Windows

The wizards at Redmond have done it again. Not only did they not tell us about the updates to Windows Update on our PCs, they managed to break the XP repair function. From Windows Secrets:
After a repair install of XP, which resets the operating system to its original state, Windows Update can’t install the 80 [...]

According to Secunia Advisory SA26960, If you have the Ask Toolbar installed on your system, you’re at risk. From Secunia Weekly Summary - Issue: 2007-39:
A vulnerability has been discovered in the Ask.com Ask Toolbar, which can be exploited by malicious people to compromise a user’s system. The vulnerability, a boundary error in the AskJeevesToolBar.SettingsPlugin.1 ActiveX control [...]

I first heard of this in the latest issue (Vol. 7, #39 - Sep 25, 2007 - Issue #296) of WXP News.
“A security flaw has been discovered in Adobe’s Acrobat Reader, which is installed on a huge number of PCs. The vulnerability allows attackers to compromise Windows computers…. This problems affects Acrobat Reader versions 7, 8.0 [...]

The latest WXP News reports that you no longer have to call Microsoft support services to obtain hotfixes; you can submit a request via the web:
Until recently, to get a hot fix you had to call Microsoft support services. Now they’ve made it easier by providing a web site where you can order hot fixes you [...]

I get a lot of ”Ask the Geek” emails from people whose computers won’t shut down properly, either hanging up or rebooting endlessly. (Sometimes, nothing at all happens and you have to press and hold the power button.) Rather than trying to answer each question, I figure it’s time I made this tip available.
So, I wrote a [...]

The good folks over at Secunia have a nice, free, web-based tool to scan your computer for certain common vulnerabilities. I’m surprised I didn’t pick up on this before, as I get the Secunia alert newsletter.:
Secunia Software Inspector6 December, 2006 - Secunia is proud to announce the availability of the Secunia Software Inspector. Detect and update [...]

CardSpace (formerly InfoCard) is Microsoft’s new digital identity meta-system that comes with Windows Vista by default. Now, if you have .NET Framework 3.0 on your PC, you have CardSpace; it’s a .NET 3.0 component. But you probably didn’t know that (I didn’t) unless you’re a .NET enthusiast. There was no fanfare about it.
I’m glad to see it, in a [...]

In an effort to thwart removal efforts, the criminals who produce malware such as WORM_SOHANAD.AF have taken to disabling Windows Task Manager and Registry Editor. The technique isn’t new, but its use is on the rise according to SANS NewsBites Vol. 9 No. 53:
BotVoice-A… disables the Windows registry editor which makes cleaning up the mess [...]

If you’re not listening to the Security Now! podcast, you’re missing out on the best current information on PC security tips, trends, and software. I won’t try to summarize the latest and greatest piece of host-based security software, but I will say this: Blink is it — you don’t need anything else. Uninstall your antivirus. [...]

Over the last couple of months, Ask the Geek has gotten a spate of questions regarding XP problems that weren’t catastrophic, but which caused shutdown problems, CD ejection errors, and a myriad of other annoyances. Back in the Windows 95/98/ME days, when users would see “This program has performed an illegal operation…,” I would always scandisk/defrag first, [...]

Well, it’s the first one of the New Year that I saw. A friend of mine sent an email early on New Year’s Day:
Help! After defragging and rebooting I got the error message: ’Application failed to initialize: 0×800106BA. A problem caused Windows Defender Service to stop. To start the service, restart your computer or search Help [...]

The Windows Vista beta program is finished and the product has been released to manufacturing, so you can’t go out and download it anymore (at least not from Microsoft). But you can still test drive Vista–as well as Microsoft’s other OS, Office and server products–at TechNet Virtual Labs.
From the site: “Quickly evaluate and test [...]