This is the easiest way to check if your Windows PC is vulnerable to Spectre and Meltdown
You’ll no doubt be aware of the Spectre and Meltdown processor bugs, as well as the many problems caused by the patches pushed out to address them.
Microsoft last week released a PowerShell script which lets you check if your PC is vulnerable to Meltdown or Spectre, but now Ashampoo has made a free tool available which makes checking for the problem as easy as clicking a button.
Intel releases benchmark results detailing Meltdown patch performance slowdown
In the wake of the Meltdown and Spectre bug revelations, Intel has been eager to downplay the impact patches will have on performance. Having already shed a little light on exactly what users can expect in terms of a performance hit, the company has now released more detailed benchmark results
In a blog post, Intel's Navin Shenoy shares details of benchmarks performed with sixth, seventh and eighth generation processors in Windows 10, and sixth generation processors in Windows 7, 8 and 10. Shenoy reiterates the company position that the "performance impact should not be significant for average computer users", saying that "the data we are sharing today support that expectation on these platforms." It's worth bearing in mind, however, that the hardware used in the tests is not necessary that which would be used by the average computer user.
Meltdown and Spectre patches leave some Ubuntu systems unbootable
As if the Meltdown and Spectre chip bugs were not enough of a problem in their own right, the patches designed to fix them are proving to be a major headache as well. The latest victims are users of Ubuntu Xenial 16.04, some of whom are reporting that installing the patches leaves their computers unbootable.
Windows users with AMD systems have run into a similar problem, causing Microsoft to halt the rollout of its patches. There have also been predictions, anecdotes and benchmarks that suggest Meltdown patches are causing performance issues, despite Intel's insistence that the impact is small. Now Ubuntu forums are lighting up with users complaining of boot problems.
Microsoft and Intel reveal just how much Meltdown and Spectre patches slow PCs
The Meltdown and Spectre revelations have people around the world concerned about privacy, but there has also been great speculation about the reduction in performance that patches might bring. Now Microsoft and Intel have opened up about the sort of slowdown PC users and server operators can expect.
Having previously tried to play down the negative impact that bug patches will have on systems, Intel's benchmark test now shows that -- depending on the tasks -- a slowdown of between 2 and 14 percent can be observed. Microsoft says that anyone with a computer dating from 2015 and earlier will notice a decrease in system performance.
Microsoft pausing the rollout of Spectre and Meltdown patches to AMD systems
Following reports that its Spectre and Meltdown fixes were leaving some AMD systems unbootable, Microsoft has stopped the patches from rolling out to certain devices.
The company is blaming AMD's failure to comply with "the documentation previously provided to Microsoft to develop the Windows operating system mitigations to protect against the chipset vulnerabilities known as Spectre and Meltdown."
Meltdown patches are slowing down games such as Fortnite
Fans of the game Fortnite have been frustrated by a combination of reduced performance, and an inability to log into the game at all. The company behind the title, Epic Games, says that patches installed to mitigate against the Meltdown and Spectre bugs are to blame.
Since installing patches to address the vulnerabilities, Epic has noticed a very significant spike in processors usage. The extra strain on backend cloud services has noticeably slowed down Fortnite for some users, and rendered others unable to play the game at all.
Warning: Microsoft's Meltdown and Spectre patch is bricking some AMD PCs
As if the Meltdown and Spectre bug affecting millions of processors was not bad enough, the patches designed to mitigate the problems are introducing issues of their own. Perhaps the most well-known effect is a much-publicized performance hit, but some users are reporting that Microsoft's emergency patch is bricking their computers.
We've already seen compatibility issues with some antivirus tools, and now some AMD users are reporting that the KB4056892 patch is rendering their computer unusable. A further issue -- error 0x800f0845 -- means that it is not possible to perform a rollback.
Google answers your questions about Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities
The revelations about the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities affecting millions of processors around the world has raised a huge number of questions for many people. While businesses and large organizations are rushing to ensure that their systems -- and their data -- are protected, the average computer user has been left wondering what on Earth is going on.
While there are a lot of very technical write-ups about the implications of the Spectre and Meltdown bugs, as well as explanations of just how the exploit works, the average Joe has been left somewhat in the dark. To try to remedy this, Google has answered a series of questions relating to the security issues.
Lawsuits stack up against Intel over Meltdown and Spectre bugs
Since news of the Meltdown and Spectre processor bugs broke, tech companies have been scrabbling to develop patches and get them out to users. Intel, on the other hand, has been desperately trying to salvage its tarnished image. What's not going to improve the mood at the company is the fact that it has been hit by a series of class action lawsuits.
In the days since the processor vulnerability was revealed, three sperate lawsuits have been filed against the chip-maker. Given the scale of the problem, it's likely that more will spring up, and other chip-makers may also be hit.
Microsoft releases PowerShell script to check if your PC is vulnerable to Meltdown and Spectre
In the wake of the Meltdown and Spectre chip bug revelations, people around the world are wondering whether or not they are affected. Bearing in mind the number of chips with the flaw, the chances that your computer has a vulnerability are very high.
Microsoft rushed to get an emergency fix out to Windows 10 users, promising that Windows 7 and 8 users will be patched in the near future. The company has also released a PowerShell script that lets users check whether they have protection in place.
Microsoft's emergency Windows Meltdown patch may be incompatible with your PC
As you’ll have read, two massive security bugs affecting millions of Intel, AMD and ARM processors have been uncovered. Codenamed Meltdown and Spectre, these are serious vulnerabilities, but the good news is the likes of Apple, Google and Microsoft have rushed out patches to address them.
Microsoft pushed out a rare, off-schedule emergency fix for Windows 10 (with fixes for Windows 7 and 8.x expected shortly), but the bad news is it may not be compatible with your system.
Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities bring the computing apocalypse, and yes, you are screwed
Earlier today, we reported on some shocking news -- there is a serious vulnerability that affects Intel processors. To make matters worse, patching that vulnerability -- now known as "Meltdown" -- would cause an up-to 30 percent performance degradation. Yikes!
If you have an AMD processor, you are safe, right? Yes, but not really. You see, yet another vulnerability has been revealed that impacts all modern processors, such as those from Intel, AMD, and yeah, even ARM chips. This vulnerability is called "Spectre," and it has the potential to put the entire technology industry into a tailspin. Seriously, folks, this is very bad -- it is like the computing apocalypse. What's the worst that could happen? Well, your data and passwords could leak and you are almost powerless to stop it.
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