Microsoft Fixes Dozens of Windows Issues, All Optional

In a strangely timed release, Microsoft delivered over 30 fixes for Windows 7 and 8.1 today. All of them are optional updates, and none appears to be particularly important. But if you’re the compulsive kind, be sure to check Windows Update today: there are a bunch of updates to install.

As you might know, Microsoft normally delivers security and bug fixes, and other updates, on Patch Tuesday, which is the second Tuesday of each month. This month’s Patch Tuesday was last week, so it’s unclear why Microsoft picked today to deliver 34 optional updates. But it did.

I’m not going to highlight every update. But these are the updates I’m getting on the ThinkPad X1 Carbon I’m currently using and evaluating:

Secure Channel improvement for Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, or Windows Server 2012 R2.  An update that improves the Secure Channel (Schannel) for Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, or Windows Server 2012 R2.

“0x0000009F” Stop error when a Windows-based computer has two USB devices connected. An issue that occurs when two USB devices are connected to a computer that is running Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, or Windows Server 2012 R2. An update is available to resolve this issue.

Stop error 0x0000009F when you use the Bluetooth Hands-Free Audio and Call Control HID Enumerator driver in Windows 8.1. This Stop error 0x0000009F describes a DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE issue in Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1. This issue occurs because of a deadlock in the driver.

“Paired” text is not translated correctly in Korean when you disconnect a paired Bluetooth device in Windows. An issue that occurs when you disconnect a paired Bluetooth device in Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, or Windows Server 2012 R2.

“Description cannot be found” error in event logs in Event Viewer in Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows Server 2012. An issue in which the “Description cannot be found” error message is displayed in the event logs in Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 8, Windows RT, or Windows Server 2012.

Microsoft Project Siena crashes when you use galleries in the application in Windows. An issue that occurs when you use galleries in an application in Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, or Windows Server 2012 R2.

Narrator does not stop reading when you press Ctrl key in Windows. An issue that occurs to Narrator when you press the Ctrl key in Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, or Windows Server 2012 R2.

Photos taken by certain Android devices show blank value in Date taken field in Windows Explorer. An issue that occurs when you view the properties of the photos in Windows Explorer on a computer that is running Windows RT 8.1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows RT, Windows 8, or Windows Server 2012.

Cannot access DPAPI data after an administrator resets your password on a Windows Server 2012 R2-based domain controller. An issue that occurs after an administrator resets a user’s password on a domain controller that is upgraded to Windows Server 2012 R2.

UHS-3 cards cannot be detected in Windows on Surface devices. An issue in which Secure Digital (SD) card reader cannot detect Ultra High Speed Class 3 (UHS-3) card in Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1.

You cannot do System Image Backup to Blu-ray media in Windows. An issue that occurs when you use a write once Blu-ray media (BD-R) disk to do a System Image Backup in Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, or Windows Server 2012 R2.

Update to enable the Diagnostics Tracking Service in Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2. This update enables the Diagnostics Tracking Service in Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2. This tracking service collects data about functional issues in Windows components.

Update the copy of the Cmitrust.dll file in Windows. An update that fixes an issue in Windows Server 2008 R2 and improves the copy of the Cmitrust.dll file in Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 8, Windows RT, and Windows 7.

The InputPersonalization.exe process crashes in Windows. An issue in which the InputPersonalization.exe process crashes in Windows RT 8.1, Windows 8.1, or Windows Server 2012 R2.

Automatic brightness option is disabled unexpectedly after you switch between PC settings pages in Windows. An issue that occurs after you switch between pages in the PC settings of Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, or Windows Server 2012 R2.

Update to support copying .mkv files to Windows Phone from a computer that is running Windows. An update to add support for copying .mkv files from a Windows-based computer to a Windows Phone 8.1 via Windows Explorer. (Important because Windows Phone 8.1.2 also adds support for MKV files. –Paul)

Acutely, this is only a partial list. On some fixes, I received the message “Oops! We’re sorry – this page may not be available in your country location or may no longer exist.”