What You Should Know About KB2993651 Before Installing It

I hate big BUTs and I cannot lie.

Yesterday, Microsoft, in its lofty kindness, released a supposed fixed update for the KB2982791 that caused reports of computers that wouldn't boot due to bluescreens. The issue was eventually identified as a font problem. Of, course, that alone sounds kind of silly, but, hey. Think about the headlines: "Hackers Take Down Windows Using Only Fonts."

Microsoft also stated that very few customers were affected. During my discussions, I've found only the minority to have had success with the update. Which leads one to wonder what mechanism Microsoft is using to track failure, and if it actually works.

The new release has taken on a totally different KB number. KB2982791 is now KB2993651. Is it possible Microsoft changed the name in an effort to make the problem go away?

Apparently not, because the new update comes with problems of its own. Two "known issues" are listed in the associated KB article, showing that fonts are still an issue and that windows for some applications may become invisible or get shoved behind other windows. And, if you choose not to install KB2993651 because of the strange window problem, that's OK…the same issue can be found in four other recent updates: 2965768, 2970228, 2973201, and 2975719.

In the article, Microsoft says it is working on a resolution for the strange window occurrences, but it really begs the question: Why didn't Microsoft just wait until a real fix was ready?

There have already been reports of additional, uncommunicated problems with the new update that have not been included in the Microsoft's "known issues" text. Last night I was tracking an issue where those uninstalling the previous update (per Microsoft's insistence) before installing the new one, could no longer get Windows Update to work.

Microsoft is already on the brink of losing customer confidence for its patch releases, and this latest round of supposed "fixes" could result in the final shove.