Firefox Stability Update 2.0.0.11

Mozilla released a stability update today to Firefox. Its simple to update. Click Help > Check for Updates.

Release Notes

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

How to quickly access Network Connection properties

One of the e-mail subscriptions I receive is Vista News. Although Vista News has a published archive, I didn't want to lose track of this tip. As a result, I am sharing it here for others who may also find it helpful. Vista News is included in Windows Vista Bookmarks, Reviews and Collections.

Annoyed by having so many clicks to get to your network properties? Thanks to Kevin Thornhill, here's a quick way to get to the Network Connections that you can normally only access going through the Network and Sharing Center: Click the Start button and in the Search box, type ncpa.cpl . This opens the Network Connections window by which you can manage your connections like in previous versions of Windows.

If you want to access it often, you can make a shortcut on the desktop:

1. Right click an empty area on the desktop and click New, then Shortcut.
2. In the Create Shortcut dialog box, type C:\Windows\System32\ncpa.cpl (substituting the drive letter on which Windows is installed, if not C:).
3. Click Next.
4. Type a name for the shortcut (such as Network Connections).
5. Click Finish.

Vista News Archive
Subscribe to Vista News

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Firefox 2.0.0.10 Security Update

While development of Firefox 3 Beta continues, the following "high vulnerability" security fixes were included in the update released November 26, 2007, by Mozilla for Firefox:

• MFSA 2007-39 Referer-spoofing via window.location race condition

• MFSA 2007-38 Memory corruption vulnerabilities (rv:1.8.1.10)

• MFSA 2007-37 jar: URI scheme XSS hazard

Download: Firefox 2.0.0.10

Instructions for updating Firefox are available here. For a review of Firefox 3 Beta, see the review in Mozilla Links.

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Thanksgiving Blessings

The turkey is browning in the oven and all the additional incidentals that comprise our traditional Thanksgiving dinner are ready. This non-Christian, non-partisan holiday is a perfect opportunity for counting our blessings.

As a friend at FL posted,

"Some people complain because God put thorns on roses,
while others praise Him for putting roses among thorns."

May your Thanksgiving day be a rose among thorns.

Count your blessings and have a bountiful Thanksgiving!

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

WGA Improvements Announced

It appears that the difficulties experienced in August with Windows Vista validation issues were sufficiently disturbing to the WGA Team that changes are in the works. This is what the WGA Team has been doing and has lined up for improvements:

Operations, Tools and Processes

• Changes have been made on how updates are rolled out to the back-end servers
• Adding to and improving the tools used to make sure the infrastructure is solid
• Revamped the monitoring that is used to track what is happening within the server infrastructure
• Customer Support changes include implementation of world-wide live support:
  
  • 24x7 customer support in North America
  • Phone based technical support
  • Investigating implementation of 24x7 schedule for outside North America
  
  Note: Free support for WGA-related issues is provided worldwide

Fire-Drills

Considering the world-wide impact of a problem with the WGA servers, it certainly makes sense to conduct drills to test the processes in place for testing the processes in place.

Help for Victims

The WGA Team has also been making changes in how legalization kits are provided to people who have been duped into purchasing non-genuine copies of Windows operating systems.

See the full report by the WGA Team in Learning and Improving.

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

WinPatrol Is Ten!

Not only is WinPatrol a "Ten" in my book as a favorite application, but I see tomorrow (19Nov07) is the 10th Anniversary of the public release of WinPatrol.

Happy Birthday, Scotty and thank you Bill for bringing Scotty to us.

Remember, folks, WinPatrol is free for personal use. WinPatrol Plus provides the additional features described here: http://www.winpatrol.com/morewhyplus.html#plus1. Well worth the investment!


See Bits from Bill: Happy 10th Birthday to Scotty

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Top Ten Online Shopping Mistakes

In anticipation of the beginning of the Holiday shopping season, earlier this week I posted Holiday Online Shopping Safety Tips. For a different spin on online shopping, learn about the top ten mistakes that people are likely to make while shopping online.

See Bits from Bill: Top Ten Online Shopping Mistakes

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Do You Know Where Your Child Is?

When I grew up, parental instructions were, "Be home by dark" and "Don't talk to strangers". We live in a much different world today. Although those same instructions may still be given, there are many more dangers to children today.

Just as we keep the roof patched on our house, provide warm coats and mittens, and try to get our children to eat a balanced diet, when it comes to children online, it is our obligation to first provide a safe environment. A good start is this 10-Minute guide for beginners, provided by *Get Safe Online:

"If you do nothing else, read this

This article contains a high level checklist of main actions that you need to take to protect your computer and key advice about protecting yourself from online criminals. It is a starting point, not a substitute for visiting the rest of the site."

As a parent and grandparent, I would also encourage regularly checking sites like Microsoft Canada's At Home site where these articles are currently highlighted:

	Online safety tips for kids ages 5 to 6
	Are your kids addicted to the Internet?
	Online safety tips for kids ages 2 to 4

A "must read" is Be Web Aware, The Be Web Aware project is a joint project sponsored by Bell Canada and Microsoft Canada and includes a wealth of information for families. The currently indexed topics are linked below with the references.

In the little over a year that I have been maintaining this blog, I have compiled quite a few other references for parents. They are all labeled "child safety" and are included in the references.

Please "Be Web Aware" and keep your children safe online.

References:

• Hat tip to Nellie2 for the information on Get Safe Online.
• Be Web Aware:

  
  Internet 101
  FAQ
  Online searching
  Kid-friendly sites
  Technological tools
  
  
  Ages 2-4
  Ages 5-7
  Ages 8-10
  Ages 11-13
  Ages 14-17
  
  
  Privacy invasions
  Pornography
  Cyber bullying
  Online predators
  Spam
  Misinformation
  Violent or hateful content
  Gambling
  Internet addiction
  
  
  Report online problems
  Community involvement

• Resources for Parents, Teachers and Young People
• Microsoft Canada, Security at Home
• Security Garden Child Safety Articles
  

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

November 2007 Microsoft Security Bulletin Release

Microsoft has issued two security bulletins for November, 2007. Further information regarding the bulletins is available at the MSRC Blog, linked below. Please also refer to the TechNet link for complete details on the Security Bulletins. Only a brief description is provided herein.

As a reminder, Microsoft never sends any type of updates by E-mail. Never click on hyperlinks provided in an E-mail purported to be from Microsoft.

MS07-061-- Critcal, Vulnerability in Windows URI Handling Could Allow Remote Code Execution (943460)

• This update resolves a publicly reported vulnerability. A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows shell handles specifically crafted URIs that are passed to it. If the Windows shell did not sufficiently validate these URIs, an attacker could exploit this vulnerability and execute arbitrary code. Microsoft has only identified ways to exploit this vulnerability on systems using Internet Explorer 7. However, the vulnerability exists in a Windows file, Shell32.dll, which is included in all supported editions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003

MS07-062 -- Important, Vulnerability in DNS Could Allow Spoofing (941672)

This important security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability. This spoofing vulnerability exists in Windows DNS Servers and could allow an attacker to send specially crafted responses to DNS requests, thereby spoofing or redirecting Internet traffic from legitimate locations.

Microsoft also re-released the following bulletin:

MS07-049

• This update addresses a vulnerability in Virtual PC and Virtual Server and could allow elevation of privilege. This is a change to the installer code only, to address some limited installation problems that we have seen. There’s no change to the update binaries, so if you have already successfully installed this update, you do not need to reinstall it. Please refer to the bulletin revision notes for more detail.

Also updated for all users today is the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool.

As indicated in the Windows Vista Team Blog, non-security updates for Windows Vista were also released via Windows Update. As Nick White indicated,

"These and similar updates will be wrapped into SP1 for those of you considering installing them in one fell swoop."

Why wait for SP1 when you can obtain the updates as they are available? Further information is avalable at the above-linked topic and in the KB articles described as:

• An update on system compatibility, reliability and stability: extends the battery life for mobile devices, improves stability of wireless network services, and shortens recovery time after Windows Vista experiences a period of inactivity, among other fixes.
• An update to USB core components: mainly affects systems returning from sleep or hibernation, fixing problems causing 1-2% of all crashes reported.
• An update to Windows Media Center: among other things, affects interaction issues occurring between Media Center PC and Microsoft Xbox 360 when Xbox 360 is used as a Media Center Extender.

References:

• MSRC Blog -- November 2007 Monthly Release
• TechNet -- Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for November 2007
• Microsoft Update
• Windows Update

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Holiday Online Shopping Safety Tips

We (finally) had our first notable frost yesterday morning. I couldn't resist snapping a picture of one of the dwarf barberry bushes. The frost and cold reminded me that it will soon be Thanksgiving in the U.S., which tends to mark the start of the Holiday shopping season.

I was reminded further when I received an E-mail from Amazon.com announcing "Free Shipping on the Season's Best Toys". Highlighted was a section on "Black Friday Deals". Black Friday in the U.S. is the day after Thanksgiving and the biggest shopping day of the season. That is followed closely by "Cyber Monday" when people return to work following the long weekend and take advantage of their company's high-speed internet connection or shop from work because they do not have a connection at home. (I suppose there are still homes without an internet connection.)

With this blog post in mind, I bookmarked the article, "Best Practices for Online Shopping" that Microsoft MVP Harry Waldron reproduced in August from Net World. You can find a link to that article as well as some additional safety tips in the references at the end of this post.

It seems that Nellie2 and I are on the same wave-length (again) as she also recalled Harry Waldron's post from last year on Cyber Monday. In fact, as I looked back to last year, I see that I had also quoted Harry's post when I wrote "First Black Friday, Then Cyber Monday".

Don't be a victim. If you are planning on doing on-line shopping for Holiday gifts, stick to the sites you know to be safe and check out the tips in the linked references below.

References:

• Best Practices for Online Shopping

• Don't Be Fooled by Web Fraud This Season

• How to shop online more safely

• Protect your privacy with online payment services

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Lest We Forget

Last year my friend Canuk posted this in honor of Veteran's Day. Five months ago today, he left us. As a result, his words have even greater meaning to me today.

LEST WE FORGET

We Shall Keep the Faith by Moira Michael, November 1918 Oh! you who sleep in Flanders Fields, Sleep sweet - to rise anew! We caught the torch you threw And holding high, we keep the Faith With All who died. We cherish, too, the poppy red That grows on fields where valor led; It seems to signal to the skies That blood of heroes never dies, But lends a lustre to the red Of the flower that blooms above the dead In Flanders Fields. And now the Torch and Poppy Red We wear in honor of our dead. Fear not that ye have died for naught; We'll teach the lesson that ye wrought In Flanders Fields. Flags courtesy of3DFlags.com

Comments on "

LEST WE FORGET"

Corrine said ... (12:38 PM) :

Beautifully done, my friend!

Since I couldn't do better, you'll find you've been reposted at Security Garden, Freedomlist and LandzDown.

mitch said ... (1:04 PM) :

maybe someday there will be no more wars and we can reflect on the waste of life that they do?

but today i will remember my friends who never had a full life and consider myself lucky

canuk said ... (8:01 PM) :

Thank you so much Corrine, and Mitch my friend, I too "will remember your friends who never had a full life", while thanking you and your comrades who have served with pride, honesty and honour.

Despite anyone's thoughts of the current conflict in Iraq - opposition or agreement, we must always remember that these brave young men and women are fighting for a cause they also may or may not agree with. The huge difference between them and us is that they are putting their lives on the line 24/7 while we sit in our homes in comfort, using the freedom of speech previous warriors won for us, and for that they deserve our love, respect, and support.

Corrine said ... (9:49 AM) :

Corrine wipes the tears from her eyes and adds that quote to her blog entry to preserve it.

Little did I know when writing the above comment how true that would be.

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Microsoft Security Bulletin - November 2007

On 13 November 2007 Microsoft is planning to release two new security bulletins.

• Critical
  Impact of Vulnerability: Remote Code Execution
  Detection: MBSA can detect whether your computer system requires this update.
  Restart Requirement: The update will require a restart.
  Affected Software: Windows. For more information, see the Affected Software section of the Advance Notification page at the link below.
• Important
  Impact of Vulnerability: Spoofing
  Detection: MBSA can detect whether your computer system requires this update.
  Restart Requirement: The update will require a restart, except in certain situations.
  Affected Software: Windows. For more information, see the Affected Software section of the Advance Notification page at the link below.
  

Although Microsoft does not anticipate any changes, the number of bulletins, products affected, restart information and severities are subject to change until released.

References:

• Technet
• MSRC Blog

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Scotty Is Back Where He Belongs!

It was the strangest thing and I do not understand why Windows Defender was blocking WinPatrol from startup. True enough, this evening when I started my computer, even with Windows Defender monitoring turned off, WinPatrol was still blocked. Although it doesn't make a lot of sense to me, this is what worked.

From the task bar, I selected "Run blocked program". After a restart, there was still no Scotty.


I was considering reinstalling WinPatrol but first navigated to the BillP Studios folder in Program Files; right-clicked on WinPatrol.exe and selected Run as Administrator. Another restart and still no Scotty. I went back to the BillP Studios folder, right-click on WinPatrol.exe and selected Properties > Compatibility. Run as Administrator was checked so I unchecked it. After another restart, there was Scotty! Just for the heck of it, I reactivated Windows Defender, and after another restart, Scotty was still there.

So what was the glitch? I don't believe that selecting Run as Administrator one time should have resulted in the box being checked nor in Windows Defender blocking it. Regardless, its good to have Scotty back.

Now will someone tell me how to get Windows Defender to change the status of WinPatrol and NOD32 to "Permitted"?

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...