kinda new at this...

[Olivia07]

Ok, spyware is the devil. I am trying to download this spyware protection
from MSN (i am running on WinXP Home Edition) and as I am going through the
installation process, trying to install ActiveX, the info bar says "To help
protect security, Internet Exp stopped this site from installing an ActiveX
control on your computer." If someone could please help educate me on this I
would appreciate it. I would love to read my emails someday without dealing
with spyware.

 

[Steve Dodson [MSFT]]

I do not know what you are seeing, but this is not related to Microsoft
Windows AntiSpyware Beta. That message pops up when an unknown activex
control is attempting to be installed on your computer. Unless you know
that what you are going to download is safe and from a reputable company, I
would not allow the activex control to be downloaded. If you have
questions, please call us at 1-866-PC SAFETY before you install it. I'd
rather be safe than sorry.

-steve


Steve Dodson [MSFT]
MCSE, CISSP
PSS Security

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[Bill Sanderson]

I won't disagree with Steve Dodson's advice--feel free to call the free
number he gave out--they are ready to help.

However, I have one thought about what you are seeing. If you are
downloading from a Microsoft site, this download involves the "genuine
Windows" initiative which is intended to help combat a particular form of
software piracy---one which involves Windows itself on your machine.

This "genuine Windows" checking process does involve accepting the download
of an ActiveX control to your system. This is a piece of cryptographically
signed program code which does the actual checking for validity of your copy
of Windows. The fact that it is signed is important--it enables you to be
certain that the code that arrives on your machine is, in fact, generated by
Microsoft and unchanged by any process en route.

So--if this rings a bell--and you are downloading Microsoft Antispyware from
a Microsoft site, I would feel free in right-clicking the information bar
(?) that appears at the top of your browser window and letting it accept the
download of this ActiveX control.

I would be VERY cautious about going through this process at any other web
site as part of a download process--this is absolutely typical of a number
of spyware processes that are out there today--but those sites are not
Microsoft sites, and the controls will be signed by entities other than
Microsoft.