Re: Windows security updates notice

From: Robert Moir (bofh_at_mvps.org)
Date: 01/11/04 

Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 10:39:18 -0000

J. Olson wrote:
> As soon as I got online today, a Windows Messenger
> message popped up, stating I needed to click on the
> enclosed link to download a security fix--something about
> a winpatch.net-something-or-other. Do you send security
> notices via Windows Messenger? I'm not familiar with Win.
> MSNGR. cause I've never received messages from it before
> this PC I recently got (I have AOL.) And the few I've
> gotten on here were from people I don't know--one was an
> ad; two were from the same person (same gender as me)on
> different days saying that a friend of mine (doesn't give
> name)says I'm cool. Well, I'm 50, married with 2 grown
> kids--so I doubt that! I just closed all these messages
> including the "security" one today. I did a search for it
> on MSN's security site, which found nothing--'course I
> couldn't remember the whole name accurately. Yesterday I
> had to reinstall Win XP and everything else that came
> with this PC after it crashed (couldn't get it to do a
> recovery--something about an NDRLT file missing), and I
> re-acquired Automatic Update but it wasn't til today that
> it's stating I need to get a lot of updates (which I do
> recognize from the 1st time.) It didn't start showing
> this til AFTER I got and closed the Win Mssgr. message. I
> just checked the Updates list and there's nothing on it
> about winpatch.net-whatever. I'm confused, so please
> email me a reply ASAP, and also tell me what I should
> acquire from the website that will be able to decipher
> the genuineness of something for me. Thank you.

I'd suspect that you need to get a 3rd party firewall to block the messages,
you could try zone alarm.

Now as for the updates. The only updates for windows that you should
consider legitimate are those that come through the automatic windows update
tool, and those you download yourself by going to
http://windowsupate.microsoft.com 

-- 
-- 
Rob Moir
Microsoft MVP for servers & security
Website - http://www.robertmoir.co.uk
Virtual PC 2004 FAQ - http://www.robertmoir.co.uk/win/VirtualPC2004FAQ.html

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