Re: Be careful of XP - don't do the automatic updates... They had to reformat the whole hard drive!

From: Miha Pihler (mihap-news_at_atlantis.si)
Date: 11/17/04 

Date: Wed, 17 Nov 2004 16:10:15 +0100

Hi,

I usually install any patch within hours after it is released on my
computers and I never had any major problem with this. I must admit that I
am lucky in a way that I run mostly Microsoft software on all my
computers -- this way I don't have to test every patch with all 3rd party
applications that we might use...

For your post to be helpful, post what else is (was) running on the computer
where the patch was installed and has caused the problem...

Your policy to only rely on antivirus will not help you with worms using
buffer overflow to spread (e.g. with Blaster -- you could have latest AV
definition that even included Blaster and your computer still got hit by it;
causing instability and reboots. There are few other examples out there)...

Mike

"Beamguy" <nobody@home.com> wrote in message
news:ePz4rLLzEHA.824@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> That is not my philosophy - but I just heard that message over my cube
> wall. I didn't
> bother to correct the guy.
>
> I have posted this here to illustrate that microsoft has failed in the
> security front. As
> long as people are afraid to patch their systems those systems will be on
> the internet
> collecting credit card numbers and sending spam.
>
> And that message is not just from the drafter next to me - our whole IT
> department
> seems to think that updates from microsoft are to be avoided - and only
> apply them
> when the virus traffic on our internet gets too high, or systems start
> crashing all over
> the building. Otherwise a few viruses here and there are fine - eventually
> the AV vendor
> will get it in their table and it will be deleted.
>
> Mr. Microsoft - well I don't know what to tell you. You have let things
> slip so long
> I'm not sure you can ever catch up!
>

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