PC Tips Box » Windows XP

Vista SP2 and XP SP3 Patch Security Release ISO Image

Jason — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:59:35 +0000

A DVD5 ISO image file containing all the security bulletins made available on November 10th, 2009 for all supported Windows platforms, is now up for grabs via the Microsoft Download Center. As is the case every month, the Redmond company is accompanying the security patched it offers through Windows Update, Automatic Updates, and Microsoft Update with standalone downloads as well as with a package of updates. In this regard, the November 2009 Security Release ISO Image has become available for download earlier this week.

There are no less than six security updates packaged into the ISO image, four of which are now served through WU, AU, and MU to Windows users around the world. MS09-063, MS09-064, MS09-065, MS09-066 are all designed to patch security vulnerabilities in Windows server and client platforms, including versions such as Windows Vista SP2 and Windows XP SP3.

“This DVD5 ISO image file contains the security updates for Windows released on Windows Update on November 10th, 2009. The image does not contain security updates for other Microsoft products. This DVD5 ISO image is intended for administrators that need to download multiple individual language versions of each security update and that do not use an automated solution such as Windows Server Update Services (WSUS). You can use this ISO image to download multiple updates in all languages at the same time,” Microsoft explained.

However, in addition to the four security bulletins impacting Windows released this November, the Redmond company has also included two previously offered updates. This month the company plugged no less than 15 security holes across its two main cash cows, Windows and Office.

“Microsoft re-released Security Bulletin MS09-045 to add the detection for JScript 5.7 on Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 (KB975542) to Affected Software and Security Update Deployment sections,” Christopher Budd, Microsoft security response communications lead, told Pctipsbox. “Microsoft re-released Security Bulletin MS09-051 to address the update for Audio Compression Manager on Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 to fix a detection issue. This is a detection change only; there were no changes to the binaries. Customers who have successfully updated their systems do not need to reinstall this update.”

November 2009 Security Release ISO Image is available for download here.

Tags: download, Security, security bulletins, security patch, Security Release ISO Image, security response, security update, security updates, vulnerabilities, windows update, windows vista, Windows Vista SP2, windows xp, windows xp sp3

Windows XP Mode RTMs

Jason — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:46:21 +0000

Redmond-based software company Microsoft released several months ago its own solution aimed at offering Windows 7 RC users the possibility to enjoy compatibility with the older Windows XP operating system, the Windows XP Mode. Available for download initially in a beta flavor, the RC iteration of Windows XP Mode is currently up for grabs for those who installed the RC version of Windows 7, and is bound to become final in the near future.

A recent post on the Windows 7 Team Blog states that Windows XP Mode was released to manufacturing on October 1 and that the final version of the solution is expected to become available for download as soon as Windows 7 hits the market, on October 22, to be more precise. The RTM version of this solution is meant to offer OEMs the possibility to include the XP Mode within the PCs they will bring to the market, the post also notes.

“Windows XP Mode is designed to provide small business and mid-sized businesses running Windows 7 Professional (or higher) the ability to run Windows XP productivity applications that may not be natively compatible with Windows 7. We expect many Windows XP applications to be compatible [with] Windows 7 however Windows XP Mode is meant to serve as an added safety net so small and mid-sized businesses can migrate and run Windows 7 without any road blocks. Windows 7 Professional is designed to meet the needs of small and mid-sized businesses,” Brandon LeBlanc describes the software solution.

As many of you might already know, Microsoft also announced a while ago that the Windows XP Mode would come to those purchasing the Pro/Ultimate and Enterprise SKUs of Windows 7 as part of the software they purchased, while those with a valid license of Windows XP to run in virtual machines would be able to use that license as a replacement of Windows XP Mode.

The Windows XP Mode RC and the Windows Virtual PC required for it to run on Windows 7 can be downloaded from here.

Tags: application, compatibility, fix, Microsoft, Performance, rtm, virtual machine, virtual pc, Windows, Windows 7, windows xp, Windows XP Mode, XP Mode RC

Apply a shade of Windows 7 to XP

Jason — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 03:24:09 +0000

Following the same behavioral pattern as with the release of Windows Vista, software developers have striven to offer the masses the possibility to disguise Windows XP as Windows 7. There are plenty of freeware products on the market ready to emulate various features of the yet to be officially released operating system from Microsoft.

Seven Transformation Pack is the most prominent piece of software in the bunch, which has a tradition in making XP emulate the looks of ulterior operating systems launched by Microsoft. Vista Transformation Pack was created by the same developers and raked up positive attention. Also, there are various pieces of software dedicated to imitate different features in Windows 7, such as the new taskbar and system tray layout, Start Menu and even the font and icons, as well as the glass effect given by Aero theme.

SevenMizer is not a superset of all of the above, but comes with an extremely easy installation at the end of which you’re going to receive a makeover of the old, dusty XP look, turning it into a very close resemblance to the interface in Windows 7. The best part is yet to come: you don’t have to make any sort of configuration and what you see is all there is to know about the application.

The downside is that it does not integrate any of the cool features in Windows 7. All it does is change the taskbar and the way the tasks are displayed (it preserves all the elements in QuickLaunch) and mimic the Start Menu, but not to a far extent. Keen eyes will also notice that hovering the mouse over the Windows orb will effect in some changes, elongating the corners of the well-known Microsoft flag.

Icons on the desktop and in Windows Explorer are also adapted to Windows 7 style (but not all of them), just like the system tray area. In this case, the change is only a facade as hidden icons will continue to open XP style. However, multiple tasks of the same kind are stacked one over the other in the taskbar.

Other visual enhancements brought by SevenMizer to XP are the loading screen, although it is not quite the same as the real deal (it loads after Windows, not before), the desktop background, which is the default image in 7, and the Turn Off menu that has been customized by the developer of SevenMizer.

So, there is no important, deep level modification to the operating system, which leads to a stable environment to work in. Reversing the Windows 7 imitation can be done with a simple uninstall of the program. Nonetheless, keeping SevenMizer on your system may result in some problems, such as the re-appearance of the old icons after the installation of Windows Updates. The fix consists in rebuilding the data each time the problem occurs (find the program in Start Menu and choose “Data Rebuild” option from there). Other issues may also occur, but these are tackled on the developer’s web page, in the FAQ section.

If you want to add some of the functionality of Windows 7 to Windows XP, some third-party software can be of help. AeroPeek for instance achieves almost the same effect on XP as the original in Microsoft’s latest OS. Shaking a window to eliminate all the other ones on the desktop is a neat option, which can be achieved with the help of this script here.

AeroSnap fills the shoes of the function with the same name under Windows 7, while ShockAero provides the Flip 3D effect, bringing at the same time additional options to users. ViGlance must not be forgotten in this listing of Windows 7 feature mimicking as it gives XP users access to the much acclaimed taskbar (preview and task-switching).

So, the possibility of disguising Windows XP into 7 is achievable with little effort from the user, but at the cost of having significantly more processes running in Task Manager and more icons in system tray.

Although the transformation will not be complete, you will at least have an idea about how Windows 7 feels. However, before proceeding to altering the old XP, take all the safeguards necessary to prevent an eventual aftermath in case something goes wrong.

Tags: aero, AeroPeek, application, area, display, effect, fix, free, freeware, Microsoft, program, scripts, SevenMizer, Software, system tray area, task manager, theme changer, transformation, transformation pack, updates, visual enhancements, Windows, Windows 7, windows update, windows xp

The focus shifts to Vista and Windows 7

Jason — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 11:27:40 +0000

Microsoft has reached the end of the road when it comes down to the evolution of Windows XP through major updates. Moving onward, the Redmond company will focus exclusively on Windows Vista and Windows 7 with service pack releases. Specifically, if you are running Windows XP and still hoping for an SP, then by all means, don’t hold your breath. Or, if you were indeed holding your breath, then this is about the right time to exhale and move beyond the aging operating system. Windows 7 is now just a few days short of one month away, seeing how general availability is planned for October 22nd, 2009.

No more service packs for Windows XP, what does it mean? It means that SP3 was the last service pack for 32-bit (x86) XP and the SP2 was the last major update for 64-bit (x64). Immediately after the availability of SP3 for x86 XP, Microsoft confirmed officially that it was the last service pack for Windows Vista’s precursor. However, a potential SP3 seemed to be in the cards as far as x64 XP was concerned.

In fact, this is not the case at all. Microsoft offered official confirmation of the fact that it was not, nor would it be in the future, developing a third service pack for 64-bit XP. “We have received inquiries from our customers and partners on whether or not there will be a need for a Service Pack 3 for Windows Server 2003. Microsoft will not have a SP3 release for Windows Server 2003,” revealed Crissy House, the Windows Server Operations manager at Microsoft.

Yes, I know that it says Windows Server 2003. But you see, Microsoft delivered service packs for 64-bit Windows XP concomitantly with the major updates for Windows Server 2003. It’s that simple. And back in mid-2007, the Redmond company made available for download SP2 for Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP 64-bit Professional.

I contacted Microsoft on the matter, and here is what a spokesperson had to say to me: “Microsoft is not currently planning any additional service packs for Windows XP. We can also confirm that no future service packs are planned for Windows Server 2003.” In addition, earlier this year, I also had a chat with a Microsoft employee working on Windows 7, who confirmed that there was no work being done on a future service pack for Windows XP .

Windows XP SP3 RTM Build 5512 is available for download here.

Tags: Microsoft, rtm, service pack 3, Windows, Windows 7, Windows Server, windows vista, windows xp, windows xp 64 bit, windows xp sp3

Vista SP2 and XP SP3 Get Windows 7’s AutoRun

Jason — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:25:00 +0000

Even before the release of Windows 7 Release Candidate Build 7100 Microsoft announced that it would take extreme measures in order to increase end user protection and amputate the AutoPlay/AutoRun feature of the operating system. Over a months after Windows 7 has been released to manufacturing, Microsoft is applying the same security strategy to previous Windows releases. The Redmond company is making sure that the amputated AutoPlay/AutoRun in Windows 7 will make its way to Windows XP (including SP3), Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista (including SP2), and Windows Server 2008, for security reasons.

In this regard, Microsoft has already made available an update designed to limit the AutoPlay/AutoRun functionality in Windows 7’s precursors. Essentially, following the implementation of the refresh, the AutoPlay/AutoRun will no longer display the “Install or run program” option for USB drives.

“In Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2003, AutoRun entries were populated for all devices that had mass storage and had a validly formatted AutoRun.inf file in the root directory. This included CDs, DVDs, USB thumb drives, external hard disks, and any volume that exposed itself as mass storage. This update disables AutoRun entries in AutoPlay, and displays only entries that are populated from CD and DVD drives. Effectively, this prevents AutoPlay from working with USB media,” Microsoft explained.

Back at the start of 2009 the Conficker worm was making a rampage, spreading at a fast pace, and having already infected millions of computers. One of the preferred methods of self-spreading for the worm was to infect removable devices, including USB drives. When a compromised USB drive was inserted into a new machine, a malformed variant of the AutoPlay/AutoRun dialog box would pop up. In this case, the end users were presented with two “Open folder to view files” options that appeared similar. However they were anything but that.

As you can see from the screenshot on the left, only the bottom “Open folder to view files” option actually opens up the contents of the USB and allows access. Clicking on the first “Open folder to view files” option would instead “install and run program” namely the virus that had infected the USB, also compromising the computer.

“Users who install this update will no longer receive a setup message that prompts them to install programs that are delivered by USB flash drives. Users will have to manually install the software. To do this, users click Open folder to view the files, browse to the software’s Setup program, and then double-click the Setup program to run the program manually,” the company added. “Some USB flash drives have firmware that present these USB flash drives as CD drives when you insert them into computers. These USB flash drives are not affected by this update.”

- Update for Windows Server 2008 (KB971029)

- Update for Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems (KB971029)

- Update for Windows Server 2008 x64 Edition (KB971029)

- Update for Windows Vista (KB971029)

- Update for Windows Vista for x64-based Systems (KB971029)

- Update for Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition (KB971029)

- Update for Windows Server 2003 for Itanium-based Systems (KB971029)

- Update for Windows Server 2003 (KB971029)

- Update for Windows XP (KB971029)

Tags: autoplay, autorun, hard disk, Microsoft, usb flash drive, Windows, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, windows vista, Windows Vista SP2, windows xp, windows xp sp3

Vista SP2 and XP SP3 Critical Updates

Jason — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:20:17 +0000

Microsoft released no less than eight security bulletins for the various supported releases of Windows client and server operating systems, including for the latest service packs of Windows Vista and Windows XP. Out of the total of patch packages impacting Windows, half feature a maximum severity rating of Critical, with the remaining four being rated as Important. The security updates are available through Windows Update since August 11, 2009, and customers are advised to deploy the patches as soon as possible in order to bulletproof their systems against attacks.

“Of note, Microsoft released MS09-043 to help protect customers from attacks on the Office Web Components vulnerability previously addressed by Security Advisory 973472. I also wanted to let you know that MS09-037 addresses five privately reported vulnerabilities in Microsoft Active Template Library (ATL). Security Advisory 973882 has been updated with a reference to MS09-037. Additionally, Microsoft has released Security Advisory 973811 to include a non-security update that enables new protection technology on the Windows platform,” revealed Christopher Budd, security response communications lead for Microsoft.

In total, Microsoft patched 15 security holes in various Windows releases. As far as Windows XP is concerned, users will need to deploy MS09-044, MS09-038 and MS09-037, all rated Critical. XP is also impacted by three Important security bulletins, namely MS09-041, MS09-040 and MS09-042. For Windows Vista three Critical security updates have been made available: MS09-044, MS09-038 and MS09-037, two Important MS09-040, MS09-036, and two Moderate MS09-042 and MS09-041. It’s worth mentioning that not all the security bulletins enumerated above apply to select Service Pack releases of Vista and XP.

Microsoft also “re-released two bulletins this month to address known issues with MS09-029 and to include additional updates for MS09-035. Specifically, the re-release of MS09-035 offers new updates for Visual Studio 2005 SP1, Visual Studio 2008 and Visual Studio 2008 SP1. For more information on this specific re-release, see Knowledge Base Article 969706 and Security Advisory 973882,” Budd added.

Tags: Important, Microsoft, patch, patches, Security, security advisory, security bulletins, security response, security update, security updates, SP3, specifically, updates, vulnerabilities, vulnerability, Windows, windows update, windows vista, windows xp, xp sp3

Vista SP2 and XP SP3 Security Release ISO Image

Jason — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 10:00:39 +0000

The July 2009 Security Release ISO Image is now available for download from Microsoft, having been offered concomitantly with the company’s monthly patch cycle releases. In addition to serving each month’s security bulletins through Windows Update, the software giant is also packaging the patches aimed for the supported Windows client and server operating system as an ISO image. In this context, customers can now access Windows-related security updates, including for Windows Vista Service Pack 2 and Windows XP SP3 that went live on July 14, 2009, through the DVD5 ISO image package.

“This month we are releasing six bulletins. Three of those affect Windows and are rated Critical. All three of those also have an Exploitability Index rating of ‘1’ which means that we believe that consistent exploit code in the wild is highly likely within the first 30 days,” revealed Jerry Bryant, Microsoft security program manager. “The remaining three bulletins are all rated Important and affect Microsoft Office Publisher, Microsoft ISA Server, and both Virtual PC and Virtual Server. The first two also have Exploitability Index ratings of ‘1’ so please consider this while doing your risk assessment. In total, we are addressing nine vulnerabilities this month.”

It is important to note that the ISO image contains only patches for vulnerabilities that affect Windows. In this regard, the package brings to the table MS09-028 and MS09-029 patching five Critical vulnerabilities in Microsoft DirectShow and the Embedded OpenType Font Engine that could allow for remote code execution in the eventuality of a successful exploit.

Microsoft enumerated the patched security flaws in MS09-028:

DirectX NULL Byte Overwrite Vulnerability – CVE-2009-1537 – a remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft DirectShow parses QuickTime media files.

DirectX Pointer Validation Vulnerability – CVE-2009-1538 – a remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft DirectShow validates certain values when updating a pointer.

DirectX Size Validation Vulnerability - CVE-2009-1539 – a remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft DirectShow validates specific fields in QuickTime media files.”

MS09-029 is designed to resolve these issues:

Embedded OpenType Font Heap Overflow Vulnerability – CVE-2009-0231 – a remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Windows Embedded OpenType (EOT) font technology parses data records in specially crafted embedded fonts.

Embedded OpenType Font Integer Overflow Vulnerability - CVE-2009-0232 – a remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that Microsoft Windows Embedded OpenType (EOT) font technology parses name tables in specially crafted embedded fonts.

July 2009 Security Release ISO Image is available for download here.

Tags: directx, patch, security update, software giant, vista service pack, vulnerability, Windows, windows update, windows vista, Windows Vista, windows vista service pack, Windows Vista SP2, windows xp, windows xp sp3

Windows XP SP3 Can Corrupt TIFF Images

Jason — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 10:20:38 +0000

Microsoft has warned users of Windows XP Service Pack 3 of an issue that can lead to digital pictures becoming corrupted when handled with the default image viewers available as components of the operating system. According to the Redmond company the problem is limited to XP SP3. Microsoft has explained that when using Windows Picture or Fax Viewer to manage TIFF images, in the eventuality that a specific picture is rotated either clockwise or counterclockwise, that document will become corrupted.

“When a TIFF image is rotated in Windows Picture and Fax Viewer, the image is outputted. Then, the image is recompressed again,” Microsoft revealed. “This problem occurs because Windows Picture and Fax Viewer outputs a TIFF file in CCITT Group 3 format with 1D encoding. Therefore, when Windows Picture and Fax Viewer opens a TIFF file in CCITT Group 3 format with 2D encoding, the file is corrupted.”

CCITT stands for the International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee. As far as TIFF images go, CCITT Group 3, CCITT Group 4 and Lempel-Ziv-Welch (LZW) act as the supported compression options. Essentially, users that have performed rotation actions with their TIFF images in XP SP3 with either Windows Picture or Fax Viewer have turned the files to what Microsoft referred to as “garbage image on the screen,” in relation to the corrupted file on the hard disk.

A hotfix is available for this specific issue, but affected customers will have to contact Microsoft in order to get it. “This problem only occurs to a TIFF document that is compressed in CCITT Group 3 format with 2D encoding. This problem does not occur if the TIFF document is set to read-only. When you use the Copy to feature in Windows Picture and Fax Viewer to save another copy of the TIFF document, the saved copy is also corrupted. However, the original file is not affected,” Microsoft said.

Tags: hotfix, Microsoft, service pack 3, SP3, tiff file, tiff image, Windows, windows xp

Vista to XP Copying Performance Slower

Jason — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:47:32 +0000

One of the issues that plagued Windows Vista when the operating system was launched in January 2007 was the slow copying speeds delivered. Over two years later, and after SP1 resolved the initial issues, Microsoft informed users that there were additional problems impacting performance. In this regard, the Redmond company noted that, while copying a file from Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008 to a down-level system, such as Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, in the context in which Intel I/OAT
was enabled, users would notice that the performance was significantly slower compared to when the feature was disabled.

“Consider the following scenario: you have a computer that is running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008. Intel I/O Acceleration Technology (I/OAT) is enabled on the computer. You copy files to this computer from another computer that is running a down-level operating system, such as Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. In this scenario, the file copying is significantly slower than when Intel I/O Acceleration Technology is disabled,” the company noted.

Microsoft has yet to update Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008 in order to resolve this issue. However, a resolve is available. Affected customers will have to contact the software giant and grab a hotfix that Microsoft is offering in order to remove the performance handicap associated with copying processes from Vista and Windows Server 2008 to down-level Windows platforms. Ironically Intel I/OAT is designed to increase copying speed.

“Intel I/OAT, together with the network direct memory access (NetDMA) feature in Windows Vista Service Pack 1 or Windows Server 2008, provides direct memory access to memory by network-intensive applications. This significantly reduces the CPU load by reducing memory copying during networking operations. For Intel I/OAT to work, it must be enabled in both the BIOS and the operating system. By default, Intel I/OAT is disabled,” Microsoft explained.

Tags: hotfix, intel, Intel I/OAT, Microsoft, Operating system, Performance, performance handicap, speed, Windows, windows vista, windows xp

XP SP3 Installation Failure Errors

Jason — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:28:00 +0000

A change in Windows’ complex and interconnected architecture of components can easily reverberate throughout the operating system. It is the case of the Critical Microsoft Security Bulletin MS09-010, a security update designed to deal with vulnerabilities in WordPad and Office Text Converters which could allow remote code execution in the eventuality of a successful exploit. Although the flaws reside in WordPad and Office text converters, applying the patch managed to cause installations of Service pack 3 for Windows XP to fail. Effectively, attempting to install Windows XP Service Pack 3 via Windows Server Update Services is unsuccessful and the user is returned the following errors 0×8007f00d or 0×8007f02b.

“This can happen if the workaround for MS09-010 was applied to the client machines adding deny permission to file C:\program files\windows nt\accessories\mswrd8.wpc. This causes the WSUS installation to fail because we’re unable to access the file and update it. When trying to install SP3 manually (not using the Quiet switch), it causes an error reading the file above, prompting for a source to update the file or to skip the file. Since WSUS installs SP3 in quiet mode, the installation fails because it never prompts the user for file it’s trying to update,” explained Joao Madureira, WSUS support engineer.

Resolving this issue involves going against MS09-01. In this regard, end users will need to open up access to C:\program files\windows nt\accessories\mswrd8.wpc, which was blocked by the security update released in April 2009, and updated in June.

“The resolution of course is to grant permission to the file. The easiest way to do this is via a batch file, which is what we did, containing the following line: Echo y| cacls %programfiles%\windows nt\accessories\ /T /P Everyone:C. Once this batch file runs on the target, it changes the permissions of the file in question, thus allowing SP3 to install successfully,” Madureira explained.

Tags: error, Microsoft, service pack 3, service pack 3 for windows xp, support engineer, vulnerabilities, Windows, windows xp service pack, WSUS, xp sp3

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