Re: urgent MSIE 6.0 security problem

From: Bill Sanderson (Bill_Sanderson_at_msn.com.plugh.org)
Date: 10/01/03 

Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2003 23:22:21 -0400

Observations:

Redo the download of new WU software--I see 4 files inside that iuctl.cab.

Results of 2) were expected--these files should come back.

Try the deletion of TIF again.

Right-click the icon for IE in the start menu, choose Internet Properties.

The center panel of the General tab should be labelled Temporary Internet
Files, and have three buttons. Choose delete files Also check Delete all
offline content in the dialog box that comes next, then OK.

You need to get those Office CD's back from the attic--the original CD is
required to apply security patches and repair or reinstall the product--this
is something that is needed with enough frequency that you should keep them
closer at hand.

"mb" <m@b.com> wrote in message
news:vbqeb.22950$Kq4.16422837@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net...
> I am having a significant security problem with MSIE 6.0. I connect to
the
> Internet by cablemodem, and although I am protected by the ZoneAlarm
> consumer firewall, I use Windows Update relatively frequently through MSIE
> 6.0. I have a WinXP Home machine.
>
> About two months ago, when I went to run Windows Update, I began to get a
> message that I needed to update my version of the Windows Update software
> itself. But whenever I click on Update Now to do that, after about 10
> seconds I am brought back to the same screen. Again, and again.
>
> After that, whenever I went to run anything in my Windows Office suite of
> apps (Excel, Word, and the rest), the program would attempt to reinstall
> from CD. (I cannot find my CDs right now, and I have no time to undertake
a
> significant search in the attic for them, since I have a wife, baby, job,
> grad school, and other things to do.) In addition, the functionality of
> being able to, say, click on a spread*** and have it open up in Excel,
was
> lost.
>
> I have checked the MS support website, and they in fact are aware of this
> problem. But they have not yet fixed it, even though I have been checking
> their site regularly for weeks now. They are just aware of it. I guess
> they are completely stumped:
>
> Problem Description:
>
> When attempting to access Windows Update, the page that directs you to
> update your Windows
> Update software appears. Clicking "Update Now" results in the same page
> being displayed,
> making it impossible to perform the update.
>
> Resolutions:
>
> We are still researching this issue.
>
> MS did go on to offer some suggested ideas to try. My unhappy results
with
> them are in CAPS:
>
> Some advanced users have resolved this problem by following the steps
below.
> If you have
> trouble finding the files or string value listed below you should not
> attempt this resolution. Deleting the wrong items in this process can
damage
> your computer.
>
> 1. Close Internet Explorer.
> 2. Delete IUCtl.dll and the IUEngine.dll from both the system32\dllcache
and
> system32 folders.
> DELETED BOTH FILES BUT THEY IMMEDIATELY GREW BACK. TWICE.
> 3. Delete the registry string value "SelfupdateStatus" present in the
> HKLM\Software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\windowsupdate\IUcontrol
key.
> 4. Delete iuenginenew.dll, if it exists.
> Downloading and installing new Windows Update site software may also
resolve
> this issue.
> Follow the instructions in the article on manually installing the Windows
> Update software,
> located elsewhere on this page.
>
> -----------
> For Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003:
> download our controls from
> http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/cab/x86/unicode/iuctl.cab and save
> them to your desktop. Extract the .cab file following the steps below:
> 1. Go to the desktop and right click the iuctl.cab file.
> 2. Click "Open".
> 3. Select all the files listed.
> 4. Right click on them and click "Extract."
> 5. Point to a known location (like the desktop) and click "OK."
> 6. Go to the location you selected and right click the iuctl.inf file.
> 5. Click "Install."
>
> THERE IS ONLY ONE FILE INSIDE THE CAB, AND IT IS A DLL, NOT AN INF FILE.
IT
> WILL NOT RUN.
>
> -----------------
> You may also be able to resolve this issue by deleting the files in your
> temporary Internet
> cache. Follow the instructions below:
> 1. Close the Internet Explorer.
> 2. Right-click the Internet Explorer icon.
> 2. Click "Properties."
> 3. On the General tab, click "Delete Files."
>
> THERE IS NO "DELETE FILES" ON THE GENERAL TAB
>
> In short -- help! We all know that by this point in the year 2003, there
is
> a lot of crap going around the Net that you need to get updates to protect
> against. If Microsoft cannot provide me with an update, however, what can
I
> do?
>
>
> At this point, I fail to see the need to shell out bucks to get support by
> paying Microsoft money -- if I already paid them several hundred dollars
for
> Windows, several hundred dollars for MS Office, and several hundred
dollars
> for MS Front Page, at this point, additional money to support programs
that
> have always worked for me, seems to me would be throwing good money after
> bad. I am pretty disappointed Microsoft wants me to pay money to fix
> something that should have continued to work all along. Plus, given the
> above, do they even know how to fix this problem? Either they have a
> solution, that is only for paying customers who want to pay yet again, and
> they want to hide that solution from others; or else, they don't have a
> solution, so why should I pay them to tell me that verbally?
>
> I really don't want to bash Microsoft. But this is almost a Kafka-esque
> situation -- the Update itself is in need of Updating, before I can hope
to
> actually Update, but I cannot Update. And the company will not respond,
> there is no e-mail address on their support website, though they would be
> happy if I would sign up for a .Net framework. Which I would consider
> doing, if they would tell me what the benefits and the downsides would be.
> But I simply have no more money to pay them, to fix software that I paid
> them nearly four digits worth of dollars for (Windows, Office Suite, and
> Front Page) -- and would they even respond if I did pay them? Do they
have
> a solution at all, and if so, shouldn't it be on their website already?
>
> Matt
>
> mb2002@optonline.net
>
>

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