Comments on: Critical Windows patch may wreak PC havoc

Patch to fix serious Windows flaws can lock users out of their computer, prevent the Windows firewall from starting, block applications and cause other trouble.

[OneWithTech]

A Note from a Professional

I have been fixing my clients PC's for over 4 years now. I was there when the main question always asked by my clients was, "what is a virus and how do they affect my computer?"

Over the last year and a half that question has changed to, "what is spyware and how does it affect my computer?"

Those questions are never easy to answer; as well as the 50 questions asked yesterday on why our golf courses wireless system just mysteriously crashed.

I calmy try to explain to the 5 gentleman sitting in the board room; while fielding off questions from the Golf Pro, "I can't honestly tell you why you were getting your email this morning and then all of a sudden the network crashes?"

I told them all calmly that "I could ask Bill Gates at Microsoft." But then I rebuttled and told them that: "Bill would just get one of his lackies to tell me that it's ok that all my programs are F'up, because your still protected against that hacker."

The Microsoft lackie would continue to blow smoke up my ass while taking lashings from Bill and Steve on why Widows XP has had over 350 securtiy updates in the last 3 and a half years (I predict 500 by years end).

I've said this before and I'll say it again:
"You can repair a retaining wall with a broken base. The wall will never stand straight or lay plumb!"

This article has proved my theory on Windows 2K and XP. I am now fully confident that all these years that I have been adding this to the end of every question I get asked:

"Everytime Microsoft does an update to one of it's operating systems it affects everybodies program that has been installed on that PC."

"When Microsoft does an update, and it kills your Quicken. It's the wall theory in action."

You can quote me here, and you can ***** about me Bill and Steve. But the truth is that "Any Windows program that continues be updated for security flaws will NEVER be stable."

There is a reason that Microsoft is working on a new file system for it's Windows. And Microsoft knows that they will not be able to come out with another sucessfull OS until they figure out a new file system.

As Bill and Steve and doing this, things like web based applications are going to become more relevent to big business.

If you have web based applications like an online office of accounting software, then all you would need is a $200 PC and a web connection. Add a browser by SUN and Google and I'm on my way to safe surfing.

Who needs Microsoft now? Nobody.

Besides, you think that your XP or 2K operating system has flaws. Let it be known that there are serious security flaws in Microsoft's Office applications that you rarely see posted here.

Apparently a hacker can gain control of your computer while your using Outlook, Excel, or Word without the proper security updates.

So asked yourself this:

Do you really want to do your online banking or stock trading on a machine that is essentially a "Hang out for Hackers"?

Here's a real good question:

1 out of every 8 adults has been victim of identity theft in one way or another, myself included. These identity theft are made capable and are often aided by Windows machines.

Usually Window's machines that have security flaws that have been unpatched and then exploited are the victims.

Now ask yourself this:
Not once has the finger been poited at Bill Gates or Microsoft for allowing such to happen; or for contributing to ID theft as well as a host of other computer crimes.

Yet in Microsoft's EULA (End User Licence Agreement) it states most clearly that you are basically renting that Windows Disk from Microsoft. You do not OWN that windows operating system and Bill Gates and Microsoft have the right to take that disk away from you!

So if you own the Operating System Microsoft and Bill Gates. Don't you own the PROBLEMS that go with it. Should you (Microsoft) be held responsible for aiding in ID theft as well as a host of other crimes. After all, you own the Operating System!

There's so much more, and so many stories of Windows issues time and time again. Check it out here at www.tech01.net.

I would recommend reading the story about the Windows machine that was hacked so bad they were able to make Internet Explorer display links on my webpage that I didn't put there. And I'm a WebMaster!

Window's is screwed up more than most can comprehend or understand. Fortunate for me, I comprehend everything digital as well as understand it. Everything!

There will come a time when you can feel safe again surfing on the web and doing your banking deeds while checking your stock portfolio.

I can't tell you when it's going to come. But I can tell you that it won't come from Microsoft and Sun and Google will play a big part in it!

www.tech01.net

Justin

[SystemsJunky]

Blah Blah Blah

And justin, judging by your website. Your using Frontpage 1.0. Those things you mention dont apply today..

Arent you a Mac Lackie yourself anyway? So why do you care?

Hmm. Heres an idea for all those who feel threatened by Viruses, malware and spyware.

Run Updates
Run a hardware firewall
Run the Windows Firewall.

I have had none of these in 3 years(viruses, spyware, malware). And I dont even use a antivirus! The main problem lies in the Inet Providers who, by there own submission, Put users on the internet with no protection at all. Now tell me, if I were to put my system on the web directly from my cable modem, dont you think I would be 100% vulnerable to attack?

DUH!!!!

[Marcus Westrup]

Don't look now,

But someone hacked your site.

[David Arbogast]

...zzzzzzzzz

I'd terminate the contract for any self-proclaimed "professional" who came into my office and spilled this drivel on the floor. The language, the attitude, and the inability to focus on making progress, all while spewing a "hip" negative attitude about the company's chosen software platform certainly demonstrate a lack of integrity and professionalism.

[Andrew J Glina]

EULA

Before attacking Microsoft for a EULA that says that you do not own the software, try reading the Mac OS X EULA.

http://www.apple.com/legal/sla/macosx104.html

It is no different. In short...

"...The software (including Boot ROM code), documentation and any fonts accompanying this License whether on disk, in read only memory, on any other media or in any other form (collectively the "Apple Software") are licensed, not sold, to you by Apple Computer, Inc. ("Apple") for use only under the terms of this License, and Apple reserves all rights not expressly granted to you...."

This is standard. As a "Professional" you should know this.

[Betty Roper]

Tell us how you REALLY feel...

There's an audio book version of his post available on audible.com

the solution?

SWITCH TO APPLE!!!



=p

The Easiest Solution

Switch to LINUX!
I have been using LINUX for years and Never have these stupid problems. Only on the windows side of my one Dual-boot PC and the XP home PC (wife needed it for work) all the rest of my PC's run some form of LINUX.
Sorry all you Microsoft guys face it the times they are a changing!

[Sallie Bailey]

Bizarre Effect from Update

I posted this on a Forum I belong to - did it happend to anyone else?
*****************
"I checked the Microsoft Update site and they had a couple - one was kind of a 'package' deal with security updates plus better spam IDs, etc. I installed it (yesterday) and discovered - today - that when I e-mailed anyone a photo file with a message - that there was no record of it in my 'sent' mail! So - I sent a photo and message to myself - not only was there no record of it - I never received it!!! One message I sent (with photo) was rather lengthy and I wanted to save a copy. As far as I can tell - it doesn't exist anywhere!
I immediately restored my computer to day before yesterday - and the reinstalled to see if I'd done something wrong - or it was just an aberration the first time. Same thing happened! What's up with this??????????????"

[d2r4]

No problems?

Don't know what reality your from. But in the one me and the rest of the world enjoy... linux is far from problem free... if you think it's so perfect, obviolsly you've never tryed to compile any open-source apps. Package depenancies that take hours to resolve, missing libraries that won't compile or are horribly out of date and won't work with the lates kernel version.... thats fun too, I love recompiling half my software after a kernel upgrade.

Windows is far from perfect but, fyi latest window update went smoothly on all 7 of my home pc's and I haven't had any distrest users call yet.

Your reality is "horribly out of date."

My senior citizen mother uses linux. She updates it and even installs new (pre-compiled) software with less problems than Windows and doesn't even have to pay for it. It came set up with a solid firewall and quite strict security permissions. It has more applications than she will ever use and has all the ones that she wants. I guess that's what happens when you actually get a distribution that is centered around the user instead of around the programmer. If you too would like a decent experience with linux then try out Suse 9.2 (I didn't like the KDE bugs in Suse 9.3--there are probably updates though--and 10.0 is too new for me to recommend, yet). Just make sure you have reasonably recent hardware (esp. an agp/pci-x video card that is not built into the motherboard), or you may not even get the install program to run. While not 100% bug free, it is at least as good as Windows. (My mom claims it is better because her computer does not automatically dial the internet or get tons of pop-ups for no good reason.)

[Llib Setag]

2006: MacIntels for Mac OSX/WinOS/Unix/Linux in 1 box

2006 will be the year that Citizen Gates has his nidlife crisis
meltdown & Big Brother Ballimer with blow a gasket in his
mechanical heart!

Intel + Mac OSX in one box that wil run Mac OSX Unix/Windows
OS/Unix/Linix/Java on a solid UNIX box will extremely little
viruses & ease of operation with true plug & play (vs. "plug &
pray" with WinOS & IBM cloner boxes)

The temperature is rising in Jurassic Park in Redmond & the
DOSasaurs are going to be extinct before their new savor
"AstalaVista OS" can save them in 12/2006 or 12/2007 or
12/2008...
"Oh, the tide is turning..." Roger Waters

[Mister L]

You're joking, right?

Surely you don't expect anyone...anyone...(except obviously yourself...nice to have all that spare time, eh?)...to set a restore point, install ONE patch, set a new restore point, install ONE patch, rinse and repeat? You are kidding, right? Try that with a few thousand PCs that people actually use to work sometime, see how long you are emplyed.

[patterjp]

Killed my computer

Took several reboots in safe mode before I was able to recover my computer. Some 'FIX'. Not first time that a Critical Windows Patch has messed up my Windows XP Pro

[aabcdefghij987654321]

Now fix the permissions according to the link

Obviously you were mucking around changing permissions in places you hadn't ought to be fooling with and set yourself up for problems you could have avoided. Well there's no help for foolishness but don't go blaming others for your own mistakes.

I have had to format the hard drvie

The whole thing wrecked my pc, it disabled the firewall, btyahoo antispyware, and various other programmes. Its been a nightmare. I hope that something is done to rectify the matter soon

[aabcdefghij987654321]

Now when you are done reloading

DONT GO MUCKING AROUND WITH PERMISSIONS ON SYSTEM FOLDERS. The problems you had were caused by YOU, not by MS. Could it be any clearer?

[X=0]

This is terrible

This "patch" has ruined my Dell and I lost ALL of my data. I couldn't
log in to my account. I had to take out the hard drive and put a new
one in and re-install Windows. I have lost all pictures music
documents all kinds of data that I had for a year. I have to rte-
install all of my applications and re enter all of my custom settings
as well as bookmarks etc. This is the worst patch I have gotten. I
can't wait until the next one becuz Microsoft will have it figured out
the problem by then and will offer a wonderful new patch that will
resolve ALL of my pc using problems!!!

[ChrisTexan]

Monitor standards

Word out of Redmond is that nearly 100% of current monitors will NOT work in the advanced modes of Windows Vista. Want to watch HDTV? Buy a new monitor. Want the highest resolutions and screen tricks of the new OS? Buy a new monitor. Not a new connector mind you (which adapters are nearly always quick to appear as mentioned by another reply to you), but a new monitor with a new chip on the circuit board. Have a nice day! :-) (That was sarcasm about Microsoft).
Of course, why an inline "adapter" can't be made to send the proper "yes, I'm a certified monitor" signal is the next question... my guess is it might take 3 days after Vista's release to see one, until the "can't reverse engineer/decrypt our solution" lawsuits begin a-la CSS.

[aabcdefghij987654321]

Low comprehension level

You obviously didn't understand the article you read. The advanced video modes in the article are only talking about playing videos which invoke the new "trusted" path. It has nothing to do with the possible screen resolutions or "screen tricks".

[buffer_overflow]

Linux rocks but USE a Mac running OS X

Much, much easier to use. It's funny, i'm the sys admin for the company I work for and we have 50/50 Wintel Mac OS X. Sent out an e-mail that we will be updating the Wintel PC's.

The Mac's are Not affested by this at all, those people and the OS X servers can keep running without a hitch.

Thanks M$ I needed the overtine :)

[buffer_overflow]

Oopss can I say spell check :)

:)

[curtsrca]

"affested"

"Affested" has to be the best coined word in a long time!
Combining "affected" and "infested" into one word is a real time
saver. Thanks.

[jv]

Come On! Stop with the nonsense

The problem affected a very small number of PCs/Servers that were not configured correctly to begin with. Thursday or Friday MS released the security info needed to fix the problem.

"Stuff" happens. Always test, test, test on critical systems before deploying. Do your "System STate" and backups.

This same hting happens on Mac, Linux, Sun and all others at times when patches are releasd.

No pice of software can ever be 100% tested.

[philpacker]

Maybe to you it does

Yeah, yeah, no software is perfect and Linux, MacOS and Solaris
can have issues too, but as long as windows users keep
excusing this perpetual poor quality of engineering in MS
products, you will keep getting the same. The nonsense that
has to stop is the constant treadmill of MS re-writes and users
re-installing etc, etc. Just stop telling yourself that "it happens
to everyone'. You don't hear Linux, MacOS or Unix users
rationalizing that way.

We spend a huge amount of money on these products, we
should demand higher quality, especially now when there are
completely viable other alternatives. I stopped using windows
last year and have to admit, my computing life improved many
fold

[Betty Roper]

You're no fun...

That's a perfectly reasonable and logical comment. How did you get into this forum???

[buffer_overflow]

There is an x86 OS X out there

Since Apple will be using Intel for their chips in the near future Apple had to pull the x86 version of OS X out of the mothball closet and update it today?s current hardware. I have seen and used OS X for x86 on a Vaio laptop and it works really well and is really fast, now Apple does not want to go into the business of just selling software.

I would not call Apple hardware crappy; you have some sort of bias and obviously have never used Apple hardware. I have my execs on a PowerBooks, and their admin?s on PC laptops, the admin?s don't travel nearly as much as the execs and their crappy PC's break down all the time or cal me and say I have the blue screen of death, or I'm at a Hotel and can't connect. I NEVER hear that from my execs as the Apple hardware and OS X just plain works? and it works well.

Nuff said.

XP PATCH

No problems as yet

[aabcdefghij987654321]

Didn't have any problems with the thousands of machines where I work either

Most of the people blowing about this really have no clue about how ignorant is was for the people who caused this problem for themselves to have made the kind of changes they did.

[Lolo Gecko]

other then that ...

Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?

[aabcdefghij987654321]

Learn English to quote it

Theirs a huge difference between "then" and "than" but your probably aware of that. I just guess we'll have to bare with you.

(there's, you're and bear intentionally replaced with the typical incorrect words substituted for them)

Linux

Get Linux. It's free. google linux distrobutions

Yea, Baby!

I've got SUSE Linux installed and have had the OS patch itself multiple times. Usually while I am logged on and with no reboot. No patch has ever locked me out of or wrecked my machine. And M$ wonders why Linux is a threat???

I'll get Linux when . . .

I would actually be quite happy to use a desktop Linux OS. But I can't until I have the equivalent of the following applications that I use regularly:
Flash
Photoshop
Dreamweaver
Final Cut (maybe even just iMovie)
Powerpoint/Keynote
Filemaker Pro
Quickbooks

What you have today on desktop Linux is mail, browser, basic word processing, basic spreadsheet. That can be enough for a few people, but not lots of people.

What's missing from desktop Linux are consumer applications, plain and simple.

[rmanzoni21]

Get Ubuntu

It´s good!

[BillTheCat]

Try Knoppix

Hey, give the latest Knoppix a try. It will run on your existing computer and it doesn't install anything there -- it runs from the CD or DVD drive and uses some RAM. Try it, test it and then make your decision.

I can't afford M$ downtime anymore. My company switched to all linux 2 years ago and no more patches, problems, viruses, .....

[Bobman]

Tried it

It ran incredibly slow, but thats expected on a LiveCD. However, It kept freezing when I would try to do some things, like change the desktop background for example. I also gave Fedora Core 4 a shot, but I couldn't get Wi-Fi to work on either Fedora or Knoppix, and I don't want to have to take the time to config ndiswrapper. Sadly, I get my internet through a wireless network, and without the internet linux isn't very useful to me. Guess I'll just have to wait until somebody makes real linux drivers for my Netgear wireless adapter before I can really try out linux.

[Hernys]

No more patches?

Man, if you are not patching your linux boxes, you are living on a false sense of security...

[davidows]

How does one do that?

"To resolve any problems caused by the MS05-051
patch, users should restore the default
permissions for the Windows folder and the COM+
catalog."

How do you do that when you're locked out?

[Bobman]

rare event

Its incredibly rare to be locked out of your computer because of this patch. Usually, it'll prevent some programs from working and even if you are locked out, you can still probably get in through safe mode.

[aabcdefghij987654321]

Boot to Console mode

Since that looks like a serious question it deserves a serious answer.

You may have to use your Windows XP installation CD unless you already installed the option to your hard disk.

heh

Maybe if you actually used a real copy of Windows XP or Windows Media Center 2005, you wouldn't have these problems. The drivers for the Intel Pro 10/100 chipset has been included in every copy of Windows XP/Media Center for the past 8 years.

Of course, it's pretty standard for pirate versions of XP to have half the stuff cut out. That, or your just plain lying and/or exaggerating because you want it to be true. No version of Linux that has "everything you'd ever need" installs in 20 minutes. Last Linux install I did took well over 50 minutes on a 3.4Ghz machine with a hardware RAID-0 on two VERY VERY fast drives (Over 100Mb/sec sustained). A XP install took far less, and everything was done. Sound, network, media player, IE, the desktop was running, all LONG before linux (Just the darn kernel) was installed. X86/Gnome/KDE took even longer -- because linux didn't like the video card.