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Automatic Install of IE 7 starts November 1st
Just want to remind everyone that IE 7 will be automatically installed on November 1st. Since most of you are running Automatic updates it would be prudent to block the install until you have fully tested it against all of the websites and software your company uses.
Microsoft provides a command line blocking tool that can be downloaded from here
Or you can download and install our free IE blocking tools:
For your local computer
Or download our tool that can update remote computers
Alternatively you can simply create a registry key that will block the install. It is located under this key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Setup\7.0
The key name is: DoNotAllowIE70
Setting this to 1 blocks the install, setting to 0 allows the install.
Only Windows 2003, and XP users need to worry about this automatic install - since IE 7 is not compatible with 98, ME, or 2000
Posted By: Steve Wiseman on Monday, October 30, 2006
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Microsoft releases new version of Media Player
Windows Media Player 11 was released today.
Like all new Microsoft software you need to have a valid version of windows to install it. Additionally, it is only available for Windows XP.
This is the first edition of Media player to provide integration with the MTV Urge music service. Key features boasted by Microsoft include:
-A visually driven experience using thumbnail and album art, an elegant and simple design, and customization capabilities for more personalized interaction
-Improved device experience with new shuffle sync and reverse sync options, device exploration using the library view, and intuitive help icons that ensure seamless and intuitive syncing and burning of rights-managed content
-Highly simplified navigation capabilities, enhanced shortcut options, and dedicated category views for all media types, including music, photos and video
-Better access to content with deep integration of services that blurs the line between online service and media player experiences
-Industry-first audio fingerprinting capabilities that recognize and import track information for unidentified or misnamed audio files
-New formats for ripping and music playback, including Windows Media Audio Professional and WAV Lossless
Why is this release important to Windows Administrators? Well I know that many of you have integrated phone systems. What I mean by that is your users can listen to their voice mail in wav, or mp3 format on their computer. I am not sure if Microsoft will force this version of Media Player via automatic updates, but it really provides no additional benefits to those using media player to listen to short audio clips.
In reality this update simply is a better marketing engine for Microsoft's media division. Frankly, as a business, There is no need for users to have their own music 'store' on their computers. It seems to be getting harder and harder to find a media player that just does that - play media. No popups, No music store sales, No spyware. Just play my MP3. Thats all I need.
Does anyone out there know of a media player that just plays MP3s, and Wav files without in-your-face advertising for the media companies? E-Mail Me and let me know.
Posted By: Steve Wiseman on Monday, October 30, 2006
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Security firm finds a way around Vista 64 Bit Patch Guard security
For most windows administrators Vista is still a long way off before they need to deploy it on their networks. Even further off is a 64 bit version of Vista. Still it is important to stay on top of what is going on with these products, so as an administrator you are not blindsided when you encounter your first install.
The 64 bit version of Vista is the first version of Windows that will only allow signed drivers. This means that if you want to install a driver on windows, it must have a valid certificate - something difficult for a virus, or piece of spyware.
We are told by Microsoft that this fact alone will make Vista 64 the most secure operating system ever developed. This was all changed back in July when Joanna Rutkowska spoke at the Black Hat USA conference. She described a method of installing drivers without any code signature by using the page file.
The three suggestions Joanna made for Microsoft to resolve the issue:
1. Block raw disk access from usermode.
2. Encrypt pagefile (alternatively, use hashing to ensure the integrity of paged out pages, as it was suggested by Elad Efrat from NetBSD).
3. Disable kernel mode paging (sacrificing probably around 80MB of memory in the worst case).
Microsoft picked the least desirable option number 1. This was easy for them, but potentially made it impossible for disk utility vendors from creating disk repair, and defragmentation tools.
So that was it, or so Microsoft thought. Problem solved. No more unsigned drivers.
This week the security firm Authentium found a workaround for Patch Guard
Patch Gurad is the technology that keeps unsigned drivers from being installed, and the kernel from being modified. Their method allows either a legitimate software vendor, or an attacker to disable it, install their wares, and then turn it right back on.
Patch Guard is the feature that Symantec and McAfee have been getting very upset about - since it essentially keeps them out too. Rightly so, since essentially Microsoft will bypass this for their own security products. It really is a bad idea to force these security vendors to resort to hacks to install their software.
Microsoft immediately responded with a angry attack stating that that the hack harmed windows users by reducing the security of Windows.
Still this whole debate needs to be watched. Not many IT departments are going to feel secure with a Microsoft only approach to anti-virus and anti-spyware. On the flip side no one wants to install code that *hacks* the kernel in a corporate environment - Microsoft can break it in a day with an automatic update. Hopefully the issue will be worked out by the time most of us will need a 64 bit version of windows on our network.
Posted By: Steve Wiseman on Saturday, October 28, 2006
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Microsoft releases final version of Defender (Antispyware)
Microsoft released its final version of Windows Defender on Tuesday (Formerly known as Microsoft Antispyware). The last release was beta 2 in February. Since then about 30 million people have downloaded it.
It is a well polished product, and so far it has been great at removing most of the spyware that I have encountered. Now that it is an official full product, and no longer beta I am concerned that it could demolish other anti-spyware vendors like Ad-Aware and SpyBot
If it comes down to only Microsoft as an anti-spyware vendor I feel that we will be back to square one. This is because the spammers, and spyware creators out there will only have one simple target to hit.
In addition to the software being free, Windows 2003 and XP users are entitled to two free support calls for Defender.
Not surprising, but the Defender is included with the Microsoft AntiVirus product Windows One Care. Now you can see why they want to lock out other vendors ;)
Download Windows Defender Here
Other excellent anti-spyware tools can be found here:
Ad-Aware by Lavasoft
SpyBot Search and Destroy
Posted By: Steve Wiseman on Thursday, October 26, 2006
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IE 7 breaks outlook hotmail integration
I admit it. I still have a hotmail account. I have had a hotmail account since they started way back in the day - before Microsoft had anything to do with it. They were one of the first web based free email sites on the internet.
For quite some time now I have been happily using hotmail within Microsoft Outlook. It makes it easier since I can bring all of my email accounts into the same program. That way I don't have to keep checking 3 different sites to see all of my new email.
Someone asked a question today in our discussion board about hotmail, and IE 7. The user installed IE 7, and now Outlook keeps asking for the password for hotmail - even when it is correct.
Ok. I decided to test this for myself. I got on one of my test systems and installed Microsoft Outlook, and the Hotmail account
Got it working smoothly, and then proceeded to install IE 7. After the reboot I launched Outlook and sure enough it was asking me for the password.
Searched for quite some time through MS knowledge base and finally found KB 904942.
The frustrating part about this is that the only download they have is for the 64 bit version of Windows!
After searching the newsgroups and message boards I found out that this update can be installed via automatic update. You need to run automatic update, then pick the Software, Optional Updates setting on the left. Sure enough you will see it on the list:
After installing the update Outlook worked perfectly again.
Update: Looks like another user answered the question while I was writing the article. Thanks Joshua!
Posted By: Steve Wiseman on Wednesday, October 25, 2006
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How to add your Hotmail account to Microsoft Outlook
Disable automatic install of IE 7
Many administrators are going to be taken by surprise when they find out that IE 7 is going to be installed automatically via Windows Update.
There are considerable changes that could cause many headaches. Most administrators would prefer to decide when IE 7 is deployed on their network.
This is why microsoft has released the IE 7 blocking tool. It can be downloaded from here at Microsoft's website.
Once you download and extract the package you will see that it is a command line tool. You simply call the script with the computer name and /b
Alternatively you can simply create a registry key that will block the install. It is located under this key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Setup\7.0 The key name is: DoNotAllowIE70 Setting this to 1 blocks the install, setting to 0 allows the install. I for one hate messing around in the registry, and sometimes I don't want to use the command line - I want a nice GUI interface to make these types of changes. That is why we have created two more free tools to make the changes for you. For changing the setting on remote machines:
You can download it hereAnd, finally if you need to just do it on your local system this will do the trick:
You can download it hereAs always our tools have no spyware, no adware, and the programs can be run from a USB memory stick with no install!
Posted By: Steve Wiseman on Tuesday, October 10, 2006
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Update your Windows XP SP2 Serial number
I have many friends who are getting notifications like this from Microsoft:
Many times I would shake my head when they bought their machines from a corner computer store - that had photo-copied licenses keys included with the machine. It was pretty obvious that the serial numbers were pirated. With the Genuine Advantage push by Microsoft I get a call from a different friend almost every weekend now asking me what it means - I tell them they need to go out and buy a copy of XP. A friend called me this weekend. She needed my help since she had no idea how to update the serial number without reloading the entire OS. I looked up one of my old articles that had a script for updating the Windows XP serial number. I tried it out. Hmm. It came back with an error code.
After searching the net, I found that Microsoft no longer allows you to update the serial number using this script. Modifications made by Service Pack 2 render the old scripts useless. They now have a new program for updating the serial number: It can be downloaded from hereWhat is good about this new way of updating the serial number is that it will check the system files for anything that is out of order. This is important because many cracked versions of XP will have hacked system files that will keep important updates from being applied.
Once it is finished it will ask you for the new Key:
Enter the key click finish and it will make the change and reboot. Now that the serial number is updated you will no longer receive the warnings from Microsoft, and updates will be properly applied.
Posted By: Steve Wiseman on Monday, October 09, 2006
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Why some shortcuts say "Publisher cannot be verified"
When service pack 2 came out for Windows XP, I was surprised with the following message when trying to launch applications from the desktop:
It is the result of Microsoft trying to protect users from malicious programs. The message will appear for any shortcut or executable that is hosted on a network share.
The maddening part is when you try to find the answer to this problem. After lots of digging I discovered it is actually an Internet Explorer setting! Yep. Double click shortcuts on the desktop - bam IE settings take effect.
There are two ways to solve this problem. First you could disable the feature totally. If you open the local policy editor by running gpedit.msc at the run window. Dig down to: User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Attachment Manager\Inclusion List For Low File Types
Enable it, and add .exe to the list
There is a big security issue with this. Internet Explorer uses these same settings. By changing it you are keeping IE from warning users about running EXE files. It is unfortunate that Microsoft decided to integrate the setting in this way.
The next way I will show you is the preferred way.
First, determine what server the shortcut is hosted on. For our example we will allow only shortcuts that are pointing to server1 to be launched without the warning.
Open Internet Explorer.
Click on tools, then Internet Options. Click on the security tab.
Once you are on this tab. Make sure you first click "Local Intranet", and then the "Sites" button should light up. Click it.
On the form that is displayed, click advanced
You will be shown a list of sites that are in the "Local Intranet"
To add your server to the list. Type file://server where 'server' is the name of your server. We will put server1 here
Click on Add.
Click OK, on the rest of the dialogs to get out of the settings for Internet Explorer.
Now we can create shortcuts that point to that server, and no "Publisher cannot be verified" dialogs will be shown.
Posted By: Steve Wiseman on Tuesday, October 03, 2006
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