Jump to content

Two of this month’s Windows 7 patches cause second-screen problems


Karlston

Recommended Posts

Two German sites report graphics problems in some applications when using multiple monitors. Solution: Uninstall the bad patches.

Bug in Windows 7 security patches causes second-screen problems
Gerd Altmann (CC0)

We now have solid reports of a bug in both of the Windows 7 security patches for this month, KB 4034664 (the monthly rollup, installed by Windows Automatic Update) and KB 4034679 (the manual security-only patch). If you have a Windows 7 machine with two or more monitors and there’s something weird happening with the second monitor, you may be able to solve the problem by uninstalling the bad patch.

 

I first read about the problems last Saturday on Günter Born’s Born City blog. He documented bugs in the second-screen display of PDFs using PDF-Xchange Viewer, problems with the second screen in IrfanView, Adobe Reader, Excel VBA, MathLab, ACDSee, some Java applications, and Office 2013 garbling window titles, scrollbars, and other screen elements.

 

This morning there’s a detailed analysis from Christian “NineBerry” Schwarz on his Wolfsbeeren blog:

In applications, graphics or controls are not shown or shown distorted. You might, for example, only see an empty background with missing foreground graphics or missing controls. Or you see the Desktop or parts of a different application in parts of the currently active application.

These graphical problems only appear on secondary monitors, not on the main monitor and possibly also depending on the position of the application window within the secondary monitor.

Schwarz offers these workarounds:

  1. Upgrade to Windows 10 / Server 2012
  2. Uninstall KB4034664 / KB4034679 patches from the system
  3. Log on with a user that is a full local administrator
  4. Only use the application on the main monitor, not a secondary monitor
  5. Arrange the monitors such that no part of a monitor has negative screen coordinates.

He goes on to describe negative screen coordinates:

When you have multiple monitors, one of these monitors becomes the main monitor. Screen coordinates are relative to the main monitor. So, screen coordinates can be negative when a monitor is positioned left of or higher than the main monitor.

He then steps through the methods for resolving the problem. Schwartz tops it off with a Proof of Concept program that faithfully reproduces the problem in all its glory.

 

Tired of being an unpaid beta tester? Join us on the AskWoody Lounge.

 

Source: Two of this month’s Windows 7 patches cause second-screen problems (Computerworld - Woody Leonhard)

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • 2 weeks later...
  • Replies 3
  • Views 1.8k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Looks like Microsoft's fix isn't, an update from Woody...

Microsoft repairs buggy Win7 security patch with buggy hotfix KB 4039884

If you have problems with a Windows 7 second monitor after installing this month’s KB 4034664, there’s a new manual-install-only fix. But it’s buggy, too.

 
Microsoft repairs buggy Windows 7 security patch with buggy hotfix
Ingram Publishing/Thinkstock

Two weeks ago, I talked about a bug in Windows 7’s August Monthly patch rollup KB 4034664 that left many people who have two monitors reeling. After installing the security patch, the first monitor would work properly, but the second monitor could have all sorts of rendering problems.

 

Günter Born had a full writeup about the problem, and Christian Schwarz not only nailed the problem, but he wrote a “proof of concept” program demonstrating what was happening and when.

 

The bug also appears in KB 4034679, the manually installed security-only patch for August, and in KB 4034670, the Preview of September’s Monthly rollup. Bugs as a Service.

 

Microsoft came up with a manual workaround. First, you enable Desktop Composition (see TechSupp247’s video), then you make sure the main monitor is in the upper left (the “1” position) in monitor layout. That worked, in general, but older graphics cards don’t support Desktop Composition, and the manual procedure is a typical convoluted Windows procedure — not suitable for non-combatants.

Friday night, Microsoft released KB 4039884, a manual-install-only patch of a patch. Quoth the KB article:

This update addresses an issue where UI elements, including menu bars, are missing from Windows and Java applications running on computers with multiple monitors (multimon). The issue affects console and Remote Desktop logons when the main monitor is not in the top left area of the monitor layout in Control Panel. Applications may also stop responding or not work properly when moved between monitors.

You can download KB 4039884 from the Microsoft Update Catalog, but before you install it, you should know that it’s broken, too. AskWoody denizen @javacatpaul says:

I installed the said “fix” and then Windows Update came back and told me I had over 20 important updates and a few recommended ones that needed to be installed. Apparently some of the files that are installed are rather old versions (dating back to aug of 2016), just a few are actually newer than 20aug17 (according to autoruns). It does change many dll’s… I did a system restore to the point that this “fix” made for me and it’s back to the way it was. It might be wise to hold off on this “fix” for a bit until this all gets sorted out…

And @PKCano confirmed, with a screenshot showing a dozen exposed old patches. It appears our shiny new patch-of-a-patch has a problem with its supersedence chain, calling back to life many old, undead patches.

 

That leaves multimonitor Windows 7 users in a lurch, with two unappetizing options. Either go through the manual steps to enable Desktop Composition and flip-flop your monitors around — assuming your graphics card is up to the task. Or ignore an onslaught of ancient, unwanted updates, and wait for Microsoft to fix the supersedence chain — hopefully before September’s Monthly rollup arrives.

Cue the walking dead.

 

As usual, we’ll be following the latest on the AskWoody Lounge.

 

Source: Microsoft repairs buggy Win7 security patch with buggy hotfix KB 4039884 (Computerworld - Woody Leonhard)

Link to comment
Share on other sites


And there are those who are surprised when I say:

"My Windows 7 does not see "updates" since September 2016 ..."

 

To be honest, it should be said that not only has Microsoft been a moron in crafting its patches but it has been the pioneer of this nightmare... And there are notable software companies following in the footsteps of it... We live in the dark ages of technology...

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Microsoft yanks buggy patch of a buggy patch, KB 4039884

The August Windows 7 security patch, KB 4034664, had several bugs. Yesterday’s KB 4039884 hotfix was supposed to fix them, but now it’s been pulled.

thinkstockphotos bugs ingram publishing
Ingram Publishing/Thinkstock

There’s no official confirmation, and no explanation of course, but overnight Microsoft pulled a patch that was supposed to fix the main problems in this month’s Windows 7 security updates. I talked about the repair hotfix yesterday in "Microsoft repairs buggy Win7 security patch with buggy hotfix KB 4039884." Today, the repair hotfix isn’t available anymore.

 

All we know for sure is that sometime last night, the Microsoft Update Catalog entry for KB 4039884 disappeared. As of early Tuesday morning, Eastern time, the KB article is still available, and it hasn’t been modified — it still points to the Update Catalog.

 

In addition to the errors I reported yesterday, we’re seeing a whole crop of new problems with KB 4039884. @MrBrian on AskWoody says:

I tested KB4039884 in a Windows 7 x64 virtual machine last updated in Sept. 2016. It replaces some files with older versions ... for some files KB4039884 installs GDR versions of files, replacing existing LDR versions of files. The good news is that uninstalling KB4039884 seems to undo these issues, and I recommend doing so if you already installed KB4039884. … Some of the old file versions that are installed by KB4039884 likely have security vulnerabilities that were fixed in newer versions. Thus, installing KB4039884 probably exposes your computer to fixed security issues.

An anonymous poster says:

Installing KB4039884 deleted “D3DCompiler_47.dll” from my \system32 folder, causing Dell’s SupportAssist to fail. Uninstalling the update fixed the problem.

Nothing like the aroma of PCs fried in the morning.

 

If you’re waiting to install the August Windows 7 security patches — KB 4034664, KB 4034679 or KB 4034670 — I suggest you continue to wait.

 

Perhaps we’ll get a new patch today, the fourth Tuesday of the month. Maybe it’ll work. Or maybe not.

 

There’s a lengthy discussion that you’re welcome to join on the AskWoody Lounge.

 

Source: Microsoft yanks buggy patch of a buggy patch, KB 4039884 (Computerworld - Woody Leonhard)

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...