Windows update causes chaos

Al over the world the resent updates for windows xp have almost jammed ISproviders with Why is my internert down , A conflict with users useing ZA firewall and the update went wrong , I had the same problem myself .Anyway Newt Jans better half has made a post over AN and given me permition to copy /paste here on MP .Thought I'd post here also . Given that the hacker community now has details on the vulnerability and many are probably busy trying to write a critter to take advantage while the ZA issue leaves large numbers of unprotected PCs, I think I'd opt to install the update and set ZA to medium security (the default is high) which seems to remove the issue. ZA will have to generate fix really soon and shame on them for not doing it already. I suspect that some other firewall products have similar problems but are not as widely used so we haven't heard about them. The firewall that comes as part of Windows OneCare will not have problems so folks running it can update without worry. As it is now with an unpatched PC, it will be possible for you to click on a link to a known good site (such as this one) and be silently rerouted to a place you really do not want to be. I'll try to stay on top of the update situation and if there are changes, to post about them here. Details on the problems that MS08-037 / kb953230 is supposed to fix are at the link below. Some of the info is fairly technical but quite a bit is written in English and can give you a better idea of the situation. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/953230 _________________

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- if you are not using Zone Alarm as your firewall you should not have problems. If you are, setting the ZA security level to medium (default is high) will prevent problems.

The problem is not a Microsoft one although it was their security update MS08-037 that triggered the issue but since the flaw it fixes is a really serious one, any windows user really needs that update. ZA is the one who needs to do a patch and I suspect they will have one within the next day or so but it will be a race between them and hackers who now know about the flaw and can try to take advantage of it.

My suggestion is to install the latest batch of updates and see if you have problems.
If not, all is well.
If so & you have ZA, the security level change is working for almost everyone.
If that is no help, it is easy to uninstall the patch and that will bring you back to where you are now.

thaks Dave,,
will read again in morning, &have a good look,

I wonder if that is what caused mine to have a hissy fit and reset all security id's...
ended up formatting the bloody thing.