Updates 2011-03-08

Hey folks!

Microsoft released four updates today for Patch Tuesday. Use Windows Update to obtain updates to Windows and MS Office. This includes security updates. Total size of these updates is under 10mb. A reboot is required.
  http://update.microsoft.com/

Adobe released security updates (again) for Flash Player last week. Use both links below to download the current versions, close all browsers after download and then install them one at a time.
  https://12pd.com/click?flash
  https://12pd.com/click?flashie

Looking for an upgrade?

Annette put together a great article about our various iPhone accessories over the weekend, when we weren’t travelling to Auburn or Galt to visit family. The beauty of something as beloved as the iPhone is that it generates a lot of accessories – devices and features specifically designed to work with it and extend the existing capabilities. One of her favorites? In Your Face! Read more:
  http://retailbandit.com/2011/03/useful_iphone_accessories/

Important Notes

Everything above this section should be checked by everyone on every computer. Chances are good that close to every single computer you touch will be affected by those updates. This is not the case with the items below, though you should still check each line item below to see if it applies to software you have installed.

Please remember that while I list many different applications within these updates, most people should ONLY install updates for a program if they already have a previous version of that program installed.

It is essential to maintain all the applications you have installed on your computer, but often you can minimize the time investment and the potential for exploitation simply by uninstalling software you do not need.

Also note that using the applications own “check for updates” function, when available, will best preserve your current settings, and often avoid any crapware that might come with a fresh installer. Use this option if it’s available to you.

Driver Updates

If you’re using this hardware – these updates are for you.

MS IntelliPoint 8.01.249.0 adds mouse detection, multiple mouse button assignments, smooth scrolling improvements and elimination of PS/2 support (yes, that means your older mice will no longer work!). FIRST, ensure that you’re using a USB mouse (where it plugs into your computer should NOT be round), then get the update from the address below or from Windows Update:
  http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/download/download.aspx?category=MK

BullZip PDF 7.2.0.1288 adds append, multipage, background processing improvements, and 64-bit Ghostscript support. This is not a security update.
  http://www.bullzip.com/products/pdf/info.php#download

Browser Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

Firefox 3.6.15 (and 3.6.14) were released this week to address security and stability issues. This is a security update. Use Help, Check for Updates to obtain the current version.
  http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

SeaMonkey 2.0.12 corrects security and stability issues. This is a security update. Use Help, Check for Updates to obtain the current version.
  http://www.seamonkey-project.org/releases/

HTTrack 3.44.1 fixes an important reliability bug, correcting problems with corrupted downloads when performing an update. This is not a security update.
  http://www.httrack.com/page/2/en/index.html

Email Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

Thunderbird 3.1.9 (and 3.1.8) were released this week to address security and stability issues. This is a security udpate. Use Help, Check for Updates to obtain the current version.
  http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/

OutlookAttachView 1.60 adds command-line support and reduces memory footprint. This is not a security update.
  http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/outlook_attachment.html

Internet Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

WinSCP 4.3.2 corrects a number of bugs, upgrades SSL libraries and improves session security. This should be treated as a security update.
  http://winscp.net/eng/index.php

Codec Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

Win7 Codec Package 2.7.6 updates included codecs. To install the update, you must uninstall and reinstall the application.
  http://shark007.net/win7codecs.html

Win x64 Codec Support 2.8.0 updates included codecs. This update applies only to 64-bit computers, and requires either the Win7 Codec Package or the Windows Vista Codec package.
  http://shark007.net/x64components.html

Media Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

iTunes 10.2 corrects a number of image, media and input parsing vulnerabilities. This is a security update. Use the Apple Updater to install the most current version.
  http://www.apple.com/itunes/

CDBurnerXP 4.3.8.2523 provides better support for video DVDs, power saving controls and compatibility defaults. This is not a security update.
  http://cdburnerxp.se/

MPC HC x64 1.5.1.2903 updates included libraries and corrects a hardware incompatibility with the Sandy Bridge processor. This is not a security update.
  http://sourceforge.net/projects/mpc-hc/

Office Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to most people.

Inkscape 0.48.1 corrects several regressions, improvements in performance, stability and various tool functions. This should be treated as a security update.
  http://www.inkscape.org/

Paint.net 3.5.8 fixes stability issues and multiple crash bugs. This is not a security update.
  http://www.getpaint.net/

Security Software Updates

One or more of these is likely to be of interest to most people.

Avast! Home Edition 6.0.1000 is a new major release, incorporating “auto sandbox” to minimize threats from unknown programs, web reputation ratings, safezones, script shield, site blocking, factory settings reset, behavior shield improvements and fixes to USB safe removal and Outlook integration. This version also incorporates the voice of a local Murphys resident (and employee at mlode). This is a security update. If you’re using a previous version of Avast!, download the current build below and install.
  http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download

Capture Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Fraps 3.3.1 adds full Win7 SP1 support, an option to capture only external audio, and several minor bugfixes. This is not a security update.
  http://www.fraps.com/

SiteShoter 1.41 adds a new command line option for improved automation. This is not a security update.
  http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/web_site_screenshot.html

Education updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to most people.

Kodu 1.0.111.0 integrates now world-sharing options for interacting with the Kodu development community. Also corrects several bugs related to network storage, and tutorial improvements. This is not a security update.
  http://community.research.microsoft.com/blogs/kodu/default.aspx

Utility Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

CCleaner 3.04.1389 adds support for Win7 SP1, improved Safari, Chrome, and Opera support, as well as a number of additional detections and cleaning controls. This also corrects several minor bugs and improves file detection security. This should be treated as a security update.
  http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner

DriveLetterView 1.01 adds “Open Device in RegEdit” option. This is not a security update.
  http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/drive_letter_view.html

Goodsync & Goodsync2Go 8.6.5.5 corrects issues with Folder Connect, scripting, and HTTP storage. This is not a security update.
  https://12pd.com/click?goodsync

NirCmd 2.50 adds additional volume controls (including app-dependent volume control!) as well as audio device details. Fixes a bug in tray timeout. This is not a security update.
  http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/nircmd.html

Speccy 1.09.231 adds Win7 SP1 support, fan speed support, voltages, shaders, hotfix detection, battery stability detection, support for multiple NICs, improved RAM, socket, peripheral and video detection. This is not a security update.
  http://www.piriform.com/speccy

USBDeview 1.87 adds Device ID Instance column. This is not a security update.
  http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usb_devices_view.html

Developer Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

TortoiseSVN 1.6.13 updates dependencies and increases load retries for TBlame. This is not a security update.
  http://tortoisesvn.net/downloads

SQLiteSpy 1.9.0 updates SQLite engine. Adds support for loadable extensions. This is not a security update.
  http://www.yunqa.de/delphi/doku.php/products/sqlitespy/index

CogTool 1.1.5 simplifies installation and use on Windows machine, especially for 64-bit support. This should be treated as a security update.
  http://cogtool.hcii.cs.cmu.edu/

Web Package Updates

These are likely to be of interest only to web developers.

WordPress 3.1 makes over 800 changes to the WordPress engine, including hundreds of bug fixes, ranging from stability and scalability fixes to security. This is a security update. 3.1 is a major update, so while it is essential you update for the added security, there may be changes that effect compatibility with various plugins and themes. After updating, please check functionality exposed by plugins and themes to ensure there are no conflicts (unfortunately, there are likely to be many).
  http://wordpress.org/download/

BuddyPress 1.2.8 adds compatibility to WordPress 3.1 and a new option to use either the WP admin bar or the BP BuddyBar. This is not a security update, but upgrading is required if using WordPress 3.1.
  http://buddypress.org/

 That’s all for now folks. Keep it clean out there. 😉

Regards,

Shawn K. Hall
https://SaferPC.info/
https://12PointDesign.com/

Updates 2010-12-14

Hey folks!

Microsoft released 14 updates today through Windows Update (30-40mb), covering issues in Office, Windows and Internet Explorer. This includes multiple security fixes. Use Windows Update to obtain these updates as soon as possible. A reboot is required.
  http://update.microsoft.com/

Apple MacBook and MacBook Pro EFI firmware updates correct reported display problems. This is not a security update. Use the Apple Updater to get these updates.

Apple Boot Camp 3.2 adds support for newer hardware and corrects multiple critical bugs. This is not a security update, but this should be treated as an urgent update. Use the Apple Updater to get these updates.

iOS 4.2.1 for the iPhone, iPad and iPod corrects more than a hundred security and stability issues with previous versions, including several that enable a remote attacker to exploit your device without action on your part (for example, by simply calling you). This is a security update. Use iTunes 10.1 to download and install this update (~400mb). Afraid you’ll lose something? Backup first:
  http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1414

QuickTime 7.6.9 is a security update. If you have iTunes or QuickTime installed, install this update with the Apple Updater, or by downloading the newest version from:
  http://apple.com/quicktime/download/

Adobe Reader 10.0 (branded as “Reader X”) and 9.4.1 are security updates, correcting multiple public security issues. This is a security update. Since 10.0 was just released, I recommend against being the Adobe Guinea Pig. Give it a couple weeks or a month for the first security and stability update to 10.0 to be released, then install it. Meanwhile, please install the 9.4.1 update immediately by using Help, Check for Updates in Adobe Reader. If upgrading to 10.0, get it from the link below:
  http://get.adobe.com/reader

Java 6u23 improves timezone support, stability and performance. This is not a security update, but if you have Java installed, you should always treat Java updates as critical.
  http://www.java.com/

Looking for an upgrade?

This is not your typical Christmas season. 99% of the sales I’ve seen have been little more than something to lure you in the door for hardware that isn’t actually available, or isn’t something you should purchase. That said, there’s still time to replace your aging hardware online if you’re looking for:

Laptops?
  https://12pd.com/click?amazonlaptops

Desktops?
  https://12pd.com/click?amazoncomputers

Monitors?
  https://12pd.com/click?amazonmonitors

My advice: Avoid Toshiba and Dell, make sure it’s at least a dual-core machine, and unless you’re a hardcore gamer or developer, you shouldn’t need to spend more than $600 for a machine that will last you 5+ years. Since Windows 7 has now been available for about a year, and has proven itself stable and reliable, if you were one of many putting off your upgrade due to fears of Vista, it’s all clear now. 🙂

Important Notes

Everything above this section should be checked by everyone on every computer. Chances are good that close to every single computer you touch will be affected by those updates. This is not the case with the items below, though you should still check each line item below to see if it applies to software you have installed.

Please remember that while I list many different applications within these updates, most people should ONLY install updates for a program — if they already have a previous version of that program installed.

It is essential to maintain all the applications you have installed on your computer, but often you can minimize the time investment and the potential for exploitation simply by uninstalling software you do not need.

Also note that using the applications own “check for updates” function, when available, will best preserve your current settings, and often avoid any crap-ware that might come with a fresh installer. Use this option if it’s available to you.

Driver Updates

If you’re using this hardware – these updates are for you.

Logitech SetPoint 6.20.64 improves stability and numerous bugfixes. This is not a security update.
  http://www.logitech.com/en-us/support-downloads

GMail Drive FS 1.0.17 is a GMail version compatibility update. This update is required if you use GMail Drive. This is not a security update.
  http://www.viksoe.dk/code/gmail.htm

Browser Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

Firefox 3.6.13 corrects nearly a dozen security issues, as well as multiple stability issues. This is a security update.
  http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

SeaMonkey 2.0.11 corrects nearly a dozen security issues, as well as multiple stability issues. This is a security update.
  http://www.seamonkey-project.org/releases/

Safari 5.0.3 includes more than 3 dozen security updates. This is a security update. If you use Safari, update immediately. Use the Apple Updater, or download the installer directly from the URL below.
  http://www.apple.com/safari/

Internet Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

FileZilla 3.3.5.1 corrects a certificate handling bug and issues with symbolic links. This is not a security update.
  http://filezilla-project.org/

Trillian 1.0.162 for Mac incorporates contact list and Twitter improvements, as well as integration of autologin and better control over the UI. This is not a security update.
  http://www.trillian.im/download/

Thunderbird 3.1.7 fixes several security issues, improves handling of large folder files stored locally, and corrects corruption issues in IMAP mailboxes. This is a security update.
  http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/

Codec Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

Win7 Codec Package 2.6.9 updates included codecs and corrects a bug with ac3 audio. To install the update, you must uninstall and reinstall the application.
  http://shark007.net/win7codecs.html

Vista Codec Package 5.8.6 updates included codecs. To install the update, you must uninstall and reinstall the application. This version works for both Windows XP and Windows Vista.
  http://shark007.net/vistacodecpackage.html

Win x64 Codec Support 2.7.3 updates included codecs and corrects a bug with ac3 audio. This update applies only to 64-bit computers, and requires either the Win7 Codec Package or the Windows Vista Codec package.
  http://shark007.net/x64components.html

Media Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

iTunes 10.1 adds AirPlay and iOS 4.2 support, as well as multiple security and stability updates. This is a security update. Use Apple Updater to update to the most recent version, a reboot is required.

Paint.net 3.5.6 improves performance and quality of some tools, corrects a data loss bug and issues with copy and paste. This is not a security update.
  http://www.getpaint.net/

Picasa 3.8 Build 117.24 corrects caption issues when playing Face Movies and translation issues. This is not a security update.
  http://google.com/picasa/

CDBurnerXP 4.3.8.2474 improves media type detection and support, multiple bug fixes and stability improvements. This is a security update.
  http://cdburnerxp.se/

Unreal Live Server 7.5 and Unreal Media Server 7.5 add AAC encoding and MMS protocol, additional resolution options, and better live source and broadcast stream source handling. This is not a security update.
  http://www.umediaserver.net/umediaserver/download.html

Winamp 5.601 corrects a number of security, stability and reliability bugs, including freezes in certain situations. This is a security update.
  http://www.winamp.com/media-player/en

ImgBurn 2.5.4.0 optimizes performance, multiple stability bugs, among many UI changes. This is not a security update.
  http://imgburn.com/

Office Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to most people.

Notepad++ 5.8.5 corrects several bugs, including tab settings and session handling issues. This is not a security update.
  http://notepad-plus-plus.org/

Scribus 1.3.9 corrects more than 70 bugs, including import/export, color handling and stability updates, This is not a security update.
  http://www.scribus.net/downloads

Security Software Updates

One or more of these is likely to be of interest to most people.

MalwareBytes’ Anti-Malware 1.50 increases performance, stability and detection algorithms. Extends ignore list functionality, scheduling, and update options. This should be treated as a security update.
  http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php

SuperAntiSpyware 4.46.1000 improves direct disk access and preparation for the next major release. This is not a security update.
  http://www.superantispyware.com/download.html

Capture Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Fraps 3.2.5 corrects a number of bugs, including stability, mouse, sticky keys, OpenGL and D3D issues. This is not a security update.
  http://www.fraps.com/

VideoCacheView 1.82 adds video handling option. This is not a security update.
  http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/video_cache_view.html

Converter Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

DVDFab 8.0.5.6 adds Blu-Ray 3D support, improved copy protection handling, stability fixes and many Blu-Ray specific updates. This is not a security update.
  http://www.dvdfab.com/en/download.htm

Any Video Converter 3.12 fixes a PSP encoding bug and a bug that causes a freeze when closing the burning dialog. This is not a security update.
  http://www.any-video-converter.com/

Education updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to most people.

TuxMath 1.9.0 adds a competitive play (head-to-head) mode, as well as improved display. This is not a security update.
  http://tux4kids.alioth.debian.org/tuxmath/download.php

Utility Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

7-Zip 9.20! I’ll start this one with “Yay!” 7-Zip 9.20 is finally available, incorporating several bugfixes as well as more than a dozen new formats including direct filesystem streams, RPM, VHD, SWF, FLV, APM, huge TAR (8gb+), new SFX tool and the addition of diff tool integration. This is a major update, following nearly two years of testing, and you should not only upgrade to this version if you’re using a previous version of 7-Zip, but you should switch to 7-Zip if you’re not. Seriously. It’s that good.
  http://www.7-zip.org/download.html

LogMeIn 4.1.1578 is a stability update, but all remote access software should be treated as a security update. If you have LogMeIn installed, right-click on the LogMeIn icon in your tray and select “Open LogMeIn”, click “About”, then “Check for Updates”. After a few minutes of downloading, the updater will start. You’ll be prompted to click “Update”, approve installation and finally “close” the installer when done. Alternatively, you can download the full installer from:
  https://secure.logmein.com/logmein.msi

RoboForm and RoboForm2Go 7.1.0 is the first official release of RoboForm 7. I’ve been using it for months, and can say the improvements (particularly in the Sync, management, login icon, and capture) are well worth the efforts to upgrade. Get it here:
  http://www.roboform.com/dist/affs/AiRoboForm-s12pd.exe

Goodsync and Goodsync2Go 8.5.2.2 fixes filesystem icons, symlinks and auto-list servers under SAMBA. This is not a security update.
  https://12pd.com/click?goodsync

Autoruns 10.06 adds ActiveSync parsing and fixes several minor bugs, and also corrects a bug affecting modifications to certain registry keys. This should be treated as a security update.
  http://sysinternals.com/

Process Explorer 14.01 is a major update, adding a range of additional features including network and disk monitoring, multi-tab display, aggregate resource usage display, improved accuracy and performance. This is not a security update.
  http://sysinternals.com/

CCleaner 3.01.1327 adds more than a dozen performance and usability improvements, including better application support, troubleshooting options, processor detection, and various bugfixes. This is not a security update.
  http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner

Defraggler 2.00.230 is a major update, adding offline defragmentation, improved performance and compatibility and many minor bugfixes. This is not a security update.
  http://www.piriform.com/defraggler

Speccy 1.07.205 improves hardware detection and speed, particularly with removable drives and the dreaded SATA interference issues (typical of many laptops), as well as stability and bugfixes. This is not a security update.
  http://www.piriform.com/speccy

NirCmd 2.46 introduces native 64-bit support, max and min options and location by executeable command. This is not a security update.
  http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/nircmd.html

Cygwin 1.7.7 improves 64-bit support, and updates a number of included libraries. This should be treated as a security update. If you don’t know what Cygwin is, you don’t have it.
  http://cygwin.com/

GPU-Z 0.4.9 adds support for newer hardware, corrects BIOS handling of large blocks, and improves error handling. This is not a security update.
  http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/SysInfo/GPU-Z/

Hamachi 2.0.3.89 is a stability update. Since this software controls VPN access, it should be treated as a security update.
  https://secure.logmein.com/US/products/hamachi2/

Developer Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

MySQL 5.1.53 corrects several stability and reliability issues, especially with replication, slave implementations, temp tables and authentication replication. This should be treated as a security update.
  http://www.mysql.com/downloads/mysql/

TortoiseSVN 1.6.12 corrects an issue with hook scripts failing. This is not a security update.
  http://tortoisesvn.net/downloads

ActivePerl 5.12.2.1203 adds several package bundles to the default installation, updates several libraries, and corrects multiple non-security bugs. This is not a security update.
  http://www.activestate.com/activeperl/downloads

Virtual Machine Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

VMware Player 3.1.3 corrects several stability and compatibility changes. This is not a security update.
  http://www.vmware.com/products/player/

VirtualBox 3.2.12.68302 fixes numerous crashes, stability and reliability issues, some which should be considered security fixes. This should be treated as a security update.
  http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

Web Package Updates

These are likely to be of interest only to web developers.

phpMyAdmin 3.3.8.1 is a security update. If your server has any version of phpMyAdmin installed prior to this, upgrade immediately. This is a security update.
  http://www.phpmyadmin.net/home_page/news.php

WordPress 3.0.2 and 3.0.3 are security updates. This update resolves a privilege escalation exploit in ALL previous versions, as well as other security issues and bugs. Install this update on your WP-powered site immediately. This is a security update. Use the WP updater to install the update. Be aware that additional updates and changes may be necessary if your site, theme or plugins are not prepared for WP3.
  http://wordpress.org/download/

BuddyStream 1.0.3.1 adds multiple stability and reliability improvements, including at least one security update. This is a security update.
  http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/buddystream/
That’s all for now folks. Keep it clean out there. 😉

Regards,

Shawn K. Hall
https://SaferPC.info/
https://12PointDesign.com/

Updates 2010-10-12

Hey folks!

Microsoft has released more than a dozen updates today, correcting nearly 50 vulnerabilities in Windows, and MS Office. This includes security updates. Use Windows Update to get these updates as soon as possible:
  http://update.microsoft.com/

Apple released updates to MacBook Firmware that corrects issues related to new A/C adapters. Use the Apple Updater to get the most recent updates.

Adobe Reader 9.4 and Adobe Acrobat 9.4 were released. These are critical updates – if you have Acrobat or Adobe Reader installed (and chances are VERY good that you do), install this update immediately through Help, Check for Updates. For most users, a reboot is not required. If you have not yet updated to Adobe Reader 9, get version 9.4 here:
  http://get.adobe.com/reader/
If you’re using a version of Adobe Acrobat prior to 9.x, you would be well served to either upgrade to 9.x (there are discounted upgrades) or uninstall it completely. Since Acrobat does not guarantee updates to previous versions, this could cause problems for you if you are not running the most current version. Beware, however, that Acrobat 9 does require newer versions of MS Office than it’s predecessors, so you may be forced to upgrade to MS Office 2010 as well. If your only requirement is to export Word Documents “with links” to PDF, consider using OpenOffice.org instead, which you can obtain from the link below (and ditch Acrobat!). OpenOffice.org supports every popular document format, and can export to PDF preserving data, links and content:
  http://openoffice.org/

Adobe AIR 2.0.4 is a security update. Please update as soon as possible.
  https://12pd.com/click?air

Adobe also released updates for After Effects. When possible, use Help, Check for Updates, but if your application doesn’t offer that option, use the following URL to find and download each update for your software:
  http://www.adobe.com/products/aftereffects/

Important Notes

Everything above this section should be checked by everyone on every computer. Chances are good that close to every single computer you touch will be affected by those updates. This is not the case with the items below, though you should still check each line item below to see if it applies to software you have installed.

Please remember that while I list many different applications within these updates, most people should ONLY install updates for a program if they already have a previous version of that program installed.

It is essential to maintain all the applications you have installed on your computer, but often you can minimize the time investment and the potential for exploitation simply by uninstalling software you do not need.

Also note that using the applications own “check for updates” function, when available, will best preserve your current settings, and often avoid any crapware that might come with a fresh installer. Use this option if it’s available to you.

Browser Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

Opera 10.63 is a stability and security update. This update corrects several freeze and crash bugs, as well as more than a dozen other issues, and multiple security updates that could ultimately be used to take control of your computer. This is a security update. If you have Opera installed, use Help, Check for Updates to install the update immediately.
  http://www.opera.com/browser/download/

Internet Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

WordPress for iPhone/iPad v2.6 improves setup, corrects dozens of bugs, adds autosave, revisions, video and better media library management. This is not a security update. Use iTunes or the App Store to obtain this free update.

EA Download Manager 7.0.0.57 is a new major version of EADM. No changelog is provided, so treat this as a security update.
  http://eastore.ea.com/store/ea/html/pbPage.welcome

uTorrent 2.0.4.22450 is a security update, correcting a remotely exploitable vulnerability in the protocol behind uTorrent. If you use uTorrent, update it right away.
  http://www.utorrent.com/downloads

Codec Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

Vista Codec Package 5.8.3 updates included codecs. To install the update, you must uninstall and reinstall the application. This version works for both Windows XP and Windows Vista. AFTER installing the update, go to the control panel and uninstall the crapware toolbar that it includes.
  http://shark007.net/vistacodecpackage.html

Win7 Codec Package 2.6.5 updates included codecs and improves default settings behavior. To install the update, you must uninstall and reinstall the application. AFTER installing the update, go to the control panel and uninstall the crapware toolbar that it includes.
  http://shark007.net/win7codecs.html

Win x64 Codec Support 2.6.9 updates included codecs and improves default settings behavior. This update applies only to 64-bit computers, and requires either the Win7 Codec Package or the Windows Vista Codec package. AFTER installing the update, go to the control panel and uninstall the crapware toolbar that it includes.
  http://shark007.net/x64components.html

Media Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

CDBurnerXP 4.3.7.2423 corrects several reliability errors. This is not a security update.
  http://cdburnerxp.se/

VLC Media Player 1.1.4 corrects a major security vulnerability that could enable an attacker to take control of your computer. This is a security update. If you have VLC Media Player installed, you should update it as soon as possible.
  http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.html

Office Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to most people.

Notepad++ 5.8.2 corrects a crash bug and other minor bugs. This is not a security update. Get the update from:
  http://notepad-plus-plus.org/

GIMP 2.6.11 is a bugfix release. This is not a security update.
  http://www.gimp.org/downloads/

Converter Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

DVDFab 8.0.2.2 corrects several crash bugs, and compatibility issues with certain video drivers. This is not a security update.
  http://www.dvdfab.com/en/download.htm

Utility Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

ProcDump 2.01 now generates a dump file name based on the date and time if no file name is specified, adds support for per-process performance counters, and reports in the dump comment for performance counter triggers the biggest CPU consuming thread. This is not a security update.
Autoruns 10.04 adds a number of additional shell extension locations and reports Safe Mode’s alternateshell value, as well as a couple bugfixes. This is not a security update.
Process Monitor 2.93 fixes a filter-related bug. This is not a security update.
  http://sysinternals.com/

LogMeIn Win 4.1.1558 is a network protocol update. If you already have LogMeIn installed, you’ve probably already been prompted to install this update. It *is* a legitimate update. If you closed it (without calling me for verificatin!), you can install the update by right-clicking on the LogMeIn icon in your tray, select “Open LogMeIn”, click “About”, then “Check for Updates”. After a few minutes of downloading, the updater will start. You’ll be prompted to click “Update”, approve installation and finally “close” the installer when done. Alternatively, you can download the full installer from:
  https://secure.logmein.com/logmein.msi

Developer Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

TortoiseSVN 1.6.11 corrects several reliability bugs. This is not a security update. A reboot is required.
  http://tortoisesvn.net/downloads

Virtual Machine Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

VirtualBox 3.2.10-66523 corrects a number of stability and performance issues for both host and guest environments, as well as more than a dozen hardware-compatibility issues. This is not a security update.
  http://dlc.sun.com/virtualbox/vboxdownload.html

That’s all for now folks. Keep it clean out there. 😉

Regards,

Shawn K. Hall
https://SaferPC.info/
https://12PointDesign.com/

Updates 2010-08-24

Hey folks!

Microsoft released a couple out-of-cycle updates today correcting issues with the way libraries are loaded and application compatibility for older applications. These are security updates. A reboot is required.
  http://update.microsoft.com/

Apple released updates for iMac display drivers, and OSX Server. This includes security updates. Use the “Apple Updater” to get the most recent versions of all the affected software.

QuickTime 7.67.75.0 is a security update. Use the “Apple Updater” to install the latest version.

Adobe Reader 9.3.4 and Adobe Acrobat 9.3.4 include multiple security fixes. These versions replaces all previous versions of Adobe Reader and Acrobat. This is a security update. Use “Help, Check for updates” to upgrade to the most current version.

Sick and tired? I am!

I’ve been really sick for the last week or so, and pretty much unable to function at anything important. What do you do when you’re sick? I sleep most of the day, check my email and server statuses irregularly, and play a game on my iPhone. What game? TowerMadness. Dude, this game is awesome. And today (well, for the next hour and a half), it’s free. More here:
http://www.towermadness.com/

Important Notes

Everything above this section should be checked by everyone on every computer. Chances are good that close to every single computer you touch will be affected by those updates. This is not the case with the items below, though you should still check each line item below to see if it applies to software you have installed.

Please remember that while I list many different applications within these updates, most people should ONLY install updates for a program if they already have a previous version of that program installed.

It is essential to maintain all the applications you have installed on your computer, but often you can minimize the time investment and the potential for exploitation simply by uninstalling software you do not need.

Also note that using the applications own “check for updates” function, when available, will best preserve your current settings, and often avoid any crapware that might come with a fresh installer. Use this option if it’s available to you.

Internet Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

FileZilla 3.3.4.1 fixes a crash bug and issues with the search functionality, and a directory width bug. This is not a security update. Use Help, Check for updates, or download it here:
http://filezilla-project.org/

Outlook Shutdown Addin 1.17.0.0 now provides 32bit and 64bit support (note that ONLY Office 2010 provides a 64bit build, so if you’re not using the 64bit version of Outlook, you need the 32bit version of this addin), as well as improved logic. This is not a security update.
http://www.daveswebsite.com/software/olshutdown/download.shtml

Trillian 4.2.22 fixes the recent “Astra” connection issues. This is not a security update.
http://www.trillian.im/download/

Codec Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

Vista Codec Package 5.8.1 updates included codecs. To install the update, you must uninstall and reinstall the application. This version works for both Windows XP and Windows Vista. This is not a security update.
http://shark007.net/vistacodecpackage.html

Win7 Codec Package 2.6.1 updates included codecs. To install the update, you must uninstall and reinstall the application. This is not a security update.
http://shark007.net/win7codecs.html

Win x64 Codec Support 2.6.4 updates included codecs and improves flac support. This update applies only to 64-bit computers, and requires either the Win7 Codec Package or the Windows Vista Codec package. This is not a security update.
http://shark007.net/x64components.html

Media Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

CDBurnerXP 4.3.7.2356 adds better native file handling, ISO context menu support, NRA support, and several UI changes. This is not a security update.
  http://cdburnerxp.se/

VLC Media Player 1.1.3 corrects several bugs in parsers, playlist processing and codecs. This is not a security update.
  http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.html

Picasa 3.8.115.45 adds face “movie” exports, batch upload with sequencing, Picnik support, and EXIF & XMP metadata viewing. This is not a security update.
  http://picasa.google.com/

Security Software Updates

One or more of these is likely to be of interest to most people.

AdAware 8.3.1.0 improves archive scanning reliability. This is not a security update.
http://www.lavasoft.com/?domain=lavasoftusa.com/products/ad-aware_se_personal.php

Converter Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

DVDFab 8.0.0.2 is a major upgrade for DVDFab, and it shows. Updates include improved conversion speed, quality, adds native encoding and decoding support for various hardware, and *most importantly*, it fixes the A/V sync issues some (including myself) have experienced. This is not a security update.
http://www.dvdfab.com/en/download.htm

Utility Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

GPU-Z 0.4.5 adds new hardware, and corrects a couple bugs. This is not a security update.
http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/SysInfo/GPU-Z/

Speccy 1.04.173 adds native 64bit support, improved reliability of certain drivers and older USB hardware, as well as improved clipboard and print options. This is not a security update.
http://www.piriform.com/speccy

UpdateChecker 1.038 improves .NET 4.0 compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://12pd.com/click?uc

Developer Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

MySQL 5.1.50 is a bugfix release, correcting more than 40 bugs, including a number of issues with transactions, index length issues and crashes when debugging is enabled. This is not a security update.
http://www.mysql.com/downloads/mysql/

Virtual Machine Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

VMware Player 3.1.1 corrects several performance and reliability issues. This is not a security update.
http://downloads.vmware.com/d/info/desktop_downloads/vmware_player/3_0

Web Package Updates

These are likely to be of interest only to web developers.

phpMyAdmin 3.3.5.1 corrects a security vulnerability. This is a security update. Note that reliability and bugfixes are already being corrected for the next release.
http://www.phpmyadmin.net/home_page/news.php

That’s all for now folks. Keep it clean out there. 😉

Regards,

Shawn K. Hall
https://SaferPC.info/
https://12PointDesign.com/

Updates 2010-08-02

Hey folks!

Microsoft released an out-of-cycle update for all current versions of Windows to correct the LNK vulnerability publicized two weeks ago. Hit Windows Update *now* to ensure you have this critical security fix installed. This is a security update. A reboot is required.
  http://update.microsoft.com/

Apple released a number of security updates over the last couple weeks, for all OSX and Windows versions of iTunes, Safari, as well as non-security updates to iOS 3 & iOS 4. Please check the Apple Updater as soon as possible to obtain the most recent updates.

iTunes 9.2.1 corrects several bugs, including a remotely exploitable security vulnerability, iPhone4 issues, plugin incompatibility and reliability fixes. This is a security update. Use the Apple Updater to update to the most recent version.
  http://www.apple.com/itunes/

iOS 4.0.1 for iPhone 3G, 3GS and 4 is released. This supposedly corrects the antenna software sensitivity issue, however, since this is not a security update, if you’re still using iOS 3 on your iPhone/iPod, I strongly recommend waiting for the whole “antennagate” scandal to settle before upgrading. If you opt to update now, you can get the update through iTunes 9.2.1 (see above).

iOS 3.2.1 for iPad corrects several bugs, including freeze bugs, search engine alternatives, wifi connectivity and display options.  This is not a security update. Get the update through iTunes.

Java 6u21 adds VM support, various bug fixes and corrects a security bug in drag & drop. This is a security update.
If you DO NOT already have Java installed, DO NOT install it now!
  http://www.java.com/en/download/installed.jsp?detect=jre&try=1
If you’re using a 64bit machine and use both 32bit and 64bit browsers, you should also install the 64bit version, available here:
  http://www.java.com/en/download/index.jsp

Important Notes

Everything above this section should be checked by everyone on every computer. Chances are good that close to every single computer you touch will be affected by those updates. This is not the case with the items below, though you should still check each line item below to see if it applies to software you have installed.

Please remember that while I list many different applications within these updates, most people should ONLY install updates for a program if they already have a previous version of that program installed.

It is essential to maintain all the applications you have installed on your computer, but often you can minimize the time investment and the potential for exploitation simply by uninstalling software you do not need.

Driver Updates

If you’re using this hardware – these updates are for you.

ATI Catalyst 10.7 adds newer hardware support and improves performance under certain applications. This is not a security update.
  http://game.amd.com/us-en/drivers_catalyst.aspx

Logitech SetPoint 6.15.25 provides several stability and reliability fixes. This is not a security update.
  http://www.logitech.com/en-us/support-downloads/downloads/mice

nVidia 258.96 adds support for newer hardware, updates control panel options and functionality, including size, position, gamma, and HDMI perception. This is not a security update.
  http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index5.aspx?lang=en-us

Browser Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

Firefox 3.6.8 corrects several security and stability bugs. This is a security update.
  http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

SeaMonkey 2.0.6 corrects several security and stability bugs. This is a security update.
  http://www.seamonkey-project.org/releases/

Safari 5.0.1 (and 4.1.1 for OSX 10.4) corrects networking performance, reliability and security issues, and adds extension support. Use the Apple Updater, or download the installer directly from the URL below. A reboot is required. This is a security update.
  http://www.apple.com/safari/

Email Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

Thunderbird 3.1.1 provides several security and stability fixes, incorporating the PNG, SJOW and CSS security fixes from other Mozilla projects. This is a security update.
  http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/

Codec Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

Vista Codec Package 5.8.0 updates included codecs and removes realmedia and corecodec components. To install the update, you must uninstall and reinstall the application. This version works for both Windows XP and Windows Vista. This is not a security update.
  http://shark007.net/vistacodecpackage.html

Win7 Codec Package 2.5.9 updates included codecs and removes realmedia and corecodec components. To install the update, you must uninstall and reinstall the application. This is not a security update.
  http://shark007.net/win7codecs.html

Win x64 Codec Support 2.6.3 updates included codecs, corrects decoding errors, and removes corecodec components. This update applies only to 64-bit computers, and requires either the Win7 Codec Package or the Windows Vista Codec package. This is not a security update.
  http://shark007.net/x64components.html

Media Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

CDBurnerXP 4.3.7.2316 adds disc splitting functionality, extensive file filtering capabilities, improved performance for audio processing, as well as several other bugfixes. This is not a security update.
  http://cdburnerxp.se/

VLC Media Player 1.1.2 corrects several dozen bugs, including UI, output, decoder, crash and other issues. This is not a security update.
  http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.html

Security Software Updates

One or more of these is likely to be of interest to most people.

SuperAntiSpyware 4.41.1000 provides updated definitions and improvements in scanning performance. This is not a security update.
  http://www.superantispyware.com/download.html

AVG Anti-Virus Free 9.0.851 adds several modules for advanced detection. This is not a security update.
  https://12pd.com/click?avg

Office Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to most people.

Adobe Reader 9.3.3 is now officially “available” from Adobe’s website as a full version, and NOT as an update package (saving at least 40mb in downloads for each computer). You can download the full version below, but you’re better off, if you have it installed already, using the “Help, Check for Updates” option in order to preserve any custom settings (most notably the security and javascript safety options). This is a security update.
  http://get.adobe.com/reader/

Converter Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Any Video Converter 3.07 updates the YouTube downloading engine. This is not a security update.
  http://www.any-video-converter.com/

DVDFab 7.0.9.0 corrects several bugs, primarily in the DVD ripping functionality, automatic bitrate calculation and performance. This is not a security update.
  http://www.dvdfab.com/en/download.htm

Education updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to most people.

Kodu 1.0.70.0 corrects a major stability bug on new projects. This is not a security update.
  http://community.research.microsoft.com/blogs/kodu/default.aspx

Utility Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

CPU-Z 1.55 adds various hardware support. This is not a security update.
  http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html

Goodsync & Goodsync2Go 8.3.0.5 add support for SkyDrive, logging options, reduction of temp folders, time-shift detection and NTLM fixes. This is not a security update.
  https://12pd.com/click?goodsync

WinSCP 4.2.8 adds a number of fixes, including IPv6, FTPS, SFTP, sorting, slow directory navigation and others. Now includes PuTTYgen and Pageant. This is not a security update.
  http://winscp.net/eng/index.php

CCleaner 2.34.1200 corrects several minor bugs and improves cleaning several application types. This is not a security update.
  http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner

Defraggler 1.21.209 consists primarily cosmetic updates, though does improve 64-bit performance. This is not a security update.
  http://www.piriform.com/defraggler

Recuva 1.38.504 adds clipboard handling, improves support for PDF, Win7, and stability of background processing. This is not a security update.
  http://www.piriform.com/recuva

Speccy 1.03.162 adds text-format to the output options, print output, XPMC and various minor stability and UI improvements. This is not a security update.
  http://www.piriform.com/speccy

SpeedFan 4.41 adds various additional hardware support, USB drive enclosures, and various other hardware. This is not a security update.
  http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php

Microsoft released the following updates to the SysInternals collection: TCPView, Autoruns, ProcDump, and Disk2vhd, correct minor bugs and adds new functionality to TCPView. These are not a security updates.
  http://sysinternals.com/

USBDeview 1.75 improves information display, and adds USB profile version to the UI. This is not a security update.
  http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usb_devices_view.html

Developer Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

MySQL 5.1.49 corrects several dozen bugs, in replication, optimization, order by and indexing. This is not a security update.
  http://www.mysql.com/downloads/mysql/

TortoiseSVN x32 1.6.10 corrects several bugs, mostly cosmetic in nature. This is not a security update.
  http://tortoisesvn.net/downloads

Web Package Updates

These are likely to be of interest only to web developers.

phpMyAdmin 3.3.5 corrects various PHP and import/export issues. This is not a security update.
  http://www.phpmyadmin.net/home_page/downloads.php

WordPress 3.0.1 corrects over 50 issues discovered since the 3.0 release, including import/export issues, as well as menu, multisite, theme, role and other issues. This is not a security update.
  http://wordpress.org/download/

That’s all for now folks. Keep it clean out there. 😉

Regards,

Shawn K. Hall
https://SaferPC.info/
https://12PointDesign.com/