POSSIBLE WARNING FOR HACKERS AND SNOOPERS

[MIke]

Hello!

The other day I spotted an icon in my WIN XP Taskbar, lower right hand
corner by the clock. I clicked it and it said that UPDATES were now
being downloaded onto my PC. There were NO brand names shown, ie
Microsoft, Symantec,V-com, etc etc. There was no way I could determine
who was downloading updates onto my system!!

That scares me! Anybody have similar incidences?

Mike

The biggest problem in this world is apathy! But, who cares anyway?

 

[Alias]

If it was a little yellow shield, that's Windows Update downloading the
latest updates and nothing to be afraid of.

 

[Leythos]

The other day I spotted an icon in my WIN XP Taskbar, lower right hand
corner by the clock. I clicked it and it said that UPDATES were now
being downloaded onto my PC. There were NO brand names shown, ie
Microsoft, Symantec,V-com, etc etc. There was no way I could determine
who was downloading updates onto my system!!

That scares me! Anybody have similar incidences?

If you were to launch the ICON it would clearly indicate that it's Windows
Update - you even installed it.

 

[Menno Hershberger]

If it was a little yellow shield, that's Windows Update downloading the
latest updates and nothing to be afraid of.

I have SO many customers that won't install those because they don't know
what it is. Just had one yesterday who still had SP1 with NO updates. He
asked me what that "shield" was that kept showing up. It probably wouldn't
have been a bad idea to have that better documented, or having the baloon
say "Microsoft Windows Updates are downloaded and ready to install".

 

[Guest]

I also saw the Shield but was unable to launch it. Double clicking or Rt
clicking had no effect. How do you launch it? Thanks

 

[Sandman]

Actually, if it is Microsoft downloading the latest updates, it could be
everything to be afraid of.

 

[Leythos]

I also saw the Shield but was unable to launch it. Double clicking or Rt
clicking had no effect. How do you launch it? Thanks

I apologize, while it's downloading, before they are ready, you can only
check on the % of download completed, you have to wait until the downloads
are on your computer before you can double click and see them.

In our experience you are best advised to allow it to download, then do a
custom install, review the updates and see if there are any reported
problems in this group, and then install the ones you are comfortable with.

I've installed all updates in the last year without any problem.

 

[Yves Leclerc]

Doesn't the shield come with SP2's Security Center???

 

[Joel Rubin]

Hello!

The other day I spotted an icon in my WIN XP Taskbar, lower right hand
corner by the clock. I clicked it and it said that UPDATES were now
being downloaded onto my PC. There were NO brand names shown, ie
Microsoft, Symantec,V-com, etc etc. There was no way I could determine
who was downloading updates onto my system!!

That scares me! Anybody have similar incidences?

If you have the automatic updates service turned on that can happen,
innocently. (But it may be a pain in the ass when it happens.)

One thing you can do is to open a DOS box and use netstat. It tells
you what connections you're making. I believe you'd be communicating
with the download server on port 80.

If you want to stop this from happening, use services.msc to make the
automatic update service manual or even disabled and stop it if it's
started.

However, you can only run web update while it's on automatic. You'd
think manual and started would be good enough but no.

Also, if you don't use automatic updates, be sure to check reasonably
often for updates. I believe that, other in an emergency, the
important updates come out around mid month.

 

[IC]

No, it's there with SP1 only.

--
Ian

Doesn't the shield come with SP2's Security Center???

 

[MIke]

I like your humor!!! But at least it wasn;t a hacker!
Mike

 

[Alex Nichol]

No, it's there with SP1 only.

It is part of SP2, not in SP1

 

[Menno Hershberger]

It is part of SP2, not in SP1

I guess I've "forgotten" SP1 already. But there's *some* kind of icon that
comes in the system tray when updates have been downlooaded and ready to
install. And lots of people ignore it.