KB4497165 Intel microcode updates for Windows 10 1903 and 1909 Sept. 1 Win Update

ddelo said:

Just to clarify a few things:

The list in the 1st post includes the microcode revisions implemented by Microsoft. They are not necessarily the most updated ones, as specified by intel.

The Microsoft microcode is stored in the files Mcupdate_genuineintel.dll and
mcupdate_AuthenticAMD.dll for Intel and AMD CPUs respectively.

If your UEFI has the same or higher microcode revision, with one Microsoft provides in this update (as seen in the 1st post), the update will either not offered or if it's offered and installed will not be implemented at PC startup, since the one in UEFI will prevail.

When the PC boots, it first checks and loads the UEFI microcode. When the OS (Windows 10, in our case) takes over, it checks to see if the Microsoft implemented microcode is newer than the UEFI one and if it is it loads the newer version. If not, it skips it and continues the boot process.

Should not MS know what is in our UEFI???Why would MS update a Rysen CPU?

Josey Wales said:

Should not MS know what is in our UEFI???Why would MS update a Rysen CPU?

Valid question Josey!!! But it should be addressed to MS....

ddelo said:

Valid question Josey!!! But it should be addressed to MS....

Yes But they will never answer it.

Ground Sloth said:

I used to have a hard time convincing people that CPU microcode updates weren't persistent across reboot. It got to the point that I started to think that I was wrong.

You were not wrong... at least as far as I know!

Josey Wales said:

Yes But they will never answer it.

Yes, I know!!!
We have to make the best out of things, according to our knowledge and experience. And thank God, there is a lot of them in TenForums!!!

So someone correct me if I am wrong. All these microcode updates used to be voluntary, and we would have to seek them out manually. Then, if a newer revision was provided, albeit the SAME update number, you could not install on top of itself. Youd have to delete then reinstall that same update to get the updated microcode. Now, MS is offering us the microcode updates in a normal upgrade method via windows update. So now I will get revisions automatically should I need them, without having to seek it out?

also, noticed this link in an earlier post.
https://www.intel.com/content/dam/ww...e-guidance.pdf

That would lead me to believe that 0xb4 on my 8700k is superceeded by 0xc6. how do I even get that? Or am I following the microcode naming convention wrong and my current 0xB4 is actually more current than 0xC6? Probably unlikely?

I have checked for Updates twice and didn't get this update (KB4497165) even though my CPUID: 306C3 is showing in the listed processors from first page. I am not going to use the standalone package from MUC and will leave everything as is. BTW, I am on 1909 (1836.836). If need really be, it will be installed with 2004 when released.

Guitarmageddon said:

So someone correct me if I am wrong. All these microcode updates used to be voluntary, and we would have to seek them out manually. Then, if a newer revision was provided, albeit the SAME update number, you could not install on top of itself. Youd have to delete then reinstall that same update to get the updated microcode. Now, MS is offering us the microcode updates in a normal upgrade method via windows update. So now I will get revisions automatically should I need them, without having to seek it out?

From what I understand according to Microsoft the ones with a (2) at the end of their name, are the ones that are referenced by Note 2 and as of 25-Feb-2020 will be getting updates through WU namely:

• Whiskey Lake U - 8th Generation Intel® Core™ Processors (806EC)
• Valley View - Intel Atom® Processor E3800 Product Family (30679)
• Sandy Bridge E, EP - Intel® Xeon® Processor E5 Family (206D6)
• Sandy Bridge - Legacy Intel® Core™ Processors (206A7)
• Sandy Bridge - Legacy Intel® Celeron® Processors (206A7)
• Sandy Bridge - Legacy Intel® Pentium® Processors (206A7)
• Denverton - Intel® Atom® Processor C Series (506F1)

Guitarmageddon said:

also, noticed this link in an earlier post.
https://www.intel.com/content/dam/ww...e-guidance.pdf

That would lead me to believe that 0xb4 on my 8700k is superceeded by 0xc6. how do I even get that? Or am I following the microcode naming convention wrong and my current 0xB4 is actually more current than 0xC6? Probably unlikely?

No way....0xc6 supersedes 0xb4.
It's what I mentioned before. The list in post 1 is the Microsoft implemented microcode versions and not necessarily the most recent ones according to intel's bulletin!

And if you want me to make it more complicated.
My Whiskey Lake U - 8th Generation Intel® Core™ Processors i7 8565U (806EC), according to Microsoft's list should be 0xB4, according to intel SA0277 should be 0xC6, but since February I have 0xCA, which was obtained by a BIOS/UEFI update provided by hp (my laptop's manufacturer)!!!!!!!

Does it make any sense...? Of course not!

Now to answer your question, where do you get 0xc6...? Only via a BIOS update from your manufacturer, unless you're the adventurous type and you can download the actual generic file from intel's Github and apply it yourself..... NOT Recommended.

So to make a long story short....don't get crazy with these vulnerabilities and the microcode updates mitigating them. Us, the "Average Joes", we're not the targets of these vulnerabilities. Major Corporations, Financial Institutions, Government Agencies and the Armed Forces, are most likely to worry!!! Not us.
That's just my humble opinion.