automatically create restore points of your system but you can also manually create your own.

Chances are that you have a few restore points in your system already. To restore your system to an earlier state, you need search for system restore using the Start Menu and open it. Once open you will be greeted with a page to start a restore, click Next. Check the box on the bottom left to show more restore points.

Each restore point will have a date and time stamp to indicate when it was created. All you need to do is pick one prior to when you were having the Windows Update issue and restore to that point. This should fix most of your issues.

2. Manually download the update installer

Each Microsoft update also comes in its own installer package that you can download directly from the Microsoft website. In order to download the update you must know its update KB number, which you can find from the windows update page on your computer.

Next all you need to do is install the update like you were installing any other program and hopefully your windows update will come out of its rut.

3. Download the Windows Update and Automatic Update Reset tool

If all else fails you can install this handy tool created by the Microsoft Fix it team. This program should resolve most of your issues. You can run the program in default mode first and if that fails then you can run it again in aggressive mode to make sure everything gets patched.

For more ways to keep your business data safe and your operations running smoothly, contact your local IT professionals.

Windows 7 Update Causing Lock Ups – KB2952664

Security, Softwarepatches, security, updates, windows 7Ophtek, LLC

Apr 2014

A recent Windows 7 update meant to make the transition from Windows 7 to Windows 8 easier has been causing systems to freeze up according to many user accounts online. Microsoft released this update on April 22nd as KB2952664. There have been updates in the past which have caused the operating system to lock up, freeze or malfunction such as this Microsoft Security Essentials update for Windows XP which was pulled by Microsoft after user’s started having issues.

Although the patch has been labeled as an “important” update on some systems and “optional” on others, it isn’t necessary to keeping Windows 7 operating properly. It is best for users to hide this update completely.

If you haven’t installed it yet, here’s how you can avoid this update and avoid issues with your Windows 7 System:

Go to Start and type “Windows Update” without the quotes in the search box. Click on Windows Update at the top of the list:

You will need to look in both the Important Update and the Optional Updates for this patch:

Search for the patch with id KB2952664 in the updates list, right click on it and select Hide Update:

If you have already installed the update, or don’t see the update listed in the Important Updates or Optional Updates section, you may need to uninstall it manually.

You can do this by going to Start -> Control Panel -> Programs and Features -> View Installed Updates. Then find the patch with ID KB2952664, right click on it and select uninstall. Then follow the steps above to hide it from future updates.

All monthly maintenance clients will have this done for their systems during their next update cycle. For further support or questions about this issue, contact your local IT professionals.