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Silicon wafer

Every bit Intel has rolled out fixes for Spectre and Meltdown, it's worked closely with Microsoft to brand the required microcode updates available to as wide a grouping of hardware as possible. Newer motherboards might receive an update, but older systems, including the Ivy Bridge rig of this writer, aren't exactly getting UEFI updates these days. Luckily, those of you running Windows can get the required updates via Windows Update.

Intel recently announced that it had completed microcode updates for CPUs stretching back into the Sandy Span era, and Microsoft has made those updates available via an expanded version of the same KB4090007 it's been using for this purpose to-date. We've checked the Microsoft Update Catalog to ostend — the version of the patch we linked in our before story was dated 2/28, while this new flavour is dated iii/xiii. Microsoft's notification, however, only mentions more than recent fries like Skylake, Kaby Lake, and Coffee Lake. This implies there may be a longer lag time betwixt when Intel finishes its updates and when they're incorporated into the KB patch.

At the least, installing KB4090007 should patch up sixth-generation and later Intel CPUs, with the Sandy, Ivy, and Haswell KB update arriving after. Intel is still working on microcode updates for Nehalem and certain chips in the Cadre 2 Duo family. To the best of ET's noesis, in that location'south no program to extend any patches to systems earlier than Cadre 2 Duo.

Microcode-Update

The other major news is that Microsoft has resumed offer security updates to customers who use certain AV products. Yes, we know that's vague. The explanation behind this is that MS had paused its security updates for certain customers subsequently identifying compatibility bug betwixt said applications and Windows 10. The visitor's initial disclosure read:

The compatibility issue arises when antivirus applications make unsupported calls into Windows kernel memory. These calls may crusade stop errors (as well known every bit blue screen errors) that make the device unable to kick. To assistance forestall these end errors, Microsoft is currently only offering the January and February 2022 Windows security updates to devices that are running antivirus software that is from antivirus software vendors who accept confirmed that their antivirus software is compatible by setting a required registry key.

MS has apparently reached out to the companies in question and has resolved the event. Updates for these systems volition now be pushed out usually. Those of you withal on the Windows 10 Ceremony Update should be brash that security updates for your version of Windows stop on April 10. It's all part of Microsoft's new Windows-every bit-a-service model, in which specific versions of Windows are supported for much smaller amounts of time.