Security question on updating from MS Update after clean install

[Eran Karu]

I have a product recovery CD-ROM of Windows XP home edition but is without
any service pack. I plan to make clean install but wonder whether any malware
would attack my computer while updating from Microsoft update, because clean
installed Windows XP has lots of security holes. And I don't know whether
built-in MS firewall is good enough. I cannot install Comodo Firewall Pro 3
because it requires service pack 2.

So the question is: What is the safest way to update my clean installed
Windows? Please give clear simple step by step instruction.

 

[p]

I have a product recovery CD-ROM of Windows XP home edition but is without
any service pack. I plan to make clean install but wonder whether any malware
would attack my computer while updating from Microsoft update, because clean
installed Windows XP has lots of security holes. And I don't know whether
built-in MS firewall is good enough. I cannot install Comodo Firewall Pro 3
because it requires service pack 2.

So the question is: What is the safest way to update my clean installed
Windows? Please give clear simple step by step instruction.

If you have a hard firewall on your router, you shouldn't have any
problems. If not, download SP3 and install that on your machine before
going on line to get the rest of the updates. You can get it here:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...ce-b5fb-4488-8c50-fe22559d164e&DisplayLang=en

Burn the ISO as an Image to a CD before using it.

P

 

[Twayne]

I have a product recovery CD-ROM of Windows XP home edition but is

without any service pack. I plan to make clean install but wonder
whether any malware would attack my computer while updating from
Microsoft update, because clean installed Windows XP has lots of
security holes. And I don't know whether built-in MS firewall is good
enough. I cannot install Comodo Firewall Pro 3 because it requires
service pack 2.

So the question is: What is the safest way to update my clean
installed Windows? Please give clear simple step by step instruction.

That can be a tough one but maybe some of the following will help:

AFAIK bare XP did not have a firewall. So that's not there for you.
I'm not sure whether it was implemented in SP1 or SP2. If I'm wrong,
great, but I don't think I am. I don't recall a firewall until SP2
unless it was an SP1 hotfix.

If you are on DSL or any high speed digital service, then you likely
have a NAT router? If so, that will be enough protection to get you
started as long as you also have some anti-virus you can install before
you go online.
Antivirus is actually more important IMO than a firewall, even if
it's out of date by a few weeks. It's still likely to protect you
enough to get started up.

Install any antivirus and antispyware apps you may have, then go online
and update those first. Go ahead and let win update run at the same
time to get your other updates if you don't already have SP2 saved to
disk for use.

For the future, download the SP3 to disk and you'll be able to install
it right along with the OS next time this happens. If you don't plan to
use SP3 yet then download and save SP2 instead. SP3 includes SP2 plus
all the hot fixes though, and is the better pack to have handy. I don't
think there have been any hot fixes yet for SP3. SP2 has nearly a
hundred of them.

I believe ZoneAlarm's freebie will work on bare XP if you can get a copy
of it. Yes, it has been fixed w/r to the recent spate of problems
caused by the last XP update this week.

Once you're up and running again, make a backup to CD or DVDs before you
install all your apps.

HTH

Twayne

 

[Eran Karu]

Thanks for help, Twayne.

How can I find out whether my ADSL supports a NAT router? I have never
experienced it.

 

[John John (MVP)]

Windows XP has a firewall, pre SP2 it isn't enabled by default, just
enable it:

How to turn on or turn off the firewall in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/283673

You don't need to install Comodo, the XP firewall will protect you from
inbound threats. The firewall is the most important protection for your
computer. You can do without AV software if you exercise caution but
you cannot do without a firewall, without a firewall your computer may
be infected within minutes of connecting to the internet! Hardware
firewalls with stateful packet inspection provide the best protection,
if you do not have a hardware firewall you need a software firewall, aka
a personal firewall.

Another poster suggested that you download the latest service pack
before you do your Windows reinstallation and install the service pack
before you connect to the internet, that is a very good idea. To reduce
the possibility of infections you should disconnect the network
(internet) cable before you do the installation, that is especially true
with high speed always on internet connections.

John

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

After doing a Recovery reinstall, you'll have the equivalent of a new
computer, so see...

Before You Connect a New Computer to the Internet
http://www.cert.org/tech_tips/before_you_plug_in.html

 

[p]

Thanks for help, Twayne.

How can I find out whether my ADSL supports a NAT router? I have never
experienced it.

By reading the manual that came with the router. Many routers do NOT
have the firewall enabled by default so you have to go into the router
to enable it. The manual will tell you how. If you didn't get a manual,
search for the router on line and you should be able find it that way.

XP SP1 does have a firewall but it's not enabled by default. So, install
it, enable the firewall and go online for the updates.

P