- "Just what do you think you're doing, Dave?"
- "I feel much better now, I really do."
- "I know that you and Frank were planning to disconnect me, and I'm afraid that's something I cannot allow to happen."
Posted on 01/05/2006 12:45:10 PM PST by Gomez
update Microsoft plans to release a fix for a serious security vulnerability in Windows on Thursday, several days before the patch's scheduled delivery.
The company is breaking with its monthly patch cycle because it completed testing of the security update earlier than it anticipated, it said in a note on its Web site. "In addition, Microsoft is releasing the update early in response to strong customer sentiment that the release should be made available as soon as possible," the company said.
The security update, originally scheduled for Tuesday, fixes a vulnerability in the way Windows renders Windows Meta File images. The bug was discovered last week and is increasingly being used in what Microsoft calls "malicious and criminal attacks on computer users."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.com ...
I'm a loyal Mac user. If you, like most people I know, stick with the basic applications such as Outlook and Office, you'll see little change from regular Windows computing. If you have a yen for video editing or music composition, what's available on the Mac is far superior to what you find on PCs.
Sure things will look nicer and you won't get virii or spyware, but the learning curve really isn't that bad.
But don't take my word for it. Visit an Apple retail store and see for yourself. I think you'll wind up liking it a lot more than Windows.
RadioAstronomer, I know that in theory you're right. In practice, I don't think normal consumers are going to use anti-virus and anti-spyware software properly. I know that when I had a Windows machine and had that software, it was always coming up when I didn't want it to, and ruining my computer's performance.
Most people who use computers like to turn them off at night, so that the anti-everything software doesn't have time to run. And even if they don't think of it, the Energy Star(tm) auto-sleep modes will.
Sure, you can shut them off. You can do anything you want. But with my knowledge of typical computer users, I would not count on most people doing it.
And to be honest, I don't think people should have to be computer experts and security mavens to use a PC.
I know none of this seems like rocket science to you, and it's not, really, but there are plenty of people who are ill-prepared to maintain this stuff in the way it needs to be.
Those who aren't, really should get Macs.
And those who think it's all a big waste of time, which is far better spent on building things than trying to defend the perimeter, should get them too. I'm an expert user myself, and I could secure a PC if I wanted to, but why bother? I like the Mac a lot better, anyway.
I hope that perspective was of interest.
D
I do, thanks.
Damn. I just unregistered shimgvw.dll and put the 3rd party patch on our three computers...
This was a nasty bug.
It's probably moot, as Automatic Update will likely pick it up as soon as it's out there, but does anyone know if it's necessary to use this patch after having used the private patch issued a few days ago?
Also, what's the deal with the claim that this bug has existed since 1990? That would mean a serious security flaw not only went entirely undiscovered for 16 years, but also that it passed through two or three completely different DOS/Windows kernels. That does not sound plausible.
Bite me, subgenius.
Okay I am going to call you on this. What is the speed/processing frame rate per second (fps) at what kbps at what resolution with was video and audio codec when you are encoding/compressing videos on a Mac Computer?
Yep, I sure did and I got that update installed an hour and a half ago.:-D
Very intelligent response. :-)
I like the Mac version of Starry Night better than the Windows version -- but you might have other needs ;-)
I rise or fall to the appropriate level.
Is it KB912914, the Graphics Rendering patch? I ask because MS doesn't mention WMF in the patch I downloaded and installed. Anybody know?
I don't use a MAC, but all of that is defined by the DV (NTSC or PAL) standard. After that, it's just type 1 or 2.
So the first order of business is to make sure KB912914 is the MS patch, which I am trying to determine myself. Install it, which I have already done. Then, if it is the patch connected to the WMF problem, we should go to Add/Remove programs and get rid of "Windows WMF metafile vulnerability hotfix 1/4".
I keep a eye on what is running on my machine. I stealthed my machine on all ports and My Zone Alarm does not allow programs to access the net without my manual ok.
It was of interest. Thank you.
However, I run very complex math and orbit oriented software that does not run on a Mac. Two of my machines use Linux and two (the SGI and Sun) use their respective UNIX flavors.
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