Windows critical update note

General Topics
1

Update your windows OS people.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=575&e=2&u=/nm/tech_microsoft_security_dc

2

Thank you, lees4, for the update info. I read the articale in the link, visited MS Windows Update, got the 2 patches, and now my W98SE is fully patched once again! :slight_smile:

3

Just thought I would pass it on ;D windows XP users also should update…

4

Yup!
Looks like there are 5 new Windows XP Pro updates for my machine. They were not there before.

Looks like automatic updating takes too long to scan for updates as opposed to a manual push.

Thanks! ;D

5

I had a heck of a time downloading and installing them, even at 3 AM EDT – they all eventually downloaded ok, I finally got 2 installed online, and managed the other 3 offline (by running them from their TempWU folder). The site must have been a madhouse.

Problem is, in the Installation History at Win Update those 3 are showing simply as “failed” because not installed on-site. Is there any way to force a refresh of the history so “everyone” agrees on what I do or don’t have installed? (XP-Home, IE-6, both with – hopefully – all critical upgrades.)

Thanks and best,
Mike

6

You see… this is why the Windows Update site sucks.

For one thing… it can’t tell what updates you already have on your PC unless you can maintain an active internet connection.

I’ve been able to update my processor driver through device manager yet Windows Update records it in the history section. Instead of calling it a “web site” install… it places the term “device manager” in the history.

As for the offline updates… you may need to be connected to the net as I notice that when installing ANY critical update… there is internet activity AFTER the patch is applied.

Probably to update your history settings.
That really sucks.

Microsoft will probably be busy over the next week or so with people clogging their servers. I wish they could use some of their monopoly money to develop a better Windows Update Server. >:(

It’s time to replace the outdated v4 address with a the new v5! :wink:

7

Mike - Next time you visit Windows Update, your Windows files will be scanned again to see what is there and what needs to be there.

Whether or not those 3 patches show up as a “web site update” matters little at all. What is important is that they show up regardless of what “tag” is placed by them in the history. :slight_smile:

By the way, I visit Windows Update site at least once a month so that I have no more than one or two patches (or none at all) anytime I visit. :slight_smile:

8

Hi and thanks, Charley. Hopefully you’re right, although after downloading last night Update was showing nothing available even though I hadn’t yet installed the last three.

I generally check Updates every week or two myself – last night was unusual (at least recently), as you may have seen earlier in this thread MS released 5 critical upgrades for XP all at once.

Best,
Mike

9

FIVE???
I only got three :o
should I panic?? should I hide my computer from creepy crawlies?? ;D
sorry…got carried away there :wink:
anyway…2 were XP, the other was for OE…I won’t install the one for NVIDIA drivers…so, what was the fifth one?

cojo

10

Yep I got the notice of 5 critical updates for XP and had a heck of a time downloading them early this morning …had to wait until I got home this afternoon before finally getting them installed …I usally check for updates once a week …

11

Numbers of them: 831167 / 837001 / 835732 / 837009 / 828741
If anybody searchs the Microsoft Database could found what they are related with.
Cojo, the NVIDIA updates are, generally, quite good ones. I recommend. I have no problems in the past with this drivers updates 8)

12

thanks, Technical!
I hestitate about the NVIDIA because my computer started acting really strange after the last one before the Famous Reformat ;D
so I am a little “gunshy” about doing it again unless really absolutely postively necessary ???

cojo

13

I cannot imagine you are not using a system restore feature: GoBack, Norton Ghost, regular backups…
Windows XP can uninstall drivers and/or roll-back them to the previous ones.

But thinking better, if your monitor is working, do not touch them… Life is more than computer troubleshooting 8)

14

Quoted from Technology News:

Microsoft Corp. has released three critical patches to fix security flaws that could allow an attacker to take over another computer user’s Windows operating system.

A fourth patch, which the company called “important,” also fixes a similar vulnerability in the Windows operating system that is used on more than 90 percent of the world’s computers.

The patches, released Tuesday as part of Microsoft’s regular monthly update, apply to versions of the Windows operating system dating back to Windows 98, and also affect Windows server systems going back to Windows NT Server 4.0.

NOTE:
The company is scheduled to release a free update for its Windows XP operating system later this year that is aimed solely at improving security.

The servers are overloaded so you may only get one or two updates to download and install. When the computer asks to be restarted…Dont.
RE-run the scan and pick up the remaining updates. If you restart, then you will have to wait in line again for the downloads. A little trick I learned.

Have fun
Techie

15

Yeah! Terrible day for updates… I have to do it 4 times to get the 5 files… Never mind :stuck_out_tongue:

16

Don’t trust “Microsoft Driver” updates… EVER. new rule! ;D

They’re written for a HUGE “GENERIC” range of ATI, NVIDIA, VIA Audio hardware and have no SPECIFIC code written for one particular hardware device.

It’s more of a plain generic driver. :stuck_out_tongue:
Better to go DIRECTLY to your hardware source for quality drivers.

PS: The one I have not installed for the “Windows XP” category is the .NET framework. I have NO need for that.

PPS: The driver update? Like I said… I won’t install it. My Creative Labs Sound Blaster card has NEWER drivers at www.creative.com compared to the 2 year old ones being displayed on Windows Update! ::slight_smile:

17

Don’t you just love the “generic” terms they use to describe a vulnerability?

I read the SAME thing in the basic description with each release. ::slight_smile:

18

Hi,

few advices (or just the description how I’m doing that 8))

  1. I’m subscribed to the MS security newsletter. It usually comes sooner than the Windows Update service notices.

  2. I use MBSA (Microsoft Baseline Security Analyser) for checking which updates I’m missing. Althought it has few glitches, it displays all the missing updates, even for Office & stuff. Windows Update does display only OS patches. MBSA is available for free download.

  3. Then I download the files manually from http://download.microsoft.com, usually I enter KBxxxxxx in the search box and then I select the file for my OS/language.

I install the updates then and archive them, just in case of some crash or something. As I have on my notebook the very same OS, I just download them once, install twice.

Yeah, it’s some manual work, but at least you know what you did and if you use download manager, it can be also resumed without problems…

19

Nice tip on the servers overloaded, Techie! Re-running the scan if all don’t download is a good idea. :slight_smile:

Yes, it seems everyone went at once to get those updates.

20

Where? I tried in the past but unsucessfully…

Why with the last updates the user just ‘need’ to be connected to apply them? They were small (200-300k) but, after starting, download more than double or third times this size… Does anybody knows why?