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Microsoft rushes to fix browser after attacks; no fix for XP users


DennisD

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Win7 is the suggested OS. If I remember correctly, Windows Vista was a step child similar to Windows ME. I had ME on my first laptop.

 

Oh, and by the way, the Microsoft Update for IE8 just came for my XP machine. Guess MSoft caved to the proletariat.

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you always hear about the latest vulnerability in IE and it gives the impression that browser is very weak.

now don't get me wrong, I actually think it is, and have not used it for more than 10 years.

but it's no more vulnerable than any of the others.

it suffers from being the oldest so more of its flaws have been found.

I'm sure FF and Chrome have weaknesses, but they benefit from being younger, not yet exploited and from using the experience gleamed from IE exposures.

Actually it is DESIGNED to be more vulnerable than any others because it comes ready equipped for Active'X.

 

The FF user has to install a plugin (IETAB I think) before FF will admit Active'X exploits.

I also assume that Chrome avoids Active'X

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I've been in 2 hospitals (visiting) a doctor and a dentist's office in the last 2 weeks.  They are all still running xp pro. 

Poses an interesting legal question. 

If you release a potentially dangerous product onto the market, and it is widely purchased, are you liable for the damage it does? 

Can you just say, "Well, see, we don't make / sell / support that any more so we aren't responsible for it." ?

:)

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I've been in 2 hospitals (visiting) a doctor and a dentist's office in the last 2 weeks. They are all still running xp pro.

Poses an interesting legal question.

If you release a potentially dangerous product onto the market, and it is widely purchased, are you liable for the damage it does?

Can you just say, "Well, see, we don't make / sell / support that any more so we aren't responsible for it." ?

:)

 

 

No, because it's potential dangerous-factor is mostly due to:

 

[*]it being around for so long (you can't blame ford if your 1953 truck's easier to steal than a 2014 Lexus (based on ease of hotwiring).

 

[*]There being more of them (non per-captia number; in the same way you can not blame Honda that more of their Accords are stolen than Tesla Motorcars just because there are more Accords out there.

 

 

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Just wish I had a 1953 Ford or a 2014 lexus (Lexus being first choice).  :P

 

For sure, that would be the company line . . . not our fault, get newer stuff. 

 

Didn't work for the ford pinto in the sixties, but did make them money. 

Isn't working right now for several car manufacturers in the USA, the feds are pretending to be after them in congressional hearings. 

 

Probably would be a stronger position if the damage was not the fault of known defects in the product.

 

edit:  looks like the pinto stuff was mostly in the seventies. 

The CCleaner SLIM version is always released a bit after any new version; when it is it will be HERE :-)

Pssssst: ... It isn't really a cloud. Its a bunch of big, giant servers.

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For sure, that would be the company line . . . not our fault, get newer stuff. 

 

General Motors ("GM") probably wishes they could say a tagline like that with their faulty ignition switches responsible for more than a dozen fatal car accidents. GM knew about it for over a decade and did nothing to fix it. Microsoft has to already know their Windows is vulnerable right out of the box to the initial installation.

 

Like you doctor and dentist offices I've been to still use XP. My dentist said he plans on using it for at least another 5 years. Microsoft can tell them to update or whatever but making an upgrade statement is far easier said than done when changing will wreak complete havoc upon them with just trying to retrain everyone, let alone other unexpected hiccups.

Edited by Andavari
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One of the medical offices here said he was going to have to switch over to win 7.  He had been advised by his IT consultant that the expense and potential liability were just too great.  Huge expense for him.  Gonna make an office visit cost more. 

 

Aahhh well.  Mustn't allow my luddite mentality to irritate folks.  Win 7 is a good OS.  Win 8 will be OK eventually, and win next will probably be a keeper if the pattern holds true. 

The CCleaner SLIM version is always released a bit after any new version; when it is it will be HERE :-)

Pssssst: ... It isn't really a cloud. Its a bunch of big, giant servers.

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One of the medical offices here said he was going to have to switch over to win 7.  He had been advised by his IT consultant that the expense and potential liability were just too great.  Huge expense for him.  Gonna make an office visit cost more.

 

The Obamacare giveth. And Microsoft taketh away. :P

Start every day with a smile and get it over with. - W.C. Fields

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I've just dusted off 508MB of Hotfix Uninstallers

 

Don't forget the now useless C:\Windows\ie7updates and C:\Windows\ie8updates folders.

 

I wish I could also send .NET Framework to the hereafter but I need it for a small handful of programs I can't live without.

Edited by Andavari
typo
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Well, its a month and counting since microsoft abandoned win xp.  No disasters yet.   :D

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Pssssst: ... It isn't really a cloud. Its a bunch of big, giant servers.

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Well, its a month and counting since microsoft abandoned win xp.  No disasters yet.   :D

Except for the disaster precipitating this fix ;)

 

ADVICE FOR USING CCleaner'S REGISTRY INTEGRITY SECTION

DON'T JUST CLEAN EVERYTHING THAT'S CHECKED OFF.

Do your Registry Cleaning in small bits (at the very least Check-mark by Check-mark)

ALWAYS BACKUP THE ENTRY, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'LL BREAK IF YOU DON'T.

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The disaster that precipitated this fix was a vulnerability in internet explorer, all versions, some of which don't run on win xp.  Was introduced thru adobe flash player, if I read correctly.  Not a disaster peculiar to or precipitated by win xp.  The only issue peculiar to xp was microsoft's decision to not fix xp, which they have now reversed. 

 

One cannot know what goes on in the corporate mind of microsoft. 

Maybe this decision reversal was driven by pressure from the government and their big customers. 

Maybe by thoughts of liability (my best guess). 

Maybe by thoughts about the corporate image if they throw hospitals & banks to the wolves because they didn't buy the newest product.

Maybe out of sheer generosity. 

 

Sort of a negative post, sorry for that, but hey, all this stuff is like an earthquake:  It's always somebody's fault. 

The CCleaner SLIM version is always released a bit after any new version; when it is it will be HERE :-)

Pssssst: ... It isn't really a cloud. Its a bunch of big, giant servers.

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I think there's one more reason why Microsoft reversed course when it came to updating XP: Maybe Microsoft does not want to alienate any more people than they already have.

Start every day with a smile and get it over with. - W.C. Fields

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@ Andavari:  :lol:

 

Edit: 

Nergal, I've thought some more about your comparison up in post #29. 

 "[*]it being around for so long (you can't blame ford if your 1953 truck's easier to steal than a 2014 Lexus (based on ease of hotwiring)."

 

That is not the controlling issue. I do not need protection from theft, I just want to keep the old truck running. 

 

A better way to think about it is this: 

1. Ford is to blame if they will not correct known defects in the product I bought. 

2. Ford is to blame if  they control the manufacture of replacement parts and just decide to prohibit them from being made. 

3. Ford is to blame (maybe??) if they price the parts outrageously high for my old truck but cheap for my new truck.  

    (eg:  long term support for XP, available but out of sight expensive)

 

That's how lawyers think.  What is the issue here and what is the plaintiff's liability for due diligence?  I'm not a lawyer but have had the dubious privilege of working among them for years.    

 

I suspect that the philosophy that will prevail is the idea that we should just get over it and buy the latest and greatest product from ford or microsoft.  But one need not just follow along mindlessly. 

/ end rant  :P

The CCleaner SLIM version is always released a bit after any new version; when it is it will be HERE :-)

Pssssst: ... It isn't really a cloud. Its a bunch of big, giant servers.

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Yep, saw the May one available for installation from Windows Update on a XP PC today.

Backup now & backup often.
It's your digital life - protect it with a backup.
Three things are certain; Birth, Death and loss of data. You control the last.

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XP users will still be offered the Malicious Software Removal Tool via Windows Updates each month.

 

I got rid of that useless to me tool last month, it never found one thing on my computer.

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Sorry Andavari I don't agree that it is useless :)

+1

 

ADVICE FOR USING CCleaner'S REGISTRY INTEGRITY SECTION

DON'T JUST CLEAN EVERYTHING THAT'S CHECKED OFF.

Do your Registry Cleaning in small bits (at the very least Check-mark by Check-mark)

ALWAYS BACKUP THE ENTRY, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'LL BREAK IF YOU DON'T.

Support at https://support.ccleaner.com/s/?language=en_US

Pro users file a PRIORITY SUPPORT via email support@ccleaner.com

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I think I recall twice where I've seen it pop up and find something that was bad.

Maybe not useless, and maybe there are a lot better, but considering it's free and pre-loaded, and not resource hungry, it's gotta be better than nothing.

Backup now & backup often.
It's your digital life - protect it with a backup.
Three things are certain; Birth, Death and loss of data. You control the last.

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Just in case no one realises, XP users will still be offered the Malicious Software Removal Tool via Windows Updates each month.

 

I just had mine.

 

I didn't know that hazel. Thanks for the info.

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The Malicious Software Removal Tool does get used by Microsoft. I - at least - noticed it once that it's run before installing a new version of IE. I also made a shortcut to it and placed it on my desktop and use it every now & then. But indeed, as mentioned above, it never found something.

 

I think MS should bring it more to the attention of the users and not hide it somewhere deep "under the bonnet".

System setup: http://speccy.piriform.com/results/gcNzIPEjEb0B2khOOBVCHPc

 

A discussion always stimulates the braincells !!!

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MRT is only meant to provide clean up of specific nasties. It's used to clean up most of the world's computers each month of the most extreme form of virus/malware and worms. People who perhaps don't bother with AV or let it get out of date if it's a paid version that came with the machine.

 

It's nothing to do with MSE, Windows Defender or Windows Safety Scanner (although they will clean them as well)

 

Here is the list of things it cleans, bear in mind each one of those can be a family composed of different varieties.

 

http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/security/pc-security/malware-families.aspx

 

If you want to run it yourself, which only takes a short time, just put mrt.exe into your run box, click okay, and then click on it to run.

 

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https://support.ccleaner.com/s/contact-form?language=en_US&form=general

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