[German]Microsoft has released Update KB3217877 for Windows Vista/Windows Server 2008 at 03/21/2017. Because this Update hasn't been documented, till yet, here a few details. Addendum: I've amended some parts, the fixed issue is now documented.
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First of all, Microsoft's KB article 3217877 hasn't existed for days. Maybe it's a sign, that the dawn of Windows Vista has begun. Support for Windows Vista, and Microsoft Office 2007 ends on April 11, 2017.
Addendum: KB article is now online at least
Microsoft has published now what's fixed – I interpret it, that my guess that the C runtime has been patched, wasn't to wrong.
When you use the fread() function to read data from a pipe in Windows Vista Service Pack 2, the runtime program may omit line feed (LF) characters between lines and cause corrupted output.
And I've amended the EOL dates for Windows Vista (and removed the EOL for Windows Server 2008).
Microsoft Update Catalog provides no details
Update KB3217877 is listed in Microsoft Update Catalog with data 03/16/2017, size 680 KB (32 Bit) or 1,1 MB (64 Bit). But the description doesn't shed light to the details:
Description: Install this update to resolve issues in Windows. For a complete listing of the issues that are included in this update, see the associated Microsoft Knowledge Base article for more information. After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer.
Architecture: X86
Classification: Updates
Supported products: Windows Vista
Supported languages: all
The link to the KB article doesn't help – the article doesn't exists.
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My interpretation: Universal C Runtime (UCRT)
I've downloaded an analyzed the package for 32 bit Vista. According to some update manifests, the package ships new versions of several files addressing Universal C Runtime (UCRT). Universal C Run Time has been introduced in Windows 10.
Within my German blog post Windows: Optionale Updates KB2999226, KB3080079 und mehr I mentioned in September 2015, that Update KB2999226 (Update for Universal C RunTime in Windows) added UCRT support to Windows Vista SP2, Windows 7 (SP1)/Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 (SP2), Windows 8/RT/Server 2012 and Windows 8.1/RT 8.1/Windows Server 2012 R2.
Now it seem, that Update KB3217877 just exchange parts of the UCRT files. I've addressed this topic in brief yesterday evening at Askwoody. Another user confirmed my findings and published the following list of files updated.
api-ms-win-core-console-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-core-datetime-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-core-debug-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-core-errorhandling-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-core-file-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-core-file-l1-2-0.dll
api-ms-win-core-file-l2-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-core-handle-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-core-heap-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-core-interlocked-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-core-libraryloader-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-core-localization-l1-2-0.dll
api-ms-win-core-memory-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-core-namedpipe-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-core-processenvironment-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-core-processthreads-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-core-processthreads-l1-1-1.dll
api-ms-win-core-profile-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-core-rtlsupport-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-core-string-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-core-synch-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-core-synch-l1-2-0.dll
api-ms-win-core-sysinfo-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-core-timezone-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-core-util-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-core-xstate-l2-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-crt-conio-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-crt-convert-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-crt-environment-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-crt-filesystem-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-crt-heap-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-crt-locale-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-crt-math-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-crt-multibyte-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-crt-private-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-crt-process-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-crt-stdio-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-crt-string-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-crt-time-l1-1-0.dll
api-ms-win-crt-utility-l1-1-0.dll
ucrtbase.dll
As you can see, Windows C Runtime (Universal C Runtime, UCRT) are included in many file names, although some Windows kernel files are updates. As long as Microsoft doesn't provide further details, it's the best, I can do for my blog readers. Perhaps it helps a bit.
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You wrote "Support for Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 and Microsoft Office 2007 ends on April 14, 2017 (the last patchday for those products). "
No, NO! These are ALL wrong.
Support for Vista ends April 11, 2017.
Support for Office 2007 ends October 10, 2017.
Read here for MS Products ending support in 2017:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4001737
AND support for Windows Server 2008 with SP2 (R0 version based on Vista) ends the same time as Windows 7 – January 14, 2020.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/search?alpha=Windows%20Server%202008%20Service%20Pack%202
Thank you very much for solving this conudrum!
Two corrections though:
1. Extended support for Vista SP2 ends on Tue Apr 11th 2017 (not the 14th…)
2. Extended support for Server 2008 SP2 ends on Tue Jan 14th 2020 (almost 3
years after Vista; more info at:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/search?alpha=Windows%20Server%202008%20Service%20Pack%202 )
Dedicated Vista user since 2008… It's a shame really most software authors
have abandoned Vista (along with Server 2008) already (Chrome devs
were the first, I think, who put it in the same boat as XP – now Mozilla copycat them…).
But MS themselves are also to blame, I guess, having shifted all focus on their
spyware Win10 OS and making it a real PITA to update Vista over the past 18
months or so…
Best regards
I agree with both of you (see). It was my double fault – I didn't cross checked the EOL dates (had probably Exchange Server/Project Server in my mind – see my German blog post) – and I amended it within my German blog post, but forgot the English article.
The reasons: As an human I will produce errorrs – so thank you for your comments. And: An emergency case within my family has grounded me since more than a week, so things are a bit difficult at the moment.
Microsoft made it impossible to update Vista at this late date to a new OS without wiping the disk and starting from scratch.
That is the last straw.
I will switch to Apple and smash my PC with a hammer.