Emergency Microsoft Patches Issued Tomorrow
Monday, July 27, 2009
Microsoft is releasing a pair of out-of-sequence security patches tomorrow, to fix vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer and Visual Studio. It's unusual for Microsoft to stray from their regular Patch Tuesday cycle (the second Tuesday of the month). While the Visual Studio patch will affect a small percentage of computers, the Internet Explorer patch applies to any computer running Windows.
To make sure you get these updates, either turn Automatic Updates on (bearing in mind the pros and cons of doing so) or visit update.microsoft.com to check for these latest patches.
Software patches (also called updates) are fixes for bugs that could allow malicious software to enter your computer. By staying current on these patches, you improve your computer's defense.
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Posted byTriona Guidry at 8:28 AM 0 comments
Labels: alerts, antivirus, consumers, emergency, Internet, internet explorer, malware, pc, security, small business, spyware, viruses, web, windows
Viruses And USB Flash Drives
Monday, January 26, 2009
One of the nasty things about the Conficker virus (10 million PCs and counting) is its multiple methods of infection, including the way it infiltrates USB flash and network drives.
Imagine you get a flash drive from a friend, plug it in, and get the following message. Look closely. It seems like normal Windows, right? Wrong. If you pick the first choice ("publisher not specified") you just infected yourself with Conficker.
This is the virus using a real Windows window to confuse you. Keep an eye out for any change, however small, to the usual things your computer does. In this case the virus inserts itself before the normal Windows options, knowing that most people simply click the first link without looking. You can disable Autoplay to avoid this particular trick, but there will be others.
Another nasty thing about Conficker is the second shoe it may be about to drop. Researchers say they expect Conficker to download and install a second payload that may do more to your computer than simply infect it. So patch your computer, keep that antivirus software current, and stay tuned to Tech Tips for more news.
Posted byTriona Guidry at 1:08 PM 0 comments
Labels: alerts, antivirus, consumers, emergency, malware, small business, spyware, windows
Conficker Virus Infects Millions Of PCs
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Remember that emergency Windows patch I told you about in October? A super-virulent virus based on that bug is taking over Windows computers. Known as Conficker or Downadup, it may control as many as 9 million PCs... and counting.
To protect yourself, make sure your antivirus software is up to date and that you are current on your Windows updates (try Microsoft Update). The update that closes the hole used by this virus is MS08-067, but shows up as KB958644 in Add/Remove Programs if you have Show Updates checked.
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Posted byTriona Guidry at 1:49 PM 1 comments
Labels: alerts, antivirus, emergency, windows
Alert: Emergency Windows Update
Friday, October 24, 2008
An emergency, off-schedule update for Microsoft Windows has been released. This update fixes a bug that could allow your computer to be compromised even without user interaction, and affects users of Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008.
If you have Automatic Updates enabled you should get the update automatically. If you're not sure or would like to double-check, visit the Microsoft Update web site. Microsoft updates are normally released the second Tuesday of the month (known in the computer industry as "Patch Tuesday").
Posted byTriona Guidry at 1:58 PM 0 comments
Labels: alerts, emergency, windows
Alert: Trend Micro Update May Freeze Windows Computers
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
A recent update for Trend Micro's Internet Security software may cause Windows to freeze.
The update, released on Friday, September 5, 2008 and corrected by Trend Micro the same day, erroneously identifies several key system files as infected. Symptoms may include programs that fail to run or run with errors, a missing Taskbar, and unusually unstable behavior. If you did not experience the issue, the latest update of Trend Micro is free of this problem. Unfortunately if you did get the update, you likely may have to reinstall Windows and your data from backup.
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Posted byTriona Guidry at 6:15 AM 0 comments
Labels: alerts, antivirus, consumers, emergency, windows
Emergency Computer Problem-Solving
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Tech Tips readers may be interested in my latest article, "Emergency Computer Problem-Solving," available on the Cary Grove Chamber Of Commerce web site.
We all know that sinking feeling, when the computer does something it shouldn't. Maybe it's a blank screen greeting your day, or an error message during a deadline. Many people don't know that there are easy ways to fix computer problems if you know the expert tricks.See the article for more detail, and look for my Chamber-sponsored class, Blogs For Business, coming in October.
Posted byTriona Guidry at 9:55 PM 0 comments
Labels: articles, beginners, blogs, computer help, emergency, mac, small business, windows