Each month, the team at Readiness analyzes Microsoft’s latest updates and provides technically sound, actionable testing plans. July’s release brings significant updates to core Windows components, most notably in the areas of printing, networking, and media playback. Two components have been designated as high-risk and warrant immediate attention: the Printing Subsystem and Routing and Remote Access (RRAS).
For this July testing guide, we have grouped Microsoft’s updates by Windows feature and accompanied each section with prescriptive test actions and rationale to help prioritize enterprise validation efforts.
Core OS and Printing
Microsoft has updated several core kernel drivers affecting the Windows OS as a whole. This is a low-level system change and carries a high risk of compatibility and system issues. In addition, core Microsoft print libraries have been included in this month’s update, requiring additional print testing in addition to the following testing recommendations:
- Run print operations from 32-bit applications on 64-bit Windows environments.
- Use different print drivers and configurations (e.g., local, networked).
- Observe printing from older productivity apps and virtual environments, paying close attention to the boundaries/margins of the printing area.
Remote Desktop & Network Connectivity
This month’s updates may impact the reliability of remote access, and regressions in RRAS can disrupt critical network infrastructure. We recommend that the following tests are performed:
- Create and reconnect Remote Desktop (RDP) sessions under varying network conditions.
- Test modifying NAT and routing settings in RRAS configurations and ensure that changes persist across reboots.
- Create a VPN profile using the UI or PowerShell and try to connect/disconnect with different VPN servers.
- Test RemoteApp functionality by setting up and using web feed URLs.
Filesystem and Storage
Updates to the core Windows storage libraries impact nearly every command related to file and storage operations. A minor misalignment here can result in data access issues. These are high-priority components in modern data center and hybrid cloud infrastructure, with the following storage-related testing recommendations:
- Mount and dismount FastFat, NTFS, and UDFS volumes.
- Test directory query related scenarios, such as [NtQueryDirectoryFileEx] and [NtQueryDirectoryFile.
- Configure a cluster shared volume and use it for a VM deployment.
- Run any third-party hardware disk diagnostic tool.
Media and Codecs
Microsoft has issued extensive testing guidance for media codecs, indicating a focus on this area. We recommend the following tests:
- Perform extensive testing of DVD playback, including menu navigation, chapter selection, and playback of MPEG2-encoded files from local storage.
- Validate playback on both modern and low-end hardware, monitoring for performance issues or excessive CPU usage.
- Test advanced DVD features like subtitle/audio track switching, region encoding, and CSS copy protection.
- Open and play TIFF files.
Application Deployment and SQL Server
Updates to application deployment and management components require validation to ensure that application lifecycle operations are not impacted. Additionally, this month’s updates include patches for various versions of SQL Server with the following suggested testing efforts:
- Perform installation, repair, and uninstallation of MSI Installer packages using standard enterprise deployment tools.
- Test any application deployment operation on the System drive (default) or additional volume (D:\ or E:).
- For SQL Server, install the appropriate GDR patch on top of the baseline/RTM version and perform a clean installation and removal of the patch.
The Readiness team highly recommends prioritizing your printer testing this month, leading onto remote desktop and RRAS deployment testing, and ensuring that your core business applications install and uninstall as expected. Finally, validate the media and codec updates, as these have been highlighted by Microsoft as a key area of change.
