An update version of the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool is now available for download and it’s a perfect fit for the latest service packs for Windows Vista and Windows XP. The Redmond company releases new versions of the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool on the second Tuesday of each month, accompanying the availability of the Security Bulletins dropped as part of the monthly patch cycle. The updated version of MSRT is distributed via Windows Update, Microsoft Update, Windows Server Update Services and is also up for grabs on the Download Center.
Microsoft has failed to emphasize the fact that MSRT integrates seamless with both Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and Windows XP Service Pack 3. However, tests reveal that the tool plays well with the latest releases of the two operating systems. Vista SP1, RTM’d on February 4, 2008, was released to the general public on March 18, and XP SP3 is accessible to end users since May 6, having been released to manufacturing on April 21.
“The Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool checks Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows Server 2003 computers for and helps remove infections by specific, prevalent malicious software including Blaster, Sasser, and Mydoom. When the detection and removal process is complete, the tool displays a report describing the outcome, including which, if any, malicious software was detected and removed. The tool creates a log file named mrt.log in the %WINDIR%debug folder”, reads an excerpt of the tool’s description provided by Microsoft.
The Redmond company offers a 32-bit version of the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool for the x86 editions of Vista, XP (including XP PS3), Windows 2000, and Windows Server 2003, and a 64-bit variant for the x64 SKUs of Vista, XP (just up to SP2) and Windows 2003. According to Microsoft there are in excess of 450 million executions of the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool every month.
Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool is available for download here.
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Written by Jason on May 14th, 2008 with no comments.
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Like busses you wait ages for a Windows Service Pack, then two come along at once. Hard on the heels of Vista SP1, which mostly went without a hitch, we can now look forward to XP Service Pack 3, the last for the operating system, which is now heading towards retirement, probably next year.
If you were around when MS unleashed SP2 you are forgiven for a brief shudder of trepidation, but I think this one should go quite smoothly. Unlike XP SP2, which re-wrote a lot of the operating system’s code, this one focuses on rolling up all previous security updates since the release of SP2, and a reported 1074 fixes and upgrades. Most of them are anonymous behind the scenes things that you’ll be happier not knowing about (because they are mostly deathly dull…), but there are a few interesting bits and bobs. One of them is a new Product Activation module, which allows users to install XP without having to enter an activation key, better network integration with Server 2008 and there’s a promise of improved performance with Microsoft Office. XP SP3 will be on your auto update list in the next few days or weeks but if you just can’t wait you can jump the queue and download it from Microsoft Update. Be warned, it’s a bit of a whopper at 428Mb, you need to have installed SP1 or SP2 before you can install SP3, and this is for the 32-bit version of XP only.
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Written by Jason on May 5th, 2008 with no comments.
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Although it was released to manufacturing on April 21, 2008, the third and last service pack for Windows XP has yet to make it to end users. Despite this, Microsoft has already made available the first update tailored on XP SP3. Update for Windows XP (KB942763) is designed to integrate with both Windows XP SP2 and SP3, and to tweak the Daylight Saving Time settings on the operating systems. Microsoft released KB942763 on the same day it RTM‘d XP SP3, in an effort to correlate automatically the computer clock with the correct date in 2008, following the changes introduced via Daylight Saving Time laws in markets around the world.
“The update changes the time zone data to accommodate daylight saving time (DST) changes in several countries. This update also includes other DST-related changes, time zone-related changes, and settings-related changes. This is a cumulative update rollup that includes all the changes that were previously released in Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) articles 928388, 929120, and 933360,” Microsoft revealed.
Similar updates have been released for a range of operating systems in addition to XP SP2 and SP3, including Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs, Windows Embedded for Point of Service, Windows Vista and Windows Server 2003. Neither Windows Vista SP1 nor Windows Server 2008 have anything to do with KB942763. The Redmond company is offering additional information related to the time changes affecting its products via the Daylight Saving Time Help and Support Center.
“When you apply this update, you may receive the following message: ‘Update cannot be installed as a newer or same time zone update has already been installed on the system.’ This message indicates that you have already applied the correct update or that Windows Updates or Microsoft Update has automatically installed this update. No additional action is required to update the Windows operating system software,” Microsoft added.
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Written by Jason on April 22nd, 2008 with no comments.
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Microsoft is gearing up for the next stage in the delivery of its first service pack for Windows Vista. The Redmond company has confirmed officially that the automatic distribution of Vista SP1 is just around the corner. Still, at this point in time, the deadline for the debut of Vista SP1’s serving through Automatic Updates has not been made public. Microsoft has stated all along that it plans to start the distribution of Vista SP1 through AU by mid-April, but offered no additional information to pinpoint the release.
Service Pack 1 was released to manufacturing on February 4, 2008, concomitantly with the gold version of Windows Server 2008. Only on March 18 did Microsoft manage to make the service pack available to end users via Windows Update and the Download Center. At that time, the Redmond company only released the English, French, German, Spanish and Japanese language versions of Vista SP1.
As of April 15, Vista SP1 in the remaining 31 languages was also released to manufacturing and put up for grabs. And yet, the availability saga of Vista SP1 RTM is not over yet. The initial five languages of the service pack will start being served to all Vista RTM users that have the Automatic Updates option enabled. The remaining 31 languages supported by Vista will not be receiving Service Pack 1 through AU at this point in time. And in this context, Microsoft has yet to wrap up the delivery of Vista SP1 to an estimated 130 to 150 million copies of Vista RTM on the market.
“We are excited about Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and the benefits it provides. We made all 36 languages of SP1 available on Windows Update earlier this week, and we’re planning to begin automatic distribution of SP1 in English, French, German, Spanish, and Japanese shortly,” a member of the Microsoft Update team revealed.
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 All Language Standalone CD ISO is available for download here.
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 All Language Standalone DVD ISO is available for download here.
The Windows Vista Service Pack 1 All Language Standalone packages are here.
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Written by Jason on April 18th, 2008 with no comments.
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Microsoft has yet to finish with the delivery process of Windows Vista SP1, and the company is already hammering away at the service pack plugging security holes. According to the Redmond company, Vista SP1 is affected by multiple vulnerabilities that will be addressed with April’s security bulletin releases, scheduled to be issued on April 8, 2008. Out of the total of eight security bulletins planned of the coming week, no less than six impact various editions of the Windows operating system, and Vista SP1 did not manage to escape unscathed.
“As part of our regularly scheduled bulletin release, we’re currently planning to release five Microsoft Security Bulletins rated Critical and three that are rated as Important. These updates may require a restart and will be detectable using the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer. As we do each month, the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool will be updated. Finally, we are planning to release five high-priority, non-security updates on Windows Update and Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) as well as three high-priority, non-security updates on Microsoft Update and Windows Server Update Services (WSUS),” stated Bill Sisk, the response communication manager for the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC).
Along with advances in performance, reliability, stability and compatibility, Microsoft touted consistent security improvements in Vista SP1. The service pack brings to the table all the hotfixes and security patches issues for Vista since the operating system’s availability as well as additional enhancements. But it seems that when it comes down to vulnerabilities Microsoft has missed a few. According to Microsoft, next week the company will make available two security bulletins labeled with a maximum severity level of Critical and one deemed Important, all patching holes in Vista SP1. In addition to Windows, Microsoft will also deal with vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer and the Office System.
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Five Language Standalone for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the operating system is available for download HERE.
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Written by Jason on April 5th, 2008 with no comments.
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Microsoft officially confirmed the Windows Vista Service Pack 1 downloads at the end of the past week. On February 21, 2008, the gold bits of Windows Vista SP1 were offered for download via Windows Update. The move was a derail from the timetable set for the delivery of the RTM Build of Vista SP1, initially planned for general availability starting with mid-March 2008, according to Mike Nash, Microsoft Corporate Vice President, Windows Product Management. Nash announced on February 4 that the final bits of Vista SP1 would find their way to end users through Microsoft Update, Windows Update and the Microsoft Download Center in mid-March, and then through Automatic Updates beginning with mid-April.
But the fact that the end users of Vista got the short straw without even participating in the draw does not mean that the Redmond company did not release Vista SP1 RTM. (more…)
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Written by Jason on February 25th, 2008 with comments disabled.
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The beginning of 2008 has not been kind to Windows Vista. Microsoft’s latest operating system, applauded as the most secure version of Windows available on the market, needs to start licking its many wounds. The Redmond company has been performing a vulnerability counting game throughout 2007,comparing Vista with XP, as well as with direct competitors Linux and Mac OS X, in terms of the volume of security vulnerabilities affecting each platform. And as it looks that Microsoft transformed the vulnerabilities comparison in somewhat of a tradition over the course of the past year, the company is bound to a recount.
“As part of our regularly scheduled bulletin release, we’re currently planning to release 12 Microsoft Security Bulletins– seven Critical and five Important. These updates will require a restart and will be detectable using the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer and the Enterprise Scan Tool. As we do each month, the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool will be updated. Finally, we are planning to release seven high-priority, non-security updates on Windows Update and Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) as well as two high-priority, non-security updates on Microsoft Update and Windows Server Update Services (WSUS),” stated Bill Sisk, Microsoft Security Response Center Communications Manager. (more…)
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Written by Jason on February 10th, 2008 with comments disabled.
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The following tips can help improve your computer’s performance. These examples use Microsoft Windows XP. Some of the screens may differ from version to version, but overall you’ll find these tips work for all versions of Windows, including Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition (Me), Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista.
By the way, in no way can you blow up your computer or files with any of these procedures. These tasks use utilities provided within the Windows operating systems to aid you in achieving the best system performance. This article does not address tinkering with the registry files. (more…)
Written by Jason on February 1st, 2008 with comments disabled.
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Just received the following that is related to the SVCHOST issues that I've written about in the past...
MS has released "Microsoft Security Advisory (927891) - Fix for Windows Installer (MSI)" that's not really a direct security concern, but actually addresses concerns that might prevent people from getting critical security or other updates.
As previously mentioned, it involves MS KB 927891 - "You receive an access violation error and the system may appear to become unresponsive when you try to install an update from Windows Update or from Microsoft Update", and the current revision of the article (8.0) states "This fix is one component of a two-part fix that includes a Windows Update client software update. These updates will be deployed automatically using Windows Update in May 2007 and June 2007."
Again, this update is one of two that need to be applied to fully address the issue. The other update is version 3.0 of the Windows Update Client Software, available from MS KB 932494, "When you use Automatic Updates to scan for updates or to apply updates to applications that use Windows Installer, you experience issues that involve the Svchost.exe process".
One can also hope that this will help address the 0x8ddd0009 problems that MANY have been experiencing...
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Written by «/\/\Ø|ö±ò\/»®© on May 22nd, 2007 with comments disabled.
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