Computer News No.102, March-April 2003

From the Help Desk ... Updating Windows Software of your PC

Addendum (May 2004, June 2005) - How to configure Automatic Windows Update in Windows XP?

1. What is a Patch?
2. When and why should I do Windows Update?
3. How do I apply a Windows Patch?
4. Precautions -- Avoid downloading files and sharing files from unknown source

1. What is a Patch?

A patch is a piece of material used to mend or cover a hole or a weak spot.  In computer language, a patch is a fix for a piece of buggy programming. During a software product's initial releases or even when the software is mature, problems or "system vulnerabilities" will almost invariably be found.  A patch is the immediate solution provided to users and patches are usually downloadable from the software maker's web site.

When you visit the Internet and request for any webpage, you are also sending your IP address information which any malicious user can trap and use for scanning your computer for vulnerabilities for implanting trojans or malicious codes.  For example, a malicious user can send an affected HTML e-mail or hosts an affected e-mail on a website, and when an innocent user opens the e-mail or visits the website, his Internet Explorer automatically runs the executable on his computer including adding, changing, or deleting data, communicating with web sites, or even reformatting the hard drive.

Port Scanning is a technique used by hackers on the Internet to discover open network ports in your computer which they can break into. Port scanning not only can introduce a computer virus into your PC, it can slow down the transmission speed of the HKU network as well.

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2. When and Why Should I do Windows Update?

To fix the system vulnerabilities, you should do Windows Update monthly, or whenever there is a security alert announced by the Microsoft security alerts.  The Computer Centre summarised the alerts from CERT and other sources at http://www.hku.hk/cc/alerts/.  If you don't do Windows Update regularly, your computer would be exposed to newly discovered vulnerabilities.
 

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3. How do I apply a Windows patch?

You are recommended to apply Windows patch when it is available.  In your Windows, click the Windows "Start" button at the bottom left of your screen => select "Windows Update" at the top of the pop up selection menu.  Then the Microsoft Windows Update screen will be displayed.


 

Windows Update will first check for the latest version of the Windows Update software installed on your computer and ask if you want to install the latest update. If you respond "Yes", then you will see the window above and have to click the link "Scan for Updates".   After the scanning , Windows Update will tell you the patches or service pack you need to download and install. After you respond to accept some license agreements, the downloading will begin. This may take a little while depending on the size of the update. After downloading is complete, the system will go on to install the update on your computer as shown in the dialog box below:



When the installation is finished, you have to restart your computer in order for the installation to take effect.  Click OK to restart your computer. Then do the next Windows Update until all necessary updates have been installed.



When you see the next screen, that means all the critical update files have been installed for this round of updating.  You should update at least the critical files each time you do an update. You can also do the other non-critical updates if you have time or at a later time.


 

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4. Precautions -- Avoid downloading files and sharing files from unknown source

Many of the vulnerable systems have been compromised by persuading the users to download a game or pictures or other files that must be executed. The games and pictures are often real, but they contain the malicious software as an extra surprise.

Danger of peer-to-peer network file sharing -- Virus-infected files can be shared through the file sharing programs like KaZaA, Morpheus, BearShare, LimeWire, Grokster, Blubster, WinMX, BitTorrent, etc.  For example, the W32/Cult-A Worm arrives as a .pdf attachment purporting to be a greeting card; it also includes a Trojan horse program.  It spreads via random e-mail  addresses and through KaZaA peer-to-peer network file sharing.  If the attachment is launched, the worm generates a false error message and installs itself as windowsupdate.exe in the Windows System folder to ensure it is run on startup.  Cult also connects to an IRC server to listen for more instructions. Also, refer to an earlier article on "Unregulated Peer-to-peer File Sharing is Harmful to the Network" in Computer News issue no. 100 on other harmful aspects of peer-to-peer file sharing.

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Addendum (May 2004, June 2005) - How to configure automatic windows update in Win XP?

You can configure automatic windows update in Windows XP as either of the following:
 

(a) Screen snapshot on Windows XP after Service Pack 2 was installed      (Screen snapshot taken in June 2005): Click the Windows "Start" button  => Settings  => Control Panel  => double click the "System" icon  => click the "Automatic Updates" tab  => select the option "Download updates for me, but let me choose when to install them."  => click "OK" to save your setting.

(b) Screen snapshot on Windows XP before Service Pack 2 was installed      (Screen snapshot taken in May 2004): Click the Windows "Start" button  => Settings  => Control Panel  => double click the "System" icon  => click the "Automatic Updates" tab  => select the option "Keep my computer up to date. ..."  => select the option "Download the updates automatically and notify me when they are ready to be installed"  => click "OK" to save your setting.

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Mabel Chau 
Tel: 2859 8934 
E-mail: chaumabc@cc.hku.hk