*gets on Windows Update soapbox*

[sarea]

Okay. I feel I need to share this, given how many people I know have been affected by the latest virus. I was not affected, on any of my machines, because I'm always up to date with my security patches. And the reason why that is, is this nifty little tool called Windows Update. If installed, it exists in the background of your machine, and when Microsoft releases a critical security patch, it automatically downloads it, and depending on your preference, will either prompt you to install it, or will do so automatically. I know that it's been around at least since Windows 2000, and I've never understood why people didn't install it/use it, as it's extremely helpful in keeping my machines patched for all security fixes, long before any virus can create havoc (it's not the be-all, end-all, of course; you should always be careful when dealing with unknown executables). Microsoft is very good about releasing patches to prevent (or solve) security concerns when they find them, but obviously, people have to download them for them to do any good.

I'm not sure how to install the Windows Update tool if you don't already have it on your machine (there should be a way to activiate it -- I can get to it by clicking Start-->All Programs-->Windows Update), but you can also always manually find patches by going to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ -- it will scan your machine and list all of the critical security patches that you should download. (It will also list other patches that are not critical in nature, and you can decide whether or not you want to install those.) I'd recommend that everyone go there now to make sure that you don't have any other security holes in your machine(s), and then find a way to download the Windows Update tool.

Then, as long as you don't execute random files that you get in email or off the Web, you can enjoy a nice, virus-free computing experience. : )

Comments

[akscully.livejournal.com]

Of course, the real question is why Microsoft continues to release such assy products with HUGE FUCKING HOLES in them, holes that should have been found before release, not "Ooops! Looks like hackers can take control of your computer! SORREH!" and look and point at other people like it's their fault for getting a substandard product.

S8GH. Rage against the machine, man!

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

It's true. That's why I'm hoping their Trustworthy Computing initiative will actually make a difference. Though I do wonder if, in a product with millions of lines of code, whether it's truly possible to get all bugs out. I'm a total pessimist.

[akscully.livejournal.com]

It may have millions of lines of code, but it's assy code. We looked at some of the stuff in college and it made me cry. Our classes found tons of mistakes and inefficiencies in the code. Is it to be expected? Sure, to some degree. Programmers make mistakes. But when kids who have never coded before can see problems with dropped references, code that should have been deleted when an update occured and loops that would spiral on to infinity...it was sad, sad, sad.

It's not possible to get all the bugs out. There's always going to be something. My pessimism lies in the company itself. Trustworthy Computing or not, they release these crappy products because they can. They eat up smaller companies that show any sign of competing with them and try to shoehorn thier products into Windows and it never works. You just get a big piece of crap. The only option is going over to Macs and god, don't even get me started on that. Mas has their own set of problems to deal with.

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

Really? As far as I know, Microsoft has never released any of its code. In fact, that's one of the suggested remedies resulting from the DOJ trial. I don't want to defend MS, but the reality is that it has a ton of enemies. People hate it blindly (with or without good reason). It would not surprise me in the least if someone were to pass off something claiming it's MS when it's not. I mean ... think about it -- when someone trashes MS there's zero question about it. Oh, MS did that? Sure, I believe it. People will believe, regardless of fact. That's not to say that what you saw wasn't MS code, either, but ... again, I have a LOT of cynicism wrt both sides.

No question putting out a crappy product sucks ... but I suppose I'm just glad that they acknowledge these shortcomings and there's a way to install fixes rather than them going, well, you're SOL, see you later.

[akscully.livejournal.com]

Well, the professor who gave to us was sort of crazy and did tell us that we couldn't copy anything down or tell the adminstrators about this. So it is entirely possible that what we were looking at was either fake, or you know, not entirely legal.

*cough*

Attention college adminstrators! Nothing happened that day! Move along.

And I understand that MS hate does blind people to logic. I get that MS is a company and a publicly owned one at that and has to do what's best for its employees and shareholders; I just think that the way they're going about it is monumentally stupid. In the long run, it's going to hurt more than it helps. They're stamping out potential avenues of innovation that could help them put out a better product that's more efficient, would allow for better security and easier to fix when the inevitable problems do pop up.

[seldon.livejournal.com]

I've always been paranoid about computer security. I scan my floppies every time I insert them into my hard drive, I use Netscape with almost every feature turned off instead of IE, use windows update almost obsessively...

Some people on the office always look at me funny when I refuse to switch over to MS Exchange or IE because of security reasons, but whenever they all go crazy because of the latest worm (like yesterday) and my workstation is one of the few that doesn't become a $8,000 paperweight, all my habits are justified. And I don't even tell them "I told you so" =P

I blame my career choice. The thing about being a Computer Engineering is that you learn from very early on that computers are not to be trusted, because they will go down in flames the very minute you relax yourself. But please, don't tell anybody this, it's a secret from the Computer Engineering Guild. I guess it's like being a Civil Engineer and knowing that your apartment building could collapse if somebody knocked on that column just so...

And I never have been a big fan of Microsoft. I like some of their products, I love some of them... but I wish they didn't have these huge gaping holes in them. A 100% bug free, secure product is only a dream, I know, but when I read a Windows 98 box and one of its features was "Over 20,000 bugs fixed over Windows 95" I lost quite a bit of hope for the human race. Oh, well, at least when machines take over in the future all we'll have to do is hid ourselves and wait a couple of days until they all spontaneously crash because of a bug on their operating system.

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

OMG where is your icon from? It looks like Draco and Ginny to me. Hahaha. Anyway -- you're right to be so cautious, and even if I don't implement the same kind of security measures that you do, I definitely use Windows Update religiously. I just wanted to share w/ everyone that it existed, because I'm not sure that people know about it! It's so easy to stay up to date on security patches, and keep people from going through what everyone's gone through this time around.

I have to say that Windows XP is the most stable operating system I've ever used. I've heard of people here and there who have had problems with it, but on the whole it's been amazing. I used to have to reboot my machine quite often, especially if I'd been using a memory-intensive program like Photoshop, and with Windows XP I can keep it on around the clock, use whatever programs I like, and it's still functioning like normal. It gives me great hope that MS is on the right track.

Oh, well, at least when machines take over in the future all we'll have to do is hid ourselves and wait a couple of days until they all spontaneously crash because of a bug on their operating system.

LOL! Dat's funny shit. I also wracked my brain to come up with some snacky goodness recommendation for you (the whole thing about bawling through Moulin Rouge while eating celery cracked me up), but I can't seem to come up with anything that doesn't have one of the Evils. I mean, sherbet is acidic, isn't it? So that's out. And I'm already very wary of foods that have no fat in them, especially wrt desserts. Is there nonfat peanut butter? There has to be. That's not a huge improvement, but peanut butter w/ the celery sticks would at least feel a little more indulgent. :D

[seldon.livejournal.com]

OMG where is your icon from? It looks like Draco and Ginny to me.

*LOL!* They are Jonny Quest and Jessie Bannon from "The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest", the only other couple I've (actively) shipped. Your standard boring "they are best friends now, but they easily could be so much more" stuff :P

I have to say that Windows XP is the most stable operating system I've ever used.

I agree. I was shocked when I installed it into my workstation and could work three days without rebooting =P Seriously though, it is much more stable than any other Windows. It still crashes around me every now and then (XP is very memory greedy and I run a thousand services on my workstation at once), but it has more to do with my profession than with the code itself. Let's hope MS keeps its good record with their next OS. And they fix the memory greed issue - my office can't buy us RAM every time a new Windows is out :p

Is there nonfat peanut butter? There has to be. That's not a huge improvement, but peanut butter w/ the celery sticks would at least feel a little more indulgent.

I actually found a cookbook recipe to extract the fat out of the peanut butter a couple of days ago... but I'm not sure I'm allowed to eat peanuts. It's one of the things I have to check with my doctor. Now, I must confess that I had never thought about mixing peanut butter and celery before - cream cheese, yes, but peanut butter? Yet for some reason the idea sounds attractive... I'll have to try it soon and report back ;)

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

Peanut butter and celery sticks is like, the healthy snacky food that all (American) moms feed their kids (as a substitute for cookies and such). I still love it. Ohhh, I forgot about the nuts thing, but I guess I was thinking walnuts. Still, a nut is a nut and you should definitely be cautious. How cool -- fat extraction from peanut butter?? You'll have to tell me how that goes, if you do it. Am fascinated by the idea.