Damned if you do, and damned if you don't!!!

[Greg Strong]

Hello All,

I thought that I'd share this experience today with all security minded WinXP
users. I keep my WinXP Pro system up to date with MS's on-line update pretty
much monthly for critical updates. The critical updates typically effect IE.
Well today I couldn't access the job portion of a web site for a VERY high
profile US employer AND I couldn't sign up for on-line banking with IE.

Per the prospective employer:
=================================================================
Please access this site from a device that has a combination of the following
supported systems.

Browsers:
Microsoft Internet Explorer (versions 5.5 and 6.0)
Netscape (versions 7.0 and 7.1)

Operating Systems:
Windows 98
Windows 98 Second Edition
Windows ME
Windows NT 4.0
Windows 2000
Windows XP (excluding version 2 and Pro)
Windows 2003
=================================================================

I suspect version 2 is SP2. The solution for the job application was to
contact the prospective employer and email them my cover letter and resume
even though they prefer the on-line process. Their excuse is they haven't
updated the web access for WinXP. The solution for the on-line banking was to
use Firefox.

So you are damned by not updating your OS by leaving it more open to security
flaws, and damned by updating your system because you can't use MS's software
on some very important functionality that exists on the web.

What can I say, other than I'm scratching my head. I'd rather be damned for
doing than not doing. Oh well!!! I just thought that I'd share the
experience.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Why would you even consider applying for a position with a
company that is about one year behind the technology curve
and appears quite inept?

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| Hello All,
|
| I thought that I'd share this experience today with all security minded WinXP
| users. I keep my WinXP Pro system up to date with MS's on-line update pretty
| much monthly for critical updates. The critical updates typically effect IE.
| Well today I couldn't access the job portion of a web site for a VERY high
| profile US employer AND I couldn't sign up for on-line banking with IE.
|
| Per the prospective employer:
| =================================================================
| Please access this site from a device that has a combination of the following
| supported systems.
|
| Browsers:
| Microsoft Internet Explorer (versions 5.5 and 6.0)
| Netscape (versions 7.0 and 7.1)
|
| Operating Systems:
| Windows 98
| Windows 98 Second Edition
| Windows ME
| Windows NT 4.0
| Windows 2000
| Windows XP (excluding version 2 and Pro)
| Windows 2003
| =================================================================
|
| I suspect version 2 is SP2. The solution for the job application was to
| contact the prospective employer and email them my cover letter and resume
| even though they prefer the on-line process. Their excuse is they haven't
| updated the web access for WinXP. The solution for the on-line banking was to
| use Firefox.
|
| So you are damned by not updating your OS by leaving it more open to security
| flaws, and damned by updating your system because you can't use MS's software
| on some very important functionality that exists on the web.
|
| What can I say, other than I'm scratching my head. I'd rather be damned for
| doing than not doing. Oh well!!! I just thought that I'd share the
| experience.
|
| --
| Regards,
|
| Greg Strong

 

[PA Bear]

(Courtesey of MVP Mike Burgess) Several of these are known to cause the
problem:

1) Zone Alarm Pro [Private Header Info - enabled?] Reset "Ad Blocking" and
"Cookie Control" to "medium" "Mobile Code Control" = Off

2) Symantec (ISS\NIS) [Enable Browser Privacy - enabled] Active Content -
"Allow All Scripts To Execute" Problem: some sites cannot detect the 128 bit
encryption Solution: Completely remove and reinstall NIS.

3) Any "ad blocking" software that blocks "http_referer" or contains entries
that are blocking access to the desired site.

4) HOSTS file that contains entries that are blocking access to the desired
site.

5) Cookie blocking software that are blocking "required" Cookies.

6) Pop-up blockers that are stripping header\url info.

7) WebWasher Standard Filter/URL Filter

8) Make sure the following entry is not corrupt:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet
Settings] "User Agent"="Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.0"

[Value in #8 above is for WinXP]

 

[pcbutts1]

Well I hope the position is for a webmaster.

--


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[Greg Strong]

Why would you even consider applying for a position with a
company that is about one year behind the technology curve
and appears quite inept?

I won't divulge the name of the employer because I don't think it would be
correct. I will say the company does NOT sell software. I've been told
by other business professionals that the employer's name DOES garnish as much
or more respect at business conventions as that of NASA.

 

[grolschie]

Why would you even consider applying for a position with a
company that is about one year behind the technology curve
and appears quite inept?

Just like the official New Zealand MS reseller who recently couldn't sell
our company an XP Pro enterprise media kit with Service Pack 2. Only one
with Service Pack 1a. MS NZ couldn't sell us one, only retail version, and
refered us to this great reseller. Wonderful! How long has SP2 been out now?
Ended up slipstreaming SP2 into our old XP CD.

grol

 

[MAP]

Why would you even consider applying for a position with a
company that is about one year behind the technology curve
and appears quite inept?

Are you talking about USAirways?