976883 - stub only

Despite this being out for a few weeks, the download is only a generic
placeholder. Did MS accidentally forget about it? I left a note on the page
shortly after it came out, but nothing has happened since.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976883

Milhouse Van Houten wrote:
> Despite this being out for a few weeks, the download is only a generic
> placeholder. Did MS accidentally forget about it? I left a note on the
> page shortly after it came out, but nothing has happened since.
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976883

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976883

It's a Hotfix, not an update, which means one has to *contact MS* for it
by clicking the 'View and request hotfix downloads' link at the top
right of the web page.

" ... this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is
described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are
experiencing the problem described in this article. This hotfix might
receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected
by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next software update
that contains this hotfix. "


MowGreen
================
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
================

banthecheck.com
"Security updates should *never* have *non-security content* prechecked

"MowGreen" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Milhouse Van Houten wrote:
>> Despite this being out for a few weeks, the download is only a generic
>> placeholder. Did MS accidentally forget about it? I left a note on the
>> page shortly after it came out, but nothing has happened since.
>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976883
>
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976883
>
> It's a Hotfix, not an update, which means one has to *contact MS* for it
> by clicking the 'View and request hotfix downloads' link at the top right
> of the web page.
>

Yes, I meant the *download* is only a small stub file. There's no update in
it.

Milhouse Van Houten wrote:
> "MowGreen" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> Milhouse Van Houten wrote:
>>> Despite this being out for a few weeks, the download is only a generic
>>> placeholder. Did MS accidentally forget about it? I left a note on the
>>> page shortly after it came out, but nothing has happened since.
>>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976883
>>
>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976883
>>
>> It's a Hotfix, not an update, which means one has to *contact MS* for it
>> by clicking the 'View and request hotfix downloads' link at the top
>> right of the web page.
>>
>
> Yes, I meant the *download* is only a small stub file. There's no update
> in it.


Then the stub is correct as there is NO update to download. You *must*
contact MS for the *Hotfix* but ONLY if the system is experiencing the
same issues as laid out in the KB article.
If this affects enough systems then MS will offer an *update* for the
issue. Comprende ?


MowGreen
================
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
================

banthecheck.com
"Security updates should *never* have *non-security content* prechecked

No comprende.

I'm familiar with the type of KB you're referring to, but this obviously
isn't one of those. This one HAS a download available for it. The page even
shows what the names and dates of the files are. It even says "If the hotfix
is available for download, there is a 'Hotfix download available' section at
the top of this Knowledge Base article" -- and there is. You can request the
file and download the file. This is NOT one of the ones that you have to
call MS to get (thankfully there are fewer and fewer of those these days).

It's just that they -- oopsie -- forgot to put the actual payload in it.
There's just a placeholder.

"MowGreen" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Milhouse Van Houten wrote:
>> "MowGreen" <> wrote in message
>> news:...
>>> Milhouse Van Houten wrote:
>>>> Despite this being out for a few weeks, the download is only a generic
>>>> placeholder. Did MS accidentally forget about it? I left a note on the
>>>> page shortly after it came out, but nothing has happened since.
>>>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976883
>>>
>>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976883
>>>
>>> It's a Hotfix, not an update, which means one has to *contact MS* for it
>>> by clicking the 'View and request hotfix downloads' link at the top
>>> right of the web page.
>>>
>>
>> Yes, I meant the *download* is only a small stub file. There's no update
>> in it.
>
>
> Then the stub is correct as there is NO update to download. You *must*
> contact MS for the *Hotfix* but ONLY if the system is experiencing the
> same issues as laid out in the KB article.
> If this affects enough systems then MS will offer an *update* for the
> issue. Comprende ?
>
>
> MowGreen
> ================
> *-343-* FDNY
> Never Forgotten
> ================
>
> banthecheck.com
> "Security updates should *never* have *non-security content* prechecked

On 2010-03-04 5:31 p.m., Milhouse Van Houten wrote:

> No comprende.
>
> I'm familiar with the type of KB you're referring to, but this obviously
> isn't one of those. This one HAS a download available for it. The page
> even shows what the names and dates of the files are. It even says "If
> the hotfix is available for download, there is a 'Hotfix download
> available' section at the top of this Knowledge Base article" -- and
> there is. You can request the file and download the file. This is NOT
> one of the ones that you have to call MS to get (thankfully there are
> fewer and fewer of those these days).
>
> It's just that they -- oopsie -- forgot to put the actual payload in it.
> There's just a placeholder.

I can reproduce this behaviour.

However, the contents of the placeholder file make me suspect that it may be the
KB article that is wrong in saying the download is available. Have you tried
phoning MS for the hotfix? In my experience, this is a surprisingly pain-free
process.

Harry.


>
> "MowGreen" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> Milhouse Van Houten wrote:
>>> "MowGreen" <> wrote in message
>>> news:...
>>>> Milhouse Van Houten wrote:
>>>>> Despite this being out for a few weeks, the download is only a generic
>>>>> placeholder. Did MS accidentally forget about it? I left a note on the
>>>>> page shortly after it came out, but nothing has happened since.
>>>>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976883
>>>>
>>>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976883
>>>>
>>>> It's a Hotfix, not an update, which means one has to *contact MS*
>>>> for it
>>>> by clicking the 'View and request hotfix downloads' link at the top
>>>> right of the web page.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Yes, I meant the *download* is only a small stub file. There's no update
>>> in it.
>>
>>
>> Then the stub is correct as there is NO update to download. You *must*
>> contact MS for the *Hotfix* but ONLY if the system is experiencing the
>> same issues as laid out in the KB article.
>> If this affects enough systems then MS will offer an *update* for the
>> issue. Comprende ?
>>
>>
>> MowGreen
>> ================
>> *-343-* FDNY
>> Never Forgotten
>> ================
>>
>> banthecheck.com
>> "Security updates should *never* have *non-security content* prechecked
>


--
Harry Johnston
http://harryjohnston.wordpress.com

See
http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/...883&kbln=en-us

Milhouse Van Houten wrote:
> No comprende.
>
> I'm familiar with the type of KB you're referring to, but this obviously
> isn't one of those. This one HAS a download available for it. The page
> even
> shows what the names and dates of the files are. It even says "If the
> hotfix
> is available for download, there is a 'Hotfix download available' section
> at
> the top of this Knowledge Base article" -- and there is. You can request
> the
> file and download the file. This is NOT one of the ones that you have to
> call MS to get (thankfully there are fewer and fewer of those these days).
>
> It's just that they -- oopsie -- forgot to put the actual payload in it.
> There's just a placeholder.
>
> "MowGreen" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> Milhouse Van Houten wrote:
>>> "MowGreen" <> wrote in message
>>> news:...
>>>> Milhouse Van Houten wrote:
>>>>> Despite this being out for a few weeks, the download is only a generic
>>>>> placeholder. Did MS accidentally forget about it? I left a note on the
>>>>> page shortly after it came out, but nothing has happened since.
>>>>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976883
>>>>
>>>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976883
>>>>
>>>> It's a Hotfix, not an update, which means one has to *contact MS* for
>>>> it
>>>> by clicking the 'View and request hotfix downloads' link at the top
>>>> right of the web page.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Yes, I meant the *download* is only a small stub file. There's no update
>>> in it.
>>
>>
>> Then the stub is correct as there is NO update to download. You *must*
>> contact MS for the *Hotfix* but ONLY if the system is experiencing the
>> same issues as laid out in the KB article.
>> If this affects enough systems then MS will offer an *update* for the
>> issue. Comprende ?
>>
>>
>> MowGreen
>> ================
>> *-343-* FDNY
>> Never Forgotten
>> ================
>>
>> banthecheck.com
>> "Security updates should *never* have *non-security content* prechecked

On 2010-03-04 7:38 p.m., PA Bear [MS MVP] wrote:

> See
> http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/...883&kbln=en-us

If you try this you'll find that they email you a download link from which you
can download a ZIP file. When you extract the ZIP file (using the password
provided in the email) there is only a file named placeholder.txt, which says
(more or less) that the hotfix isn't available for download.

Harry.

>
> Milhouse Van Houten wrote:
>> No comprende.
>>
>> I'm familiar with the type of KB you're referring to, but this obviously
>> isn't one of those. This one HAS a download available for it. The page
>> even
>> shows what the names and dates of the files are. It even says "If the
>> hotfix
>> is available for download, there is a 'Hotfix download available'
>> section at
>> the top of this Knowledge Base article" -- and there is. You can
>> request the
>> file and download the file. This is NOT one of the ones that you have to
>> call MS to get (thankfully there are fewer and fewer of those these
>> days).
>>
>> It's just that they -- oopsie -- forgot to put the actual payload in it.
>> There's just a placeholder.
>>
>> "MowGreen" <> wrote in message
>> news:...
>>> Milhouse Van Houten wrote:
>>>> "MowGreen" <> wrote in message
>>>> news:...
>>>>> Milhouse Van Houten wrote:
>>>>>> Despite this being out for a few weeks, the download is only a
>>>>>> generic
>>>>>> placeholder. Did MS accidentally forget about it? I left a note on
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> page shortly after it came out, but nothing has happened since.
>>>>>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976883
>>>>>
>>>>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976883
>>>>>
>>>>> It's a Hotfix, not an update, which means one has to *contact MS*
>>>>> for it
>>>>> by clicking the 'View and request hotfix downloads' link at the top
>>>>> right of the web page.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Yes, I meant the *download* is only a small stub file. There's no
>>>> update
>>>> in it.
>>>
>>>
>>> Then the stub is correct as there is NO update to download. You *must*
>>> contact MS for the *Hotfix* but ONLY if the system is experiencing the
>>> same issues as laid out in the KB article.
>>> If this affects enough systems then MS will offer an *update* for the
>>> issue. Comprende ?
>>>
>>>
>>> MowGreen
>>> ================
>>> *-343-* FDNY
>>> Never Forgotten
>>> ================
>>>
>>> banthecheck.com
>>> "Security updates should *never* have *non-security content* prechecked
>


--
Harry Johnston
http://harryjohnston.wordpress.com

MowGreen
================
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
================

banthecheck.com
"Security updates should *never* have *non-security content* prechecked

Harry Johnston [MVP] wrote:
> On 2010-03-04 7:38 p.m., PA Bear [MS MVP] wrote:
>
>> See
>> http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/...883&kbln=en-us
>
> If you try this you'll find that they email you a download link from
> which you can download a ZIP file. When you extract the ZIP file (using
> the password provided in the email) there is only a file named
> placeholder.txt, which says (more or less) that the hotfix isn't
> available for download.
>
> Harry.

OK, in the upper left corner the page states:

> Hotfix Download Available
> View and request hotfix downloads

'View and request hotfix downloads' links to:
http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/...883&kbln=en-us

Harry ... do you mean that requesting the Hotfix results in no hotfix
being found in the .zip folder, just placeholder.txt ?

If so isn't there a method or link included in the email that contains
the URL and p/w that instructs the requester on how to contact Support ?


MowGreen
================
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
================

banthecheck.com
"Security updates should *never* have *non-security content* prechecked

On 2010-03-05 10:37 a.m., MowGreen wrote:

>>> See
>>> http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/...883&kbln=en-us

> OK, in the upper left corner the page states:
>
>> Hotfix Download Available
>> View and request hotfix downloads
>
> 'View and request hotfix downloads' links to:
> http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/...883&kbln=en-us
>
> Harry ... do you mean that requesting the Hotfix results in no hotfix
> being found in the .zip folder, just placeholder.txt ?

Yes, exactly.

> If so isn't there a method or link included in the email that contains
> the URL and p/w that instructs the requester on how to contact Support ?

Just the generic links:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/
http://support.microsoft.com/

Harry.

--
Harry Johnston
http://harryjohnston.wordpress.com