Updates 2013-02-08

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Shawn K. Hall

Hi, Folks!

There must be something in the water. This week a bunch of different companies opted to release emergency security updates the week before Patch Tuesday. That is not to say they’re done for the month, but only that the issues were so severe (in many cases being actively exploited in the wild) that an emergency release was necessary. So let’s get to it.

Adobe Flash Player 11.5.502.149 is a security update, patching a vulnerability that’s being actively exploited as of last night.
https://12pd.com/click?flash
https://12pd.com/click?flashie

Adobe Flash Player for Mac OS X is also a security update.
https://12pd.com/click?flashmac

Expect an update for AIR by Patch Tuesday next week.

Java 7u13 is a security update.
https://12pd.com/click?java

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.

Finally, if you’re sick of doing this all yourself, let me! Call or email me anytime, and we can set you up with subscription SaferPC updates which will be installed each month whenever necessary. Click, call or email for more details:
https://saferpc.info/updates/
209-565-12PD
shawn@12pointdesign.com

Driver Updates

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

iOS 6.1 is a security and stability update for iPhone, iPad, iPod and other devices using the Apple mobile OS. You can download the current version either through iTunes or at:
http://iphoneroot.com/firmwares/

Browser Updates

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

Firefox 18.0.2 is a security update. Use Help, About to get the most current version.

Google Chrome 24.0.1312.57 is a security update. Use Menu, About to get the most current version.

Opera 12.14 is a security update. Use Help, About to get the most current version.

SeaMonkey 2.15.2 is a security update. Use Help, About to get the most current version.

Email Updates

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

OutlookAttachView 2.42 adds field contraints. 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.

Trillian Astra for Windows 5.3.14 corrects a number of bugs, in history, XMPP, IRC, firewall compatibility and several enhancements. This is not a security update.
http://www.trillian.im/windows/

BrowsingHistoryView 1.21 corrects a reliability bug with IE history files.
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/browsing_history_view.html

Evernote 4.6.2.7927 corrects several stability and sync problems. This is not a security update.
http://evernote.com/download/

Google Drive 1.7.4018.3496 does not provide a changelog, so this should be treated as a security update.
https://drive.google.com/start

Codec Updates

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

Win7 Codec Package 4.0.0 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 4.0.0 updates included codecs. This update applies only to 64-bit computers, and requires either the Win7 Codec Package or the Windows Vista Codec package. This is not a security update.
http://shark007.net/x64components.html

Media Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

XBMC 12.0 is a major update. This version adds several codecs, HD Audio support, PVR & LiveTV support, h.264 10bit, and new hardware support. This is a fantastic program for media management and viewing. This is not a security update.
http://xbmc.org/

Game Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

EA Origin 9.1.12.73 provides several bug fixes. This is not a security update.
http://www.filehippo.com/download_origin/

Office Updates

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

Notepad++ 6.3 provides improvements in regex support, UDL and bug fixes. This is not a security update.
http://notepad-plus-plus.org/

Audacity 2.0.3 corrects several crash bugs, looping, resampling, accessibility issues, and other improvements. This is not a security update.
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/

Gimp 2.8.4 provides improvements in the GUI, docking, dialogs, save/export, layer grouping, and a number of bug fixes. This is not a security update.
http://www.gimp.org/

Scribus 1.4.2 vastly improves cross-platform portability, offers 64-bit support and includes a spellchecker. This is not a security update.
http://www.scribus.net/canvas/Scribus

Security Software Updates

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

KeePass 1.25 provides a number of bugfixes, UI improvements and other changes. This is not a security update.
http://keepass.info/

Wireshark 1.8.5 corrects a couple dozen bugs, improves support for more than 30 protocols. This is not a security update.
http://www.wireshark.org/

Capture Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Greenshot 1.0.6.2228 is the first official and reliable release version of Greenshot. If you need to be able to do quick and simple screenshots, especially if you’ve been dealing with another application – you’ll want to check out Greenshot.
http://getgreenshot.org/

Converter Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

DVDFab 8.2.2.7 improves decryption. This is not a security update.
http://www.dvdfab.com/download.htm

Utility Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

LogMeIn adds Chrome host support, updated OpenSSL libraries, and several other improvements. This is not a security update. To get the most current version open LogMeIn, click About, Check for Updates.

RoboForm 7.8.6 provides a number of improvements, including improved activation support, GUI improvemetns, fixes to the Firefox, Opera, Chrome and Win32 implementations and finally, UTF-8 everywhere.
https://12pd.com/click?rf

Goodsync 9.4.4.4 prevents file locking during sync, improves Google Drive support, FTP, SSH and other improvements. This is not a security update.
https://12pd.com/click?goodsync

CPU-Z Installer 1.63 adds support for newer hardware and adds TDP. This is not a security update.
http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html

GPU-Z 0.6.7 adds support for newer hardware, improved GUI, TMU support, and other improvements. This is not a security update.
http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/SysInfo/GPU-Z/

CCleaner 3.27.1900 adds Metro support, Chrome v24, improved support for Firefox, Chrome extensions, Unicode text and several bug fixes. This is not a security update.
http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner

Autoruns 11.42 fixes a bug in the parsing of network file paths introduced in 11.41. This is not a security update.
http://sysinternals.com/

Handle 3.51 fixes a bug in its file share drive letter formatting. This is not a security update.
http://sysinternals.com/

Movefile 1.01 now correctly handles 64-bit system paths. This is not a security update.
http://sysinternals.com/

Pendmoves 1.2 adds support for 64-bit directories. This is not a security update.
http://sysinternals.com/

Procdump 5.13 now supports triggers for when process CPU usage, memory consumption or arbitrary performance counters fall below a specified value. This is not a security update.
http://sysinternals.com/

Process Explorer 15.3 includes heat-map display for process CPU, private bytes, working set and GPU columns, sortable security groups in the process properties security page, and tooltip reporting of tasks executing in Windows 8 Taskhostex processes. It also creates dump files that match the bitness of the target process and works around a bug introduced in Windows 8 disk counter reporting. This is not a security update.
http://sysinternals.com/

Sigcheck 1.91 prints the link time for executable files instead of the file last-modified time, and fixes a bug introduced in 1.9 where the –q switch didn’t suppress the print out of the banner. This is not a security update.
http://sysinternals.com/

Zoomit 4.42 now includes an option to suppress zoom-in and zoom-out animation to better support remote RDP sessions and fixes a bug that caused static zoom to snap to the top and left side of the screen in some cases. This is not a security update.
http://sysinternals.com/

RapidEE 7.1 build 845 updates 3rd party components and corrects an AV error. This should be treated as a security update.
http://www.rapidee.com/en/download

USBDeview 2.21 adds the ability to enable/disable/remove devices. This is not a security update.
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usb_devices_view.html

WakeMeOnLan 1.48 updates the internal MAC addresses database. This is not a security update.
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wake_on_lan.html

Wireless Network Watcher 1.57 updates the internal MAC addresses database. This is not a security update.
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wireless_network_watcher.html

Developer Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Inno Setup 5.5.3 provides a number of bugfixes and several new features, including restart manager, improved 64-bit compatibility, portable app support, and Windows 8 improvements. This is not a security update.
http://www.jrsoftware.org/isdl.php

WinMerge 2.14.0 is the first update in almost 4 years and removes ANSI support, improving startup time, linefilters, color organization, 3rd party libraries and various bugfixes. This is not a security update.
http://winmerge.org/

Web Package Updates

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

phpMyAdmin 3.5.6 corrects several bugs. This is not a security update.
http://www.phpmyadmin.net/home_page/news.php

Adminer 3.6.3 improves display, corrects several bugs. This is a security update.
http://www.adminer.org/en/

Drupal 7.19 is a security update.
http://drupal.org/download

Movable Type 5.2.3 fixes a minor upgrade bug. This is not a security update.
http://www.movabletype.org/download.html

OpenCart 1.5.5 adds several new features, including improved filters and upgrade system. This is not a security update.
http://www.opencart.com/

SMF 2.0.4 is a security update.
http://download.simplemachines.org/

WordPress 3.5.1 is a security update. Use the WP updater to get the most current version.

bbPress 2.2.4 is a security update. Use the WP updater to get the most current version.

BuddyPress 1.6.4 is a security update. Use the WP updater to get the most current version.

Contact Form 7 3.3.3 corrects two bugs, provides additional language translations. This is not a security update. Use the WP updater to get the most current version.

Developer 1.1.2 corrects a couple bugs and adds a French translation. This is not a security update. Use the WP updater to get the most current version.

Smart YouTube 4.2.0 updates included libraries. This is not a security update. Use the WP updater to get the most current version.

WPtouch 1.9.6.1 adds BlackBerry 10 support. This is not a security update. Use the WP updater to get the most current version.

MailEnable 6.79 corrects a number of minor bugs. This is not a security update.
http://www.mailenable.com/

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

Regards,

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

Updates 2012-04-10

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Shawn K. Hall

Hey folks!

Microsoft released 6 bulletins addressing 11 vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, Forefront UAG, and .NET Framework.

Adobe released quarterly security updates for Reader and Acrobat. If you’re uing a version of Adobe Reader prior to Adobe Reader X, or are using a version of Acrobat prior to Acrobat 9.5, your version is no longer maintained and will not receive further updates. PLEASE remove the currently installed version and upgrade to the current version (link below). If you’re using current versions of Reader and Acrobat use Help, Check for Updates to install the update.
http://get.adobe.com/reader
As with all Adobe products, be sure to UNCHECK any toolbars, add-ons and other “offers” both during download and during installation.

Adobe AIR 3.2 is a security and feature update. This version adds a number of performance updates, including multithreading support. This is a security update.
https://12pd.com/click?air

Adobe Flash Player 11.2.202.228 is a security and feature update. In addition to security and performance updates, this version adds automatic update capability. About time!
https://12pd.com/click?flashie
https://12pd.com/click?flash

Apple released updates for Java, iTunes, Safari, Logic Express, Logic Pro, RAW compatibility, and the Apple Updater. Use the Apple Updater to get the most current version. This includes security updates that are already being exploited in the wild. You’ll need to install updates, reboot, then install updates again.

Looking for an upgrade?

‘Tis the season! This time of year (tax time), tends to have the second-best hardware sales of the year (second only to Black Friday – and who wants to shop on Black Friday?). If you’ve been putting off an upgrade for “the sale” and can’t wait another 6 months, start looking now. Most of these sales will only be around the next week or so. Check out Amazon:
https://12pd.com/click?amazoncomputers
https://12pd.com/click?nicelaptops
Or at your preferred office supply store.

Important Notes

Driver Updates

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

AMD Catalyst 12.3 (formerly ATI Catalyst) adds support for newer hardware, compatibility updates, and minor bugfixes. This is not a security update.
http://sites.amd.com/us/game/downloads/Pages/downloads.aspx

WD SmartWare Software 1.5.4.5 adds newer hardware support and fixes an uninstall issue. This is not a security update.
http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/wdsmartwareupdate/Step1.asp

BullZip PDF Printer 8.2.0.1406 improves printing accuracy and provides better print auditing. 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 11.0 is a security update. Use Help, About to get the most current version.

Opera 11.62 is a security update. Use Opera, Help, Check for Updates to install the most current version.

Safari 5.1.5 is a compatibility and security update. Use the Apple Updater to get the most current version.

Google Chrome 18.0.1025.152 fixes an SSL issue and updates the integrated Flash Player. This type of bug encourages users to trust invalid certificates, which is a significant user behavior issue. Google Chrome has an integrated version of Adobe Flash Player, which was updated recently to address multiple security issues. This is a security update. Use Wrench, About to get the current version.

SeaMonkey 2.8 adds several features, corrects several bugs and stability issues. This is a security update. Use Help, About to install the most current version.

HTTrack 3.45.3 corrects several bugs. 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.

OutlookAttachView 2.25 adds From/To and message direction columns. This is not a security update.
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/outlook_attachment.html

Thunderbird 11.0 and 11.0.1 correct multiple security and stability issues. This is not a security update. Use Help, About to get the most current version.
http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/

Internet Updates

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

Trillian for Android 1.2.3 changes photo behavior to directly interact with the camera when possible, as well as several bugfixes. Use the device update mechanism to get the most current version.

Evernote 4.5.4.6498 provides several stability and performance updates. This is not a security update.
http://www.evernote.com/

uTorrent 3.1.3 Build 27022 fixes several minor cosmetic issues, compatibility with anti-virus applications and resetting default options to be more user-friendly. This is not a security update.
http://www.utorrent.com/

Codec Updates

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

Win7 Codec Package 3.6.0 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 3.6.0 updates included codecs. This update applies only to 64-bit computers, and requires either the Win7 Codec Package or the Windows Vista Codec package. This is not a security update.
http://shark007.net/x64components.html

Media Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

iTunes 10.6.1 is a security and stability update. Use the Apple Updater to get the most current version.

XBMC 11.0 is a new major release. This version adds a number of new features and performance improvements, including improved networking, media parsing, AirPlay, upgraded weather service, interactive update support and more. This is not a security update.
http://xbmc.org/

Audacity 2.0 is a major update, correcting a large number of stability and performance bugs, as well as adding several new features. This is not a security update.
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Picasa 3.9.135.87 corrects a number of stability issues. Use Help, Check for Updates, or download the updated installer from:
http://picasa.google.com/

VLC Media Player 2.0.1 adds new format and protocol support, and corrects two security issues. This is a security update.
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.html

CDBurnerXP 4.4.0.3018 adds track randomization option when burning, forced burn speeds and corrects a minor bug with UDF support. This is not a security update.
http://cdburnerxp.se/

ImgBurn 2.5.7.0 improves hardware support and corrects a number of bugs. This is not a security update.
http://imgburn.com/

MPC HC 1.6.1.4235 adds automatic update checking (Help, Check for Updates), improved codec and file format support, and corrects several stability and cosmetic bugs. This is not a security update.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/mpc-hc/

Game Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Minecraft and Minecraft Server 1.2.4 and 1.2.5 correct a couple long-standing bugs, improves chat and debugging support, and makes cats more annoying (seriously), and corrects a dozen bugs, including crash bugs. This is not a security udpate.
http://www.minecraft.net/

Office Updates

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

Notepad++ 6.1 is a major update, adding significantly improved language support, PCRE, Document Map, and large file performance. This is not a security update.
http://notepad-plus-plus.org/

IrfanView 4.33 corrects a number of bugs, adds performance, stability and filter updates and corrects a publicly disclosed security issue. This is a security update.
http://www.irfanview.com/

Kindle for PC 1.9.3 Build 38425 adds “Print Replica” which emulates the actual print layout for many books, Book Extras by Shelfari, support for collections, and reading most PDF files. This is not a security update. You can install this update by opening the Kindle for PC application, closing it and reopening it.
https://12pd.com/click?kindle4pc

Artweaver 3.0.4 corrects several minor bugs. This is not a security update.
http://www.artweaver.de/

Security Software Updates

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

MalwareBytes’ Anti-Malware 1.61 improves performance, usability and update reliability. This should be treated as a security update.
http://www.malwarebytes.org/products/malwarebytes_free

Password Security Scanner 1.05 adds an option to stop scanning. This is not a security update.
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/password_security_scanner.html

Wireshark 1.6.7 several minor bugs address malformed packets, SSL decryption and rpcap crashes, and updates h.263 protocol support. This is not a security update.
http://www.wireshark.org/

Capture Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

VideoCacheView 2.15 adds a minimum size 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 8.1.7.5 improves hardware compatibility, corrects a crash bug, and several other minor changes. This is not a security update.
http://www.dvdfab.com/download.htm

Freemake Video Converter 3.0.2 adds presets for iPad 2, iPad 3, iPhone 4S, and improves stability. This is not a security update.
http://www.freemake.com/

IsoBuster 3.0 is a major update, adding support for flash drives, SD, MMC, Compact Flash, SSD, Jazz, Zip, Floppy drives, additional file systems, and more. This is a huge update, and takes IsoBuster to the level of many data recovery and advanced backup & migration tools. This is not a security update.
http://www.isobuster.com/isobusterdownload.php

Utility Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

RoboForm 7.7.5 provides several bugfixes, including crash, stability, cosmetic and browser-compatility fixes. This version also improves performance in IE and Firefox, as well as a Chrome “popup” toolbar option. This is not a security update.
https://12pd.com/click?rf

Goodsync 9.1.4.4 corrects several bugs, including Google Docs, Azure & SkyDrive compatibility issues, OnFileChange improvements, and consistency of temporary files (for external process exclusion). This is not a security update.
https://12pd.com/click?goodsync

LogMeIn Mac 4.1.2229 adds HD support, remote sound support, and automatic updates. Use LogMeIn, Advanced, Check for Updates to get the most current version.

FileHippo Update Checker 1.39 updates language support. This is not a security update.
http://www.filehippo.com/download_update_checker/

CCleaner 3.17.1689 provides several performance improvements and corrects a couple bugs. This is not a security update.
http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner

Autoruns 11.22 fixes a bug in the XML output structure, jump-to-folder functionality for scheduled task entries, and fixes a buffer overflow triggered by very long registry paths. This is a security update.
http://sysinternals.com/

Accesschk 5.03 adds object owner as well as security descriptor flags to the -l switch. This is not a security update.
http://sysinternals.com/

Process Monitor 3.0 adds bookmark support, shortcuts, include filters, and now records process environment variables and current working directory for process create events. This is not a security update.
http://sysinternals.com/

Pslist 1.3 fixes a rounding bug that caused Pslist to report lower than actual CPU utilization when used with the -s option. This is not a security update.
http://sysinternals.com/

DQSD 4.1.1.0 updates searches and improves Windows Vista/7 compatibility. This is not a security update.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/dqsd/

GPU-Z 0.6.0 adds newer hardware support, display compatibility, and additional installer options. This is not a security update.
http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/SysInfo/GPU-Z/

RapidEE 6.1 build 810 adds several new shortcuts, translation improvements, inline substitution and corrects a couple bugs. This is not a security update.
http://www.rapidee.com/en/download

DriveLetterView 1.12 corrects a stability bug related to disconnected drives. This is not a security update.
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/drive_letter_view.html

USBDeview 2.06 corrects a stability bug related to disconnected drives. This is not a security update.
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usb_devices_view.html

WakeMeOnLan 1.30 adds NetBIOS support. This is not a security update.
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wake_on_lan.html

Wireless Network Watcher 1.42 adds initial detection notification and the number of connected devices in the tray icon.
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wireless_network_watcher.html

Developer Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

MySQL 5.5.22 corrects several InnoDB and replication bugs, as well as two significant security issues. This is a security update.
http://www.mysql.com/downloads/mysql/

Redemption 5.3.0.2696 adds improved .Net coding, VTODO support, improved RFC822 export compatibility, greater scope for passed arguments, and corrects a couple dozen stability and reliability bugs. This should be treated as a security update.
http://www.dimastr.com/redemption/

Virtual Machine Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

VirtualBox 4.1.12-77245 corrects several stability and reliability bugs. This is not a security update.
http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

Web Package Updates

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

BuddyPress 1.5.5 is a maintenance and security update. This update also changes the CSS for the jumpbar, so your theme may need modification.
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/buddypress/

phpMyAdmin 3.4.10.2 and 3.5.0 are security updates. 3.5 adds a number of improvements that affect performance and style, as well as the native ability to remember last sort field, improved support for triggers, events and stored routines, and a vastly improved SET/ENUM editor (but seriously, ANYTHING would have been an improvement here). This is a security update.
http://www.phpmyadmin.net/home_page/news.php

phpList 2.10.18 is a security update.
http://www.phplist.com/

WordPress Importer 0.6 adds support for WXR 1.2 and multiple CDATA sections, and now treats posts as unique if their post_type is different. This is not a security update.
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wordpress-importer/

BuddyStream 2.5.08 corrects several stability and reliability bugs. This is not a security update.
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/buddystream/

Coppermine Gallery 1.5.20 is a security update. Follow the directions at the link below if you use Coppermine Gallery:
http://forum.coppermine-gallery.net/index.php/topic,74682.0.html

DotNetNuke 06.01.05 corrects over 30 non-security bugs. This is not a security update.
http://dotnetnuke.codeplex.com/

MailEnable 6.5 corrects a couple dozen bugs, including those affecting stability and performance, and adds the ability to bind SSL certificates to different postoffices. This is not a security update.
http://www.mailenable.com/

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

Regards,

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

Updates 2011-03-15

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Shawn K. Hall

Hey folks!

IE9 has officially been released. It’s not being pushed by Microsoft, yet, but it’s only a matter of time before every Vista and Win7 machine is “encouraged” to upgrade through Windows Update. If you are involved in web design, you should take this time to upgrade to IE9 and test your site(s) with it. This is not a security update.
https://12pd.com/click?ie9

Java for Mac OSX is a security and stability update. Use the Apple Updater to obtain the current version.

iTunes 10.2.1 is a security update. Use the Apple Updater to obtain the current version.

iOS 4.3 is released for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad devices. This is a security update correcting dozens of vulnerabilities, some of which are being exploited in the wild. If you have an iOS device, you should update immediately. Note that this update is over 400mb, so if your ISP limits your download allowance, be sure to use your “free” period. Use iTunes to install the current version.

Important Notes

Browser Updates

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

Internet Explorer 9 for Windows 7 and Vista has been officially released. While this is not a security update, it does offer a number of advanced features you’re likely to enjoy, including HTML5, performance and stability improvements, security and sanitization filters, pinned sites and others. This is not a security update.
http://www.microsoft.com/ie

Safari 5.0.4 is a security update. If you use Safari or have it installed, update it now using the Adobe Updater.
http://www.apple.com/safari/

Internet Updates

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

Connectify 2.2.0.18566 updates the look and feel, improves VPN support, improves memory and resource usage, and stability fixes. This is not a security update.
http://www.connectify.me/index.html

Evernote 4.2.3.2 improves search, installer, text formatting and many bugfixes. This is not a security update.
http://www.evernote.com/

uTorrent 2.2.1.25110 adds new configuration options, and corrects multiple bugs, including crash and security issues. This is a security update.
http://www.utorrent.com/

Media Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

iTunes 10.2.1 is a security update. Use the Apple Updater to obtain the current version.
http://www.apple.com/itunes/

XBMC 10.1 is a bugfix release, correcting various issues – the most notable of which is the “SMB+ Windows Live Essentials bug”. This is not a security update.
http://xbmc.org/

Capture Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Fraps 3.3.2 adds extended key and mouse button support. This is not a security update.
http://www.fraps.com/

Converter Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

DVDFab 8.0.8.2 provides updates to each component, for various functionality from performance improvements to subtitles to CUDA improvements. 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 1.1.0.0 is another bugfix release. This is not a security update.
http://fuse.microsoft.com/projects-kodu.html

Utility Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

RoboForm and RoboForm2Go 7.2.6 corrects a number of stability and performance issues, including bugfixes for the save functionality. This is not a security update.
https://12pd.com/click?rf

Defraggler 2.03.282 improves compatibility with Windows 7 SP1, and various other performance and UI improvements. This is not a security update.
http://www.piriform.com/defraggler

DriveLetterView 1.05 adds the ability to change and delete drive assignments. This is not a security update.
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/drive_letter_view.html

NirCmd 2.51 adds new command-line arguments. This is not a security update.
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/nircmd.html

Process Explorer 14.1 introduces cycle-based CPU usage on Windows 7, shows usage for processes that consume less than 0.01% CPU, shows thread ideal processors on Windows 7, and adds the ability to remote control and connect to other logon sessions. This is not a security update.
http://sysinternals.com/

VMMap 3.03 adds a count of free blocks and fixes bugs that prevented the 32-bit process fragmentation view from showing on 64-bit Windows. This is not a security update.
http://sysinternals.com/

Developer Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

MySQL 5.5.10 corrects several dozen bugs. This is not a security update.
http://www.mysql.com/downloads/mysql/

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

Regards,

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

Updates 2011-01-11

Posted on January 11, 2011 by Shawn K. Hall

Hey folks!

Microsoft released between 2 and 4 updates today through Windows Update (2-25mb) depending on your Windows version, covering security and stability issues in Windows. Use Windows Update to obtain these updates as soon as possible. A reboot may be required.
http://update.microsoft.com/

Apple released updates for OS X, Remote Desktop, iMovie and GarageBand. The OS X 10.6.6 update is a security udate, and the others are recommended for compatibility and stability. The OS X 10.6.6 update also adds the Apple Mac App Store integration to OS X, providing the ability to discover and purchase apps directly for your Mac. Use the Apple Updater to install the most recent updates.

Important Notes

Internet Updates

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

Skype 5.1.0.104 improves video and group calls, as well as a number of non-security bugs. This is not a security update.
http://www.skype.com/intl/en/home

Codec Updates

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

Vista Codec Package 5.9.0 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

Win7 Codec Package 2.7.3 updates included codecs and improves default settings. To install the update, you must uninstall and reinstall the application.
http://shark007.net/win7codecs.html

Win x64 Codec Support 2.7.7 updates included codecs and improves default settings. 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.

XBMC 10.0 integrates nearly a dozen skins, a new add-on system, XBMC “Live”, USB and Netboot versions, and additional media and hardware (AppleTV) support. This is not a security update.
http://xbmc.org/download/

Security Software Updates

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

MalwareBytes’ Anti-Malware 1.50.1 corrects multiple crash bugs, log failure and other minor bugs. This should be treated as a security update.
http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam-download.php

Capture Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Fraps 3.2.6 adds loop recording, a DirectX compatibility issue, crash while recording and graphic corruption of frames in some recordings. This is not a security update.
http://www.fraps.com/

Converter Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

DVDFab 8.0.6.8 adds several compatibility changes,
http://www.dvdfab.com/en/download.htm

Handbrake 0.9.5 updates libraries, AC3 support, MP3 audio in MP4, improved defaults, and many bug fixes and other improvements. This is not a security update.
http://handbrake.fr/downloads.php

IsoBuster 2.8.5 improves file detection, command line options, as well as reliability and stability fixes for various media formats. This is not a security update.
http://www.isobuster.com/isobusterdownload.php

Utility Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

RoboForm and RoboForm2Go 7.1.5 corrects a number of stability issues in Chrome, as well as bugs in Opera, Firefox and printing. Adds AOL browser and Quicken support. This version also corrects licensing issues for Roboform2Go. This is not a security update.
http://www.roboform.com/dist/affs/AiRoboForm-s12pd.exe

Goodsync and GoodSync2Go 8.5.8.8 corrects several minor bugs, and places the gsdata folder in more secure location. This is a security update.
https://12pd.com/click?goodsync

CCleaner 3.02.1343 adds several additional applications, better logging options, and improved history cleaning. This is not a security update.
http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner

Defraggler 2.01.239 adds scheduling options, cache performance, predictive structure, and minor bugfixes. This is not a security update.
http://www.piriform.com/defraggler

Recuva 1.39.509 improves support for the exFAT file systems, Windows 7, logging, mneumonics and several minor bugs. This is not a security update.
http://www.piriform.com/recuva

Daemon Tools Lite 4.40.1 corrects issues with virtual drives, USB HDD drives, DVD Region codes, network support, portable installation and improved driver layers. This is not a security update.
http://www.daemon-tools.cc/eng/products/dtLite

GPU-Z 0.5.0 improves hardware support, corrects driver issues on certain nVidia cards, and various minor bugs. This is not a security update.
http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/SysInfo/GPU-Z/

Developer Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

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

Web Package Updates

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

BuddyPress 1.2.7 corrects problems with data preservation, activity feed, update tracking, and a friend count bug. This is not a security update. Before installing, don’t forget to DISABLE any plugins that rely on BuddyPress to function, or you could leave your site in an unusable state.
http://buddypress.org/

phpMyAdmin 3.3.9 corrects several bugs, particularly within replication and double-quote sanitization. This should be considered a security update.
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 2010-01-05

Posted on January 5, 2010 by Shawn K. Hall

Hey folks!

A belated merry Christmas and happy New Years!

Please remember that if you DO NOT already have any of these applications installed, you should not install them now simply because they are listed here.

Microsoft Update released an out-of-cycle update for MS Office that corrects issues with Rights Management Service. This is not a security update.
http://update.microsoft.com/

Apple released firmware updates for the iMac last week. This is not a security update. Use the “Apple Updater” to get the most recent versions of all the affected software.

Adobe has announced a critical security vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat, all current versions. They intend to release a patch on Patch Tuesday (ONE MORE WEEK!). Be careful opening any sites that you’re not familiar with, and if you do get a popup within a browser telling you that a security update, antivirus program or virus scan is necessary, CLOSE THE WINDOWS IMMEDIATELY! This is the AVXP virus and exploits the Adobe Reader flaws that will not be patched for another week!

Also be aware that OpenOffice.org 3.2.0 is now a release candidate. That means we can expect it to be officially released in the next couple weeks. If you’re using OpenOffice.org, this means you should start planning to download the 150mb+ update package soon. This download size, and the start-up time on older hardware, are my only reservations with encouraging everyone to use OpenOffice.org instead of Microsoft Office (and the fact that there isn’t a replacement for Outlook). Well, that and the pending Oracle buyout of Sun (the developers of OpenOffice.org, the Java platform and MySQL), which freaks me out far more than the Adobe buyout of Macromedia did a few years ago.

Speaking of the Oracle buyout of Sun, please take a few moments to read an article or two from the site below:
http://www.helpmysql.org/
Once your familiar with the issues, please sign this petition. If you use pretty much any open source web platform today, such as WordPress, SMF, phpBB, or any of literally thousands of others, you’re using a MySQL backend. That *will* be affected by the Sun buyout unless they divest MySQL, meaning that maintenance and other future development of those systems *will* cost you time, money or both.
http://www.helpmysql.org/en/petition

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

FileZilla 3.3.1 corrects several bugs, including one to properly address closing an SFTP session. This is not a security update.
http://filezilla-project.org/download.php?type=client

Media updates:
These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

ATI Catalyst Drivers 9.12 improves performance in certain games and adds support for several newer cards.
http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/Pages/index.aspx

Vista Codec Package 5.5.1 updates ffdshow and Gabest codecs, as well as adding the MPC audio renderer. This is not a security update. Don’t forget to UNINSTALL any previous codec packages, including previous versions of this one, before installing this update.
http://shark007.net/vistacodecpackage.html

K-Lite Codec Pack 5.60 updates several codecs, MPC, and various other minor changes. This is not a security update.
http://www.filehippo.com/download_klite_codec_pack/

XBMC Media Center 9.11 introduces several new features and dozens of bugfixes. This is not a security update.
http://xbmc.org/

DVDFab 6.2.1.8 adds newer codecs, and various minor bugfixes. This is not a security update.
http://www.dvdfab.com/download.htm

SUPER v2010 build 37 adds support for a handful of additional codecs, corrects several bugs and improves support on multi-processor computers. This is not a security update.
http://www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.html#Dnload

Paint.NET 3.5.2 adds more intuitive font support, and fixes several non-critical bugs. This is not a security update.
http://www.getpaint.net/download.html

The Gimp 2.6.8 corrects a number of stability issues and several exploitable bugs in image rendering. This is a security update.
http://www.gimp.org/downloads/

Utility updates:
These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

CPU-Z 1.53 adds various hardware. This is not a security update.
http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php

Recuva 1.34.460 adds performance improvements and corrects a couple bugs. This is not a security update.
http://www.piriform.com/recuva

Defraggler 1.16.165 adds 64bit support, and several tweaks and improvements. This is not a security update.
http://www.piriform.com/defraggler

Roboform 6.9.98 fixes form filling on certain sites, license and activation issues, and a couple of bugs in the Firefox implementation. This is not a security update. You will be required to close all browser windows in order to upgrade.
http://www.roboform.com/download-update.html

GoodSync 8.1.1.5 (and several other recent versions) correct well over two dozen reliability and shared computer issues, including an important fix for those using non-latin character sets. This is not a security update.
http://www.goodsync.com/download.html

Notepad++ 5.6.3 and 5.6.4 correct several minor bugs. This is not a security update.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/notepad-plus/files/

CCleaner 2.27.1070 adds a number of reliablity and cosmetic improvements. This is not a security update.
http://www.ccleaner.com/download

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.43 corrects several bugs, including those causing crashes in certain scenarios. This is not a security update.
http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php

a-squared Free 4.5.0.22 fixes a number of bugs, some responsible for crashing or freezing the machine. This is not a security update, but all users of a-squared should upgrade.
http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/free/

IsoBuster 2.7 adds a number of performance and reliability changes, including additional file format support and raw recovery from damaged/blank media. This is not a security update.
http://www.smart-projects.net/isobusterdownload.php

WinSCP 4.2.5 is the first stable release in the 4.2 branch, and features a handful of security and user interface improvements, as well as over a hundred bugfixes. This is a security update. If you use WinSCP, you should update before initiating your next connection.
http://winscp.net/eng/download.php

TeraCopy 2.1 corrects two large file transfer bugs. This is not a security update.
http://www.codesector.com/teracopy.php

Developer updates:
These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Microsoft released the new Internet Explorer Application Compatibility VPC images, with a new shelf life of only about 3 months. However, if you *need* to test your site or applications on various Windows operating systems, this is by far the easiest way.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=21EABB90-958F-4B64-B5F1-73D0A413C8EF&displaylang=en

MySQL 5.1.42 adds several dozen reliability and consistency fixes to the 5.1 branch. This is not a security update.
http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/mysql/5.1.html#downloads

Web Package Updates
These are likely to be of interest only to web developers.

WordPress 2.9.1 was released today. WP 2.9, released over Christmas, added over 500 requested features and bugfixes. Most notable among the new features is plugin-less embedding for third-party video (just paste the URL, it’ll figure out what you want to do), global “undo” functionality, a built-in image editor (for minor changes you don’t have to do the work BEFORE you upload anymore!), and a much improved updater for plugins and versions, enabling you to globally update plugins that are known to be compatible with your current version based on actual user experiences, instead of doing them one by one by trial and error. 2.9.1 fixes certain CURL, scheduled posts and pingback issues introduced in 2.9. This is a security update.
http://www.wordpress.org/download/
WordPress 2.9.x is expected to be the last feature branch before the version 3 release. V3 will merge the codebases for WordPress and WordPress MU, enabling you to quickly add users and editors to your existing WP powered sites.

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

Regards,

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