Has AVG AntiVirus Made Your Windows XP PC Unbootable? Here’s the Fix

AVG Antivirus 8.0′s recent set of antivirus definitions broke Windows XP by quarantining XP’s user32.dll as a bad file.

There are 2 ways to fix this:
Windows XP CD – If you have a Windows XP installation CD handy, follow these steps.

No Windows XP CD – Grisoft has created a bootable .ISO or bootable flashdrive image. Follow these steps to repair your PC. (Need to burn a CD from that .ISO? Use the free utility ImgBurn.)

Patch Windows Now – Critical For Windows 2000 and XP

Microsoft typically releases updates for Windows on the 2nd Tuesday of each month (aka Patch Tuesday), but this week, they released an important patch outside of their normal schedule.

The security bulletin describes the details. An issue with the “server service,” part of the Windows operating system, could allow your Windows computer to be taken over in a “worm attack” similar to the SQL Slammer attack that occurred in January, 2003.

This issue is considered “critical” for Windows 2000, XP and Server 2003 and “important” for Windows Vista and Server 2008. Check if your system is up-to-date at the Windows Update site.

Adobe’s Workaround for “Clickjacking” Issue, and What You Can Do Now

UPDATE: Adobe released Flash Player 10.0.12.36. Look-wise, it’s an improvement. Take a look at the 3-D effects that Flash Player 10 supports at Alternativa’s demo site.

New versions usually mean new vulnerabilities. Protect yourself with Firefox + the NoScript add-on.
———————————————————————————————-
Adobe recently acknowledged a critical issue with its Flash Player. Named “clickjacking,” this occurs when a user visits a legitimate site, then clicks on a link or Flash content on the site. But actually, they are clicking on an invisible control (perhaps a button) placed there by a malicious person.

Adobe considers this critical. Robert Hansen and Jeremiah Grossman, the researchers who discovered this vulnerability, will release specific details after Adobe fixes the issue.

In the meantime, Israeli researcher Guy Aharonovsky demonstrated how clickjacking can be used to reset Adobe Flash Player’s privacy settings, then surreptitiously turn on a computer’s microphone and webcam. Adobe published a workaround to protect users from this issue right now.

Adobe plans to release an updated Flash Player at the end of October, 2009. Be the first to know by signing up with Adobe’s security notification service.

A great way to protect yourself now is to use the Firefox browser with the add-ons Flashblock and/or NoScript. NoScript has recently been updated specifically to prevent clickjacking.

Photo: PiPiWa

New PC? Clean up the “Extras” with PC Decrapifier

Have you unboxed a brand new Windows computer and plugged it in, only to find a desktop full of “trial-ware” installed? Perhaps the browser’s home page has been hijacked redirected to the computer vendor’s website?

The situation is getting better. In early 2008, Sony began offering a “Fresh Start” option when you are purchasing a computer from their site, which lets you opt out of trial-ware. Initially they charged $50, but after a public backlash made this a free option.

Dell also lets you opt out of trialware (such as anti-virus, “productivity” software, etc). If you have an Inspiron or Dimension PC, check out the 3rd-party software-removal tool (Start > All Programs > Dell > Dell Software & Utilities > Product Documentation).

If your new computer does have these software applications preloaded, take a look at the free utility, PC Decrapifier. More >

Firefox Add-on|NoScript

Since mid-August 2008, users have been reporting “malvertisements,” maliciously-designed Adobe Flash banner advertisements that copy text to the clipboard in Windows, Linux and Mac OS X.

While this “hijacking attack” does not infect computers directly, it copies the URL of a website offering bogus “security software.” Apparently the bad guys’ hope is that you would mistakenly paste their URL in an email to a friend, for example, to unwittingly trick someone to go to their website, putting your friend at risk of getting infected if they visit the bad guys’ site. More >