As I said I have been loading 3 XP systems (clean installs - 2 pro and 1 home) and doing an upgrade re-install (XP again) and running into a few problems with download of exe packages, notably hosts.zip, but also others (Process explorer was another, so bit of a worry). Where and when the issue with hosts.zip began – I had not been keeping a record of which computer, what error, etc…so the problem came to be sorted as a general error and I felt that a general solution would eventually turn up. I found another computer stored away that had been loaded XP, carried through to SP3 and validated, and no further, so I had a means to troubleshoot the issue. But no general solution turned up except workarounds as mentioned earlier (download from Bob’s site, use IZark, and so on). Over a couple of days troubleshooting I decided that I did in fact have to change my current browser practice if I wanted to keep up with the play. And so I started an across the board transition to Google Chrome.
I think Bob got it right when he first asked about my decompression program. I basically didnt have a decompression capability to fall back on, thinking that XP by default unpacked basic everything unless a better facility was provided (like rar, for example). Until recently, this seemed to be what XP was doing. To resolve then, I could still download a program like IZark and use that to unpack exe packages. But I decided to change browser practice anyway. Maybe my way of running a media(tion)-free browser space, IE8 no accelerators, no add-ons, google search as home page not default Microsoft, and so on (as below), was no longer an option. I felt that I needed more browser management. Even when I was setting systems up for owners to install their own preference, say Firefox, or Opera. Up til recently everything had worked okay. But now I wanted better browser management - especially with upload / download.
I had loaded Chrome to the fresh computer and tested the download manager successfully on hosts.zip file, and then on Process explorer. I was suitably impressed. Even more when I run Chrome a bit, a reminder exercise really, I had briefly trialed Chrome a few months ago. http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=45751.msg389501#msg389501
And update http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2352973,00.asp?kc=PCRSS02129TX1K0000530
In the end, all computers were loaded with Chrome - standard practice from now on (unless advised differently by the owner). This made things a lot easier for me.
The PC I use most is now running Chrome, replacing Firefox with NoScript. I decided to give FF a break and come back to it later. I had a few FF problems around the upgrade to 3.5 and after, but in my case it was more that Chrome allowed me to run uniform desktops across the board. This what I want over next few months. I do think this months MS Patch were more strenuous than usual. And seems odd that, even when commonplace is running, routines that previously worked no longer do.
So looking for a zero-day scenario in my browser practice - before Chrome and after Chrome. In fact, all running systems in the house now have Chrome running with only one exception, the R50 laptop specified below (see pic). I run the laptop Microsoft-dedicated so that means IE8 as default browser. The R50 downloaded and installed hosts.zip with Hostman in the pre-zero-day method - that is how hosts protection was first set up. But it is now no longer capable of opening or extracting the file. Same with Process explorer. Plus the XP on this machine is not one of my systems, but rather a factory loaded system - more proof that changes have taken place at browser level, significant enough (surely!) So the R50 now needs a download manager, which will be IZark. And I also needed a Word processor so I installed standalone Word 97 for docs and stuff. (see pic) This program is for users who dont want MS Office but still need to write letters, keep docs, etc.
I still think possibility of malware infection, but for the life of me there are no detections or alerts to speak of. The upgrade / re-install machine came in infected but was cleaned and then ran a treat, more so with Chrome installed. Important changes I made during the troubleshoot period for Chrome included the setting of google as default search provider in Internet Options / General / Settings. Has Bing as default to begin with nowdays, I think. On some systems you will find Live and even Yahoo registered as default. I also enable suggestions for now. Otherwise I continue to run IE8 with no accelerators, if this is bad policy someone can put me right.
So far things are going well with Chrome. Still can improve things. Does place me much better with google search, which has pretty much been mainstay of my web use to date.
web search help http://www.google.com/support/websearch/bin/answer.py?answer=497&cbid=bz7wtvzj3dnj&src=cb&lev=answer.
I’ve had online desktop google docs since 2006, when google bought out writely.com. I keep an igoogle profile and I work that environment if I have a long session to do on the internet, using the google openID for supported apps - igoogle search is the same as default google search (and is found on that page). Makes for ideal referencing and other desktop and with added security of password in and log out. Reasonably good browser management there, and Chrome is still working underneath - I’ve downloaded Microsoft packages to test while in igoogle. The change to more browser mediation through Chrome has been all good so far. My avast has fitted in well, and my firewalls (OA or Outpost) are not a problem in the least. I feel like I’ve come in a bit from the wild.
Edit - I just loaded FF 3.5.3 to a computer so keep up with play in that environment as well. Seems fast - first impression. BTW - Thanks again for input Bob, helped push me to do a few things I’d been putting off.