Summary – This Product Notice informs you of the effect a recent Microsoft Windows Security Update will have on select Rockwell Automation software products.  When the patch is applied to specific Microsoft Windows platforms hosting Connected Components Workbench™ (CCW), ISaGRAF®, AADvance® Workbench, and vMonitor®, project files for these products cannot be opened.  In some instances, the project files may become corrupt.

Important – The Rockwell Automation software products themselves are correct.  Microsoft is aware of this anomaly and has plans for a correction to the security update patch.  Microsoft has issued a statement indicating a correction to their security update will be released in February 2019.

Details of this notification, including corrective actions, can be found below (referenced from Knowledgebase Article ID 1083902).

This article is a summary for your review. Please refer to the attached .PDF (found at the bottom of this article) for images and more detailed information.

PRODUCT IDENTIFICATION

The products affected by the installation of the identified Microsoft Windows security patches are:

• ISaGRAF 4 Workbench
• ISaGRAF 5 Workbench
• AADvance Workbench (all versions)
• FlexiSafe™ Workbench
• CCW (Connected Components Workbench) when used with projects containing Micro800™ controllers
• ISaGRAF 6 Workbench for application targeting ISaGRAF 5 Runtime
• ISaGRAF 6 Workbench for application targeting vMonitor Runtime

Refer to Appendix B in the attached PDF documents for a complete list of affected product by catalog number.

Important – The identified Rockwell Automation products are affected by the installation of specific Microsoft Windows security updates. Rockwell Automation products do not require direct remediation. Refer to the Temporary Workaround and Correction sections of this document for information on remediating Microsoft Windows products.

DESCRIPTION

On January 8, 2019, Microsoft released several security updates to Windows operating systems that resulted in functional anomalies within the identified products. Microsoft is aware of this issue and is working to release corrected patches. Microsoft has released the following statement:

“Applications that use a Microsoft Jet database with the Microsoft Access 97 file format may fail to open if the database has column names greater than 32 characters. The database will fail to open with the error, “Unrecognized Database Format”. Microsoft is working on a resolution and estimates a solution will be available early February.”

On affected systems, customers will be unable to open projects with the listed Rockwell Automation products. The specific Microsoft Windows security updates are:

• Window 10, depending on your build version, the KB to remove will vary:
• January 8, 2019 – KB4480116 (Build 1809)
• January 8, 2019 – KB4480966 (Build 1803)
• January 8, 2019 – KB4480978 (Build 1709)
• January 8, 2019 – KB4480973 (Build 1703)
• Windows 8.1 : January 8, 2019 – KB4480963
• Windows 7 : January 8, 2019 – KB4480970
• Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 : January 8, 2019 – KB4480968
• Windows Server 2012 : January 8, 2019 – KB4480972
• Windows Server 2016 : January 8, 2019 – KB4480977

Additional information on the effect this patch has on Rockwell Automation products can be found on the Rockwell Automation Knowledgebase Article ID 1083785.

TEMPORARY WORKAROUNDS

Until Microsoft addresses this issue, Rockwell Automation recommends removing the Microsoft KB security update associated with your version of Windows as described in the Description section of this document.

Important – The workaround requires the use of a Windows Administrator account.

You can follow these steps to remove a KB security update:

1. Open the Windows Control Panel, Programs and Features application
2. Click “View installed updates”
3. Locate one of the updates listed in Description section of this document
4. Right-click on the update and select Uninstall
5. Restart your computer

For specific instructions on how to remove a Windows update on Windows 10, Windows 8.1, or Windows 7, refer to the Microsoft support page Windows Update: FAQ, “How do I remove an installed update?”

Note – For Microsoft Windows 10, product updates may automatically reinstall at the next computer restart. Microsoft has provided a tool for Windows 10 to prevent this reinstallation. Refer to the support article https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/3183922/how-to-temporarily-prevent-a-windows-update-from-reinstalling-in-windo for more information.

CORRECTION

Correction requires installation of the corrected Microsoft Windows security update. Microsoft anticipates making this update available early February 2019.

REQUESTED CUSTOMER ACTION

Rockwell Automation requests you take the following actions:

• Check if you have a product affected by this Product Notice. Refer to the Product Identification and Description sections of this document for product identification assistance.
• If you need additional assistance, please contact Rockwell Automation Technical Support. See Appendix A for local telephone numbers. Customers without TechConnect℠ support contracts should reference this Product Notice when calling.
• Customers with TechConnect support contracts may be able to chat online with support representatives. Reference this Product Notice when connected to a support engineer.