Tech: Security Update for microsoft

Subject: Tech: Security Update for microsoft
From: kendall
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 01:49 PM

I keep getting this message when I log on:

Security update for microsoft data access components (KB832483)
Anyone know what this is all about?

Subject: RE: Tech: Security Update for microsoft
From: Ed.
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 02:06 PM

A possible solution here

Subject: RE: Tech: Security Update for microsoft
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 02:31 PM

Kendall, you should check to see if your Microsoft software is up to date every so often. Visit http://www.microsoft.com/ and on the lefthand side (under "Resources") go to the "Windows Update" link and let it look to see if your computer is up to date. It will offer updates where they are needed. Some updates are for programs you're not using, so read through the annotated list and decide what to download and install. At the same time, you can install the little Windows Update program that will display a little bubble message from the bottom of your screen when updates are available

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Security Update for microsoft
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 29 Feb 04 - 04:14 PM

Kendall -

I agree with SRS that you should visit the Microsoft update site and get your whole thing checked out.

I find it "curious" that you're getting a message citing a "KB834283," since Microsoft generally stopped referring to Knowledge Base articles by "KB" number some time ago. Most Microsoft references to Knowledge Base articles are by "Q" numbers now, and a reference to "Q834283" wouldn't be surprising, or one that wrote out "Knowledge Base article 834283."

I may be overly cautious, but "it don't look right" and there have been more than a few "faked" messages that attempt to make you think you're getting something from a friend.

The article number 834283 is legit, and identifies security bulletin MS04-03 Buffer Overrun in MDAC Function Could Allow Code Execution (832483)

The "MDAC" is a downloadable component. If you have installed it by download, or have installed previous patches, you may have any one of several versions, and Microsoft reports that the patch you need will depend on the version you have. You may be getting legitimate attempts to give you the wrong patch if you have previous upgrades, because your machine doesn't correctly identify the "updated" version number you have installed.

MS04-03 shows:
"Since the original version of MDAC on your system may have changed from updates available on the Microsoft Web site, we recommend using the following tool to determine the version of MDAC you have on your system: *Microsoft Knowledge Base article 301202 "HOW TO: Check for MDAC Version" discusses this tool and explains how to use it. Also, Microsoft Knowledge Base article *231943 discusses the release history of the different versions of MDAC."

Links for the "*go-heres" above are in the MS04-03 article at Microsoft. The version your machine thinks it has installed will be listed in your registry, but Microsoft indicates that this information may be "unreliable" for MDAC since some updates may not have updated the registry to show the new "effective version" number when previous patches were installed.

I would expect that a trip to Microsoft, using the link SRS gave, should get you up to date. Once you have your machine cleaned up so that it shows your correct update status, you should stop getting the "repeats" - assuming that they are legitimate.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Security Update for microsoft
From: Rapparee
Date: 01 Mar 04 - 09:36 AM

Well now, I got that very same message, Kendall, or a close variant on it. Got it a couple of times, in fact, and I followed the link to get the fix.

Guess what!? The site you went to, www.windows-patch.info I think it was, wanted $19.95 for the software!

So I used a technical term I know ("Bull-SHIT!" and feel free to use it as you see fit) and downloaded the patch for free from the Microsoft website.

Then I ran Spy-Bot and did suchlike things to clean up my computer.

Subject: RE: Tech: Security Update for microsoft
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Mar 04 - 11:15 AM

A note on some of that spywear and cleanup stuff--if you let it wipe out your cookies you are then going to have to reset all of the ones you regularly use. It's not a bad thing to clean out the cookies, but have your file of passwords handy if you have the computer rememeber who you are for sites, or if you have to log on once (like my online newspapers) so you can keep going back there easily. AdAware or one of those I used a couple of months ago took a lot of clutter out, but I had to put a lot of stuff back.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Security Update for microsoft
From: kendall
Date: 01 Mar 04 - 08:46 PM

Ok, thanks for the info folks. I'm suspicious of everything these days.

Subject: RE: Tech: Security Update for microsoft
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Mar 04 - 10:15 PM

That's the way to be, Kendall. Computers are amazing things, but they are also one big way that opportunists will try to separate us from our money.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Security Update for microsoft
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 01 Mar 04 - 10:16 PM

Some utilities allow you to mark certain things like cookies etc as "normal" for your system - and will pass over them so that they don't get flushed whe your system gets purged of garbage...

Robin