Information Regarding the Latest Update for Windows 8.1

Update 4/16/2014: Please refer to the following updates posted in the blog posts below released on April 16th, 2014:
 
http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/springboard/archive/2014/04/16/windows-8-1-update-and-wsus-availability-and-adjusted-timeline.aspx

http://blogs.technet.com/b/windowsserver/archive/2014/04/16/windows-server-2012-r2-update-availability-of-wsus-fix-and-revised-servicing-timing.aspx

Also be advised there following KB articles have been updated:

Windows Update Client does not scan against WSUS 3.0 SP2 if HTTPS is configured and TLS 1.2 is not enabled

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2959977/EN-US

Windows RT 8.1, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2 Update: April 2014

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2919355/EN-US
 

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Microsoft has been listening to customer feedback. Much of this feedback has been received and some of the results are being given back to our users of Windows 8.1 in the form of updates. Recently, a very big update for Windows 8.1 was released. Read all about it here:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/whats-new

Since Microsoft wants to ensure that customers benefit from the best support and servicing experience and to coordinate and simplify servicing across both Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 8.1 RT and Windows 8.1, this update will be considered a new servicing/support baseline. What this means is those users who have elected to install updates manually will have 30 days to install Windows 8.1 Update  on Windows 8.1 devices; after this 30-day window – and beginning with the May Patch Tuesday, Windows 8.1 user's devices without the update installed will no longer receive security updates.

This means that Windows 8.1 users – starting patch Tuesday in May 2014 and beyond – will require this update to be installed.  If the Windows 8.1 Update is not installed, those newer updates will be considered “not applicable.”

More detailed information can be found in the following links:

KB2919355 (Windows RT 8.1, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2 Update April, 2014)
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2919355

A servicing stack update is available for Windows RT 8.1, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2: March 2014
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2919442

What's New in the Windows 8.1 Update
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/dn646749

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
 
Windows Server 2012 R2 Update is now available to subscribers
http://blogs.technet.com/b/windowsserver/archive/2014/04/02/windows-server-2012-r2-update-is-now-available-to-subscribers.aspx.
 
For those users who are still using Windows 8 and Windows 2012 (and not Windows 8.1 and Windows 2012 R2) you are unaffected and will continue to receive updates as normal.

The new baseline only exists for Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2.

Another important item for our enterprise users and IT pros out there: There is also an issue regarding Windows 8.1 Update preventing interaction with WSUS 3.2 over SSL connections. This has been outlined in the following blog post:

Windows 8.1 Update (KB 2919355) prevents interaction with WSUS 3.2 over SSL
http://blogs.technet.com/b/wsus/archive/2014/04/08/windows-8-1-update-prevents-interaction-with-wsus-3-2-over-ssl.aspx

Microsoft plans to issue an update as soon as possible that will correct the issue and restore the proper behavior for Windows 8.1 Update KB 2919355 scanning against all supported WSUS configurations. Until that time, we are delaying the distribution of the Windows 8.1 Update KB 2919355 to WSUS servers.

You may still obtain the Windows 8.1 Update (KB 2919355) from the Windows Update Catalog or MSDN. However, we recommend that you suspend deployment of this update in your organization until we release the update that resolves this issue.

You may also find the workarounds discussed in this article to be useful for testing this Windows 8.1 Update for your organization. Thank you for your patience during this time.

In addition, some training and readiness docs have been recently published along with updated toolkits:

Windows 8.1 Update User Readiness Toolkit
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=42255

Windows 8.1 Update Power User Guide for Business
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=41667

Windows 8.1 Update how-to videos for business users
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=42314

Windows Driver Kit 8.1 Update 1
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=42273

Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (Windows ADK) for Windows 8.1 Update
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=39982

Additional Blogs:

http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/springboard/archive/2014/04/02/windows-8-1-update-the-it-pro-perspective.aspx
http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/windowsexperience/archive/2014/04/02/windows-8-1-update-important-refinements-to-the-windows-experience.aspx
http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/business/archive/2014/04/02/building-the-mobile-workplace-with-windows-and-windows-phone.aspx
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2014/04/02/stay-up-to-date-with-enterprise-mode-for-internet-explorer-11.aspx
http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/springboard/archive/2014/04/03/windows-8-1-sideloading-enhancements.aspx
http://blogs.technet.com/b/askpfeplat/archive/2014/04/07/exploring-windows-8-1-update-start-screen-desktop-and-other-enhancements.aspx

Important Note for App-V 4.6 Users Upgrading to Windows 8.1

If you have not already heard, today MDOP (Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack) 2013 R2 became generally available for download to our MDOP customers. More information can be found here:

http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/business/archive/2013/12/02/mdop-2013-r2-now-available.aspx

and

http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/springboard/archive/2013/12/02/announcing-mdop-2013-r2.aspx

This latest incarnation of MDOP includes the release of:

• Application Virtualization (App-V) 5.0 SP2 and the virtualization of Office 2013
• Application Virtualization (App-V) 4.6 SP3
• User Experience Virtualization (UE-V) 2.0
• Microsoft BitLocker Administration and Monitoring (MBAM) 2.0 SP1, which also offers multi-language support.
• Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (DaRT) 8.1
• Advanced Policy Group Management (APGM) 4.0 SP2

Primary release pillars for MDOP 2013 R2 revolve around support for Windows 8.1.

If you are still using App-V 4.6 on Windows 7 (either 4.6 SP1 or SP2) or Windows 8 (4.6 SP2) you may also be aware that the installation of Windows 8.1 will be blocked if it detects the presence of any version of App-V 4.x. This will also include 4.6 SP3 if you decide to go ahead and pre-install SP3 prior to the upgrade to 8.1. This relates to the
operating-specific drivers that are used by App-V 4.6. If you are planning to use Windows 8.1 with App-V 4.6 SP3, you will need to first remove any installations of App-V 4.6. Then you can upgrade/install Windows 8.1. Once Windows 8.1 is installed, you can install App-V 4.6 SP3. Please note this approach only applies to App-V 4.6 and not App-V 5.0.

While the App-V Client settings and user application settings will be retained with the uninstallation/reinstallation approach, the App-V 4.6 cache will be reset so applications will have to be re-delivered (re-streamed, pre-cached, re-advertised, etc.) Normally to avoid having to do this in the past, administrators would simply do in-place upgrades. This one-time exception does not allow for this and will require likely adjustments if you have users currently using virtual applications with 4.6 and will be upgrading to Windows 8.1 from Windows 7 or Windows 8.

 

Refreshing my Windows Store Applications

If you are like me you may be doing a lot of reimaging for Windows 8.1 now that is has become generally available. If you are also like me, you have installed Windows 8 on multiple devices and sign in with the same Microsoft Account. In case you did not already know, here is how you can easily re-find all of your Windows store applications without having to go through an search for all of them again. You can reload all of your Windows Store “Modern UI” applications simply by logging onto the same Microsoft account. All of the applications you have already installed in your other devices that use the same Microsoft Account are tagged to your account to simplify reloading. So to quickly refresh all of you Windows store-based (modern) applications:

 

1. Open the Microsoft Store Application from the Start Screen.

2. Bring up the Application Menu by simply just right-clicking.

3. Select Your Applications and Install!

It’s as simple as that! 

Windows 8: Shutdown, Logoff, and Restart

I’ve noticed that there has been a lot of adjustments and learning curves to Windows 8 – from both consumer and enterprise customers.
Moving from a Start Menu to a Start Screen seems like a significant paradigm shift at first, but once you start working with Windows 8 on a standard laptop or PC, you will find that once you get your desktop and taskbar re-customized with your pinned preferences and shortcuts, the experience for desktop, taskbar, and file exploration is very similar with some subtle enhancements.

For those who are using touch devices, such as the Surface or the Samsung Series tablets, the Start screen is very user-friendly and quite simple to navigate. It is an interface optimized for the touch screen experience. But for those of us (including myself) who are using Windows 8 on a traditional PC or laptop without a touch screen, there will be a simple, short learning curve. One that took me all of 24 hours to adjust to the new screen. One of the first things I noticed was the fact that there was not a default visible key on the start screen for Shutdown, Logoff and Reboot. So I decided to do what a lot of my peers were doing: a little customization! If you would like to
find Log Off, Shutdown, and Restart options added to your modern UI, you can do so with this convenient little script. Just follow these simple steps:

1.)   Open up Notepad on your Windows 8 machine.

2.)   Paste the following code into your document

set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject(“WScript.Shell”)

strStartMenu = WshShell.SpecialFolders(“StartMenu”)

set oShellLink = WshShell.CreateShortcut(strStartMenu & “Shutdown.lnk”)

oShellLink.TargetPath = “%systemroot%System32shutdown.exe”

oShellLink.Arguments = “-s -t 0”

oShellLink.WindowStyle = 1

oShellLink.IconLocation = “%systemroot%System32shell32.dll,27”

oShellLink.Description = “Shutdown Computer (Power Off)”

oShellLink.WorkingDirectory = “%systemroot%System32”

oShellLink.Save

Set oShellLink = Nothing

set oShellLink = WshShell.CreateShortcut(strStartMenu & “Log Off.lnk”)

oShellLink.TargetPath = “%systemroot%System32shutdown.exe”

oShellLink.Arguments = “-l”

oShellLink.WindowStyle = 1

oShellLink.IconLocation = “%systemroot%System32shell32.dll,44”

oShellLink.Description = “Log Off (Switch User)”

oShellLink.WorkingDirectory = “%systemroot%System32”

oShellLink.Save

Set oShellLink = Nothing

set oShellLink = WshShell.CreateShortcut(strStartMenu & “Restart.lnk”)

oShellLink.TargetPath = “%systemroot%System32shutdown.exe”

oShellLink.Arguments = “-r -t 0”

oShellLink.WindowStyle = 1

oShellLink.IconLocation = “%systemroot%System32shell32.dll,176”

oShellLink.Description = “Restart Computer (Reboot)”

oShellLink.WorkingDirectory = “%systemroot%System32”

oShellLink.Save

Set oShellLink = Nothing

Wscript.Echo “Created Shutdown, Restart and Log Off buttons in your Programs Menu. You can now pin them to the Start Screen of your Windows 8 computer.”

3.)   Save the file as Button.vbs on to your desktop.

4.)   Close Notepad.

5.)   Navigate to your Windows Desktop. NOTE: there is a tile on your desktop for it.

6.)   Double-click on the button.vbs file to execute the script, and click “OK” on the message.

7.)   Press the Windows key and VOILA! You will find Log Off, Shutdown and Restart icons added on the Windows 8 Modern Desktop.

Bringing Legacy Blog Back to Cover Legacy Products

Just about a year ago, I moved all new posts over to Technet.com. In spite of that, this blog still continues to get much attention due to a lot of the existing content proving to be very useful for users. For that I am extremely happy to help and it recently gave me an idea. I have been mulling over how I should focus my current blog over at Technet with regards to information, guidance, and support tips. While I have a lot of great information coming (a lot of new products/product versions in the pipeline) I also have a wealth of information I’ve been needing to post tat was related to existing products and legacy products (Softgrid/App-V 4.x/MED-V V1, etc.) I also realize there is a strong user community and install base still present who may not be moving off until the products get closer to end of life.

– Steve Thomas

With this said, I decided that I would use this blog on WordPress in the future for legacy product information (App-V 4.x/Softgrid/MED-V V1/VMM 2008/VPC) while keeping my blog over at Technet more related to current and forward technologies (App-V 5.0/UE-V/Hyper-V 2012/Win8/Win2012.)