XP update, possible bug?

Hey all, there might be a problem in the latest security update for XP? After the update auto install, and then when the system restarts, you may not be able to go online. Your internet connection seems to go away. Had a couple of friends in my area that had the same issue. If this happens to you, simply do a 'restore' to a time before the update installed itself and you should be able to go back online. I do not know if there is an update for Vista users or if anyone using Vista is having any issues, this is regarding XP Home & Pro. Just letting you know...

i have an update waiting for me to deal with on my Vista.

will create an updated restore point prior to the update, just in case. thanks for the heads up!

Never, EVER install Windows updates as soon as they release them... they only bug your system worse than any virus could...

Kinda like SL, come to think of it...

My computer auto-updated this morning. Got home from work and couldn't get online. tracert and ping worked find however. Just disabled my firewall and everything works great, except not having a firewall.

An icon tells me there is another update waiting to be installed, possibly a fix.

LOL! 2 funny! and yes, you are quite right. I thought I had this disabled....heh. I don't usually do auto updates, go figure

Call me a conspiracy theorist if you want. However, I believe that since Microsoft announced that it would stop selling XP, that subsequent updates have added screw-ups to XP to force people to give up on XP and buy Vista.

So, make themselves and their products look bad, to get you to buy more from them? Fantastic marketing strategy!

This has been a successful business model for Microsoft for about two decades now, especially when it comes to operating systems since MSDOS. With sufficient market leverage, one can make a lot of money selling inferior products.

Well, in this case you have a point I suppose, no matter how bad windows may get, I'm very unlikely to ditch my investment in software and suddenly switch to Linux, or <shudder> get a Mac.

But even if it's viable, I don't see it as being wise.

I did the update last night on Vista, no problems (so far) apparently I have it set to auto and had no choice... shut me down to reboot no questions asked hah

I don't use the windows firewall so.. maybe disable it before updating then enable it again?

Are you using ZoneAlarm?

Bingo! I was a happy Zone Alarm User until this morning. I installed this morning's XP update and then couldn't connect. As soon as I disabled Zone Alarm I was back online. This was a repeatable pattern on all my computers so it's deffo something with ZA & today's XP update.

So I disabled ZA on all my computers and switched over to the built-in Windoze firewall. Since then everything's been fine except that I *know* that the Windoze firewall is more of a figleaf than a real working firewall. So it's time for me to shop around for another good freeware firewall.

I never had problems with ZoneAlarm until about a year ago....I have stopped using it ever since. Anybody know a good firewall? I had the Kerio/Sunbelt one for a while, too, but the stupid thing kept having serious bugs that would give me BSODs and everything, or just decide to cut me off from my own network...

In ZoneAlarm...click Firewall on the left and make sure you are in the Main tab at the top. Change Internet Zone Security to Medium instead of High until MS or ZA gets it sorted out.

I updated my laptop just a bit ago -- XP Pro -- and got on the internet with no problems afterwards. I use Sygate firewall and AVG anti-virus.

just updated my Vista. no probs here.

Yes, I am using ZoneAlarm and just found out a while ago that this is a 'firewall' issue. I don't use the XP firewall. Interesting, but at least we know whats going on. &sigh

I accepted all MS updates for XP two hours ago, and didn't have any issues. Of course, that is only my machine, as the saying goes, ymmv.

It's not a firewall issue, it is a ZoneAlarm issue. Not all firewall programs will be affected.

http://download.zonealarm.com/bin/free/pressReleases/2008/LossOfInternetAccessIssue.html

I gave up Zone Alarm firewall about 8 months ago, when it suddenly wasn't playing nicely with my Kaspersky antivirus. I'd be interested to hear what others are successfully (and happily) using with XP and SL, since I have not yet found another satisfactory solution.

Thanks for this headsup. I've had this problem today too.

I'm no expert, but from what I can glean in tech newsgroup threads, the MS update that was causing this Zonealarm problem is a rather important one that plugs some DNS security hole in XP. So it may be better to have the update installed and temporarily run Zonealarm at the medium setting, rather than ignore the MS update which would leave machines vulnerable to the potential exploit.

Has anyone tried reinstalling with the latest ZA free version to confirm that WILL work with the MS update installed as it suggests on ZA website?

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Aes

Full story and explanation here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7499260.stm

Basically the problem was with the MS patch. Apparently they had not tested it against the most popular firewall on the market.

Front

Zone Alarm works better with AVG, but i think it's twitchy no matter was antivirus you use.

It was not a problem with XP but a security problem with the DNS protocol itself. pretty much every computer that uses DNS was effected across the board

Sounds rather serious - thanks for the clarification. Even more reason not to avoid installing the update.

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Aes