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Topic: Patch Tuesday is here! Two Windows Updates released |
Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 10 Nov 2008 10:19 pm |
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Tuesday, November 11, 2008, is Patch Tuesday for owners of Windows operating systems, from version Win2k through Vista. Only two patches are planned for release this afternoon. One is rated Critical and the other is rated Important. The updates will begin to be pushed out over the Windows Updates network at about 1 PM Eastern time.
Anytime Microsoft releases a patch for a critical vulnerability you can assume that the bad guys have already created an exploit for it, or will do so soon. Keeping up to date with Windows Updates is very important for your computer's security.
Today is a good time to go over all of your security programs and run manual updates for those that don't feature automatic updates (translates into freeware applications).
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog
Last edited by Wiz Feinberg on 16 Nov 2008 8:22 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 11 Nov 2008 10:31 am
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The stated number of updates is misleading. I received 3 updates for Windows 2000, 5 for my XP laptop without MS Office and 6 for my XP Pro desktop with MS Office installed. One of the updates is the Malicious Software Removal Tool, which is updated once a month.
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 12 Nov 2008 10:25 am
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| My Vista 64 system, with MS Office 2003, is updating now and I got 8 updates. |
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Jon Light (deceased)
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 15 Nov 2008 8:44 am
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Are there any severe issues being reported about this past week's updates?
My friend's XP home rig won't finish booting without a blue screen crash with some talk about page faults. He & I spent most of the day yesterday trying everything I know (which should have taken all of 3 minutes but somehow took forever) with no success. Our best figuring is that he took automatic updates on Thurs. without restarting the computer and on end of day shut-down he selected 'shut down without installing updates'. Fri. morning he couldn't get started.
About one in five attempts to start in safe mode succeeds (all others crash) but no luck with anything I've tried including System Restore---sometimes crashes, sometimes hangs, never succeeds.
But I'm not really looking for answers to his problem (too difficult, I expect) except for whether there were any reported issues with the patches.
Also--I just can't remember where the patches are on XP and whether they are reversible any way besides Restore... |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 15 Nov 2008 12:35 pm
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Jon;
I haven't read about any problems caused by the November Windows Updates. However, from what you described, where your friend chose to shut down with only partially installed updates, he may have brought this on himself. Since most Windows Updates affect critical system files, if the update process is not allowed to run through to completion, the comuter may not start or work properly.
Under these circumstances his options include restoring the entire computer from a backup image (Acronis, Norton, Vista Ultimate imaging), or repairing Windows via the setup CD or DVD. A repair installation replaces system files with those on the original installation media, restoring operability. However, most of those files may now be out of date, due to Windows Updates. So, after running a repair installation he should run Windows Updates as soon as he is able to boot into Windows Desktop. Do nothing else until all updates have been completely installed! Don't even browse to our forum.
Epilogue
A partially installed Windows Update is worse than no update at all! The changes may not have a chance to get written into the Registry, causing the changed file to be rejected during the boot process.
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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Jon Light (deceased)
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 15 Nov 2008 12:46 pm
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Thanks Wiz. Sounds very plausible.
Please clarify something that always confuses me---the "Windows setup CD" will simply be the Windows CD that came with his Dell system, right? And he should proceed as if to reinstall Windows but will receive a prompt to opt to 'repair' rather 'install' and should take that fork in the road?
And with the very shaky condition of his system right now, crashing if you look at it sideways, how best to initiate this process? Booting with the CD in the tray? Safe boot, then Windows install from the control panel?
Thanks for any suggestions. Maybe we can save this rig from the compactor. |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 15 Nov 2008 11:54 pm
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Jon;
Have him insert the XP CD into the CD drive and boot from it. Messages will appear along the bottom of a graphical screen, telling him that Setup is inspecting the computer. This will come to a halt and offer options for setup, one of which is to perform a repair installation on top of the existing installation. It will verify that the original system files have not changed and overwrite any that are changed with fresh copies of the originals. This will hose all Windows security patches obtained since the computer was manufactured. Therefore, after repairing the installation it will be necessary to run a manual check for all available Windows Updates, including one for Windows Update itself.
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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Jon Light (deceased)
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 16 Nov 2008 8:37 am
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Thanks. With luck, this can be done. Biggest obstacle is the crashing computer that makes anything we've tried difficult or impossible. Tomorrow we'll hit it.
Your help, as always, is much appreciated. |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 16 Nov 2008 9:29 am
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Jon;
There are other causes of computer crashes besides file corruption. In my case the computer had random crashes and shutdowns that were caused by failing RAM modules. Once I replaced them with Crucial RAM the crashes, BSODs and shutdowns stopped.
Heat buildup is another cause of computer shutdowns. These usually manifest themselves by powering off the computer instantly. Loose heatsinks, RAM modules, plug-in cards, or connectors are the usual suspects.
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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Ken Lang
From:
Simi Valley, Ca
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Posted 16 Nov 2008 3:42 pm
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I recently had a blue screen come up. It said FILES-SYSTEM. The reboot was OK. I went thru this several times. I looked at the crash notes that would be sent to windows. The long line of files finally ended at a temp folder.
I deleted all the files from that folder and now it seems to be working OK. |
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Jon Light (deceased)
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 17 Nov 2008 2:24 pm
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| Compactor. |
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