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TOP STORY April 11 patch re-released with fixes By Brian Livingston Microsoft re-released on Apr. 25 a security patch that had been issued 14 days earlier in the company's monthly Patch Tuesday schedule. The original version of security bulletin MS06-015 causes problems with Microsoft Office and other apps when you try to open or save files in the My Documents folder; with Internet Explorer when you type Web addresses into the Address Bar; and with an untold number of other programs. The Redmond company says the problems are being caused by older versions of HP Share-to-Web software, nVidia graphics drivers, and Kerio Personal Firewall. But I believe there may be other conflicts at work, as I discuss below. In addition, Microsoft released a surprising number of other hotfixes and notices on Apr. 25. These include: • In Outlook Express, some Address Books now won't work after you install MS06-016; • Hotfix 900485, which was originally issued by Microsoft in December 2005 to correct a rare XP crash, started being pushed out to users as a "security patch," apparently in error; • Windows Genuine Advantage, which previously checked for pirated versions of Windows only when a user downloaded free programs from Microsoft's site, started being installed on every machine that has Automatic Updates turned on in the U.S., U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and Malaysia. I'll give you help for these and other April surprises below. First, let's look at the worst problems, which affected people who installed MS06-015. Workarounds for MS06-015 problems The problems caused in Microsoft Office and other apps after installing MS06-015 has to be one of Microsoft's biggest blunders. Fortunately, these issues seem fairly easy to correct, now that the Redmond company has re-released its bulletin. If you're affected by any of the problems related to MS06-015, they're most likely to be resolved by running Windows Update or the improved Microsoft Update. If the update routine detects that you have drivers that conflict with MS06-015, entries will be written into the Registry, after which things should function normally. According to Microsoft, there's no new version of the patch binaries themselves, just these new, more-forgiving Registry entries. If that doesn't solve your problems, the update routine may not be detecting anything that suggests the changes are needed. In such a case, you may need to uninstall MS06-015 and then run Microsoft Update to get the 2.0 behavior. To do this: Step 1. Reboot to remove any programs that may be in memory; Step 2. Run the Add/Remove Programs control panel and uninstall update 908531 (security patch MS06-015); Step 3. Run Windows Update or Microsoft Update, which should offer you MS06-015 as a critical security patch. Install the patch. |
Windows Secrets NewsletterIssue 74 2006-04-27 Contents (Scroll down to Index) TOP STORY April 11 patch re-released with fixes INDEX OF REVIEWS Would you like wireless with that? SECURITY BASELINE The Security Baseline as it stands HOT TIPS Deeper problems emerge with April patches WOODY'S WINDOWS How to check that sites are safe PATCH WATCH Were you a victim of Patch Tuesday? PERIMETER SCAN There they go again — slipstreaming patches USEFUL LINKS Is Microsoft's Vista font just a copy? WACKY WEB WEEK Graffiti artist hits Air Force One — or does he? YOUR PREFERENCES About your subscription Newsletter Control Panel Windows Secrets home page How to subscribe Change your delivery address Change your preferences Access past free issues Access past paid issues Upgrade to paid version Search for info (WinFind) Submit a Windows tip Get subscription help How to unsubscribe Circulation: over 140,000 |
If you can't get the bad behavior fixed using Microsoft Update for some reason,
reader Andy Suarez has a description of a manual workaround (which was
developed before the re-released bulletin became available):
• You can't access files in My Pictures or other "special" folders; • Right-clicking a file in Windows Explorer or on the Desktop, and then clicking Send To, doesn't do anything; • Trying to expand a folder in Windows Explorer has no effect. For more information on the patch and the workarounds for the conflicts it causes, see Knowledge Base article 918165 and security bulletin MS06-015. Coping with other April Fools' issues Since some of the newly released material just appeared yesterday, information is still a bit sketchy. Here are the best resources I've found on these topics: • Address Books won't open in Outlook Express. This apparently affects only Address Books that were created with older versions of Outlook Express and developed minor file corruption at some point. OE won't load such Address Books after you install MS06-016. Microsoft has published an official workaround, which involves copying the affected file to a new name, manually deleting the old file, and then importing the renamed file. See KB 917288. • Hotfix 900485 for XP SP2 being pushed out automatically. This patch is described by Microsoft in KB 900485. That article doesn't explain why this 2005 hotfix is being deployed to everyone now. It's probably just a Microsoft error. The situation is unclear even to MVPs (Most Valuable Professionals), as evidenced by a cryptic exchange in the Windows Update forum. • FrontPage 2002 Server Extensions require special installation. If you use Microsoft's Systems Management Server (SMS), you may need to avoid problems installing the FrontPage 2002 Server Extensions in security bulletin MS06-017 by using "interactive mode." See KB 917627. • Outlook Web Access doesn't work in IE 6 or Vista. After you install the so-called Eolas patent downgrade to IE, which has been released in various forms over the past several weeks, OWA won't work in IE 6. It doesn't work in the beta of Windows Vista, either, which is a separate problem. Both issues can be corrected with a hotfix to Microsoft Exchange Server. See KB 911829. • Genuine Advantage automatically being installed in many countries. With no notice, Microsoft began installing Genuine Advantage to users in English-speaking countries and Malaysia on Apr. 25. This software had previously checked for pirated versions of Windows only when users tried to download free software from Microsoft's site. Now it runs immediately, displaying warning messages if it feels that something is amiss. It's natural for Microsoft to want every copy of its software to be licensed. But many companies would rather not find out about this suddenly when they're in the midst of some mission-critical process. For more information, read the analysis by the Washington Post's Brian Krebs and Microsoft's Knowledge Base article 905474. The KB explains a way to disable the notifications that emit from Genuine Advantage. The change is said to work until the next time Microsoft decides to release a GA update. The article states that Genuine Advantage cannot be uninstalled once it is in place. More fixes for Windows users The problems with this month's patches, especially the quiet mass installations of Genuine Advantage, are stimulating a healthy debate among the contributing editors of Windows Secrets. I'm personally considering whether to reverse the recommendation in our Security Baseline section that home users should leave Automatic Updates turned on. Microsoft is destroying the credibility of Automatic Updates by using it to force the installation of nonsecurity hacks, such as Genuine Advantage. If you're willing to actually pay attention when new critical updates are released, use the Automatic Updates control panel to switch its behavior to Notify me but don't automatically download or install them. Then, when notified, select the most critical updates for installation — after you've read the paid version of that week's Windows Secrets Newsletter. Each month, we publish an issue that appears only 2 days after Patch Tuesday. We grill our sources to find and reveal to you all the negative side-effects involving every Microsoft patch that's just been released. We follow this up 16 days after Patch Tuesday in our next issue, with further details we've learned. The paid version of today's newsletter is where we have the best information about problems and fixes related to the April patches. As I said above, I believe more software is having problems with MS06-015 than Microsoft has explained. In today's paid newsletter, I include a description of problems with DUN connections and possibly other software that clearly seems to be April Fools' patch-related. Also, Susan Bradley's column explains the ins and outs of the Patch Tuesday problems and other issues you may run into. Any reader may upgrade and immediately receive today's paid version — and our next 12 months of secrets — by making a voluntary financial contribution of whatever amount it's worth to you. Check it out. How to upgrade To send us more information about the April patches, or to send us a tip on any other subject, visit WindowsSecrets.com/contact. You'll receive a gift certificate for a book, CD, or DVD of your choice if you send us a comment that we print. Brian Livingston is editor of the Windows Secrets Newsletter and the coauthor of Windows 2000 Secrets, Windows Me Secrets, and eight other books. |
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FORWARDING INSTRUCTIONS Please share this information with your friends You're encouraged to refer your friends and colleagues to this free newsletter. Because most e-mail programs don't correctly display a formatted message that's been forwarded, simply call people's attention to the permanent Web address of this issue: WindowsSecrets.com/comp/060427. |
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INDEX OF REVIEWS Would you like wireless with that? 
Laptops have long included Wi-Fi capabilities. Now it's become a feature of
cameras, too.The latest tests of advanced compact cameras, which we report on below, reveal that Canon's PowerShot SD430 has received the greatest number of top ratings of any of the new cameras that allow you to transfer photos to a PC wirelessly. Kodak's much-delayed EasyShare-One, which can also connect to the Internet, comes up second in the ratings so far, leaving behind Nikon's new wireless offering. ADVANCED COMPACT CAMERAS Canon and Kodak beat Nikon in tests       Canon is coming out on top in the latest reviews of advanced compacts, with the PowerShot S80 and SD430 Wireless each snagging two Editors' Choice awards from different testers. In the sub-category of Wi-Fi enabled cameras, Canon's SD430 and Kodak's EasyShare-One are beating out Nikon's Coolpix P1, which doesn't have any big wins yet. Canon PowerShot S80 (top-rated by PC Mag, CNET) Canon PowerShot SD430 Wireless (PC Mag, Laptop Mag) Kodak EasyShare Z700 (Laptop Mag) Kodak EasyShare-One Wireless (PC Mag) HP Photosmart R717 (PC World) Fuji FinePix E900 (PC Mag) Link to all ratings and full reviews ULTRAPORTABLE LAPTOPS Four ultraportables top the charts     Your top choices in thin-and-light notebooks have narrowed down to four. The widescreen Sharp M4000 boasts Laptop Magazine's Editors' Choice and Consumer Reports' Quick Pick. Two reviewers have also given Editors' Choice honors to Lenovo's ThinkPad X60s. This model is 5 oz. heavier than the older X41, which is currently PC World's top scorer, but offers longer battery life. Sharp M4000 WideNote (top-rated by Laptop Mag, Consumer Reports) Lenovo ThinkPad X60s (PC Mag, CNET) Sony VAIO VGN-TX670P (CNET) Lenovo ThinkPad X41 (PC World) Link to all ratings and full reviews 19-INCH LCDs 19" LCDs rank high for different purposes        The latest crop of 19" LCD tests are all over the map. Tom's Hardware Guide takes an interesting approach, recommending three units for different applications. The Viewsonic VP930 is the best "100%-all-around" monitor, according to Tom's, while its sibling, the Viewsonic VX922, is exceedingly fast for gamers. Meanwhile, the Samsung 970P ranks high for photo retouching with "exceptional contrast and unmatched color fidelity," Tom's says. ViewSonic VP930 (top-rated by Tom's Hardware) ViewSonic VX922 (Tom's Hardware) Samsung 970P (Tom's Hardware) Dell UltraSharp 1907FP (CNET) LG Electronics Flatron L1950B (PC World) LaCie 319 LDD (Digital Camera Magazine) Samsung Synchmaster 940BF (Maximum PC) Link to all ratings and full reviews MULTIFUNCTION INKJET PRINTERS Reviewers agree on Canon multifunction printer   The winner of tests on numerous inkjets that can print, copy, and scan is Canon's MP500, which is tops in three different reviewers' scores. The unit doesn't have fax capability, however, nor does the other model that Tom's Hardware Guide recommends, the HP 3210. Apparently, no one faxes anymore (or they use a separate fax device). Canon PIXMA MP500 (top-rated by PC Magazine, PC World, Tom's Hardware) HP Photosmart 3210 (Tom's Hardware, PC Pro) Link to all ratings and full reviews —————— For non-U.S. sources of information on a product reviewed above, enter the model name into a search box at one of the following links: Canada / U.K. / Elsewhere The Index of Reviews summarizes only head-to-head comparative tests by respected industry reviewers, not individual ratings of single products. Vickie Stevens is research director of WindowsSecrets.com. |
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THE SECURITY BASELINE The Security Baseline as it stands By Brian Livingston Based on the latest published tests, the best four products to give your PC comprehensive protection against hackers are (1) a Linksys hardware firewall, (2) ZoneAlarm Security Suite 6 (or Panda Platinum Internet Security 2005, which recently received a high rating in PC World tests), (3) Webroot Spy Sweeper for antispyware protection, and (4) an update-management tool of your choice. See details below.
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HERE'S A TIP You're reading the free version of the Windows Secrets Newsletter Subscribers to the paid version receive additional information in each issue. Some of the extras this week are: 
Brian Livingston / Hot Tips. The best information available on making Windows
work the way you want it to:• Deeper problems emerge with April patches • Reports are spreading of problems with AOL, Windows iTunes, and more • A well-documented case of problems with telnet and DUN • More information sought from our community of readers 
Woody Leonhard / Woody's Windows. You get a pointed look at Microsoft's
operating system through our guru's flat screen:• How to check that sites are safe • Exploring the underbelly of the Web • SiteAdvisor's objective approach to bad things • Using SiteAdvisor's toolbar for fast ratings 
Susan Bradley / Patch Watch. We tell you which official patches have problems and,
more importantly, how you can work around them:• Were you a victim of Patch Tuesday? • Windows Shell patch impacts HP, nVidia software • Outlook Express patch hits address books • Can you save files for offline patching? 
Ryan Russell / Perimeter Scan.
How you can use free or commercial software to automate patching and upgrading,
whether you're responsible for 5 PCs or 50,000:• There they go again — slipstreaming patches • Microsoft accused of slipstreaming fixes • Apple simply admits slipstreaming fixes • What to do about slipstreaming Paid subscribers can access all old and new paid newsletter content Make a contribution to support our research into Windows and you'll immediately be able to read and search through scores of valuable articles. In addition, paid subscribers are entitled to download valuable content that we license for you at least once every calendar quarter. To upgrade, simply make a contribution of any amount you choose If you do this by May 10, 2006, you'll instantly be sent the full, paid version of today's newsletter. To upgrade to the paid version of Windows Secrets, please visit WindowsSecrets.com/upgrade. Thanks in advance. |
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ELECTRONIC BOOKSHELF — new e-books from the editors 
Spam-Proof Your E-Mail Address, 2nd Ed.This 32-page e-book by Brian Livingston gives you step-by-step instructions that can eliminate 97% of the spam that would otherwise clog your e-mail account. You could call it "Livingston's Spam Secrets." The PDF-format e-book is the result of months of experiments and tests we conducted. We now receive little or no spam to the addresses we used as guinea pigs. These tests show that you can actually reduce your volume of spam to practically nothing, not just battle an unstoppable and ever-growing flood. The methods we describe work with Windows, Apple, and Linux and don't require any filters or block lists — but you can use those in addition to the book's techniques, if you wish. More info |
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USEFUL LINKS Is Microsoft's Vista font just a copy? A European agency has thrown out Microsoft's registration of the new font that's a trumpeted feature of the upcoming Windows Vista and Office 12. This calls into question whether the font is original or just a copy of someone else's. (By Brian Livingston, Datamation) More info Designer says Vista font is original In an exclusive interview, the designer of the new Windows Vista fonts states that they are not copied or adapted from other fonts. (By Brian Livingston, Datamation) More info |
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WACKY WEB WEEK 
Graffiti artist hits Air Force One — or does he?A grainy, 2-minute video mysteriously appears on the Web, showing a hooded young man spraying "STILL FREE" on the side of the President's plane, Air Force One. The footage looked so realistic that the Secret Service actually checked for graffiti on both of the real aircraft (two planes are used by the White House). It was soon revealed as a hoax, however, and a very expensive one, at that. An actual Boeing 747 was painted to look like Air Force One by Mark Ecko, the millionaire owner of Complex Magazine. He's promoting a new video game, in which taggers compete to mark government buildings. Despite all that, you must admit it's a striking video. See the video, Flight International explains hoax |
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ABOUT YOUR SUBSCRIPTION The Windows Secrets Newsletter is published twice a month on alternating Thursdays. Issues appear 2 days and 16 days after Microsoft Patch Tuesday (the 2nd Tuesday of each month). Only the first issue of the month is published in August and December to allow vacation breaks. A short "news update" is sometimes published between regular newletters. Publisher: WindowsSecrets.com LLC, 300 Queen Anne Ave. N. #456, Seattle, WA 98109 USA. Vendors, please send no unsolicited packages to this address (readers' letters are fine). Editor: Brian Livingston. Contributing Editors: Susan Bradley, Woody Leonhard, Chris Mosby, Ryan Russell. Research Director: Vickie Stevens. Program Director: Brent Scheffler. Trademarks: Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. The Windows Secrets series of books is published by Wiley Publishing Inc. The Windows Secrets Newsletter, WindowsSecrets.com, WinFind, Windows Gizmos, Index of Reviews, Security Baseline, Briefing Session, Windows Patch Watch, Perimeter Scan, Update Management, and Wacky Web Week are trademarks and service marks of WindowsSecrets.com LLC. All other marks are the trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. How to subscribe: Anyone may subscribe to this newsletter by visiting WindowsSecrets.com/info.  |
