Microsoft released a security advisory on March 10, 2015, regarding the availability of SHA-2 code signing support for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, specifically Service Pack 1 and Datacenter editions. This advisory aimed to provide IT professionals with essential information on this security update.
Known Issue:
Issue 1: Some users encountered difficulties installing this security update under specific conditions. It affected systems with the following characteristics:
- A multiple-boot configuration of Windows and various Linux distributions.
- Utilization of a non-Windows boot loader.
- Windows and Linux installed on separate drives.
Systems that used the Windows boot loader as the primary loader successfully installed the update. In contrast, those with a non-Windows boot loader as the primary boot loader couldn't install the update, even if users used that loader to select Windows.
Workaround for Issue 1:
To resolve this issue, users had two options:
- Make Windows the default boot loader.
- Adjust BIOS settings to enable the Windows boot loader directly when installing the update.
This advisory was crucial for ensuring the secure implementation of SHA-2 code signing support in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 systems.
