Member Avatar for kosmoe

I don't know if this is the right forum or not as i am not running Windows NT.
I see that KB891711 is back at the Windows Update site. Want to know if it is safe to download yet?

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Dani AI

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As observed, KB891711 is the MS05-002 security update that patches a serious “cursor/icon” remote-code-execution flaw affecting several Windows releases. Microsoft revised the Windows 98 / 98SE / ME packages on April 12, 2005 and advises getting the revised package from Windows Update or the Microsoft Download Center rather than using older/third‑party builds. Microsoft Security Bulletin MS05-002. (learn.microsoft.com)

Practical points not covered in the first replies: for most machines the revised package delivered through Windows Update is the correct, fixed version. Legacy systems (98/98SE/ME) are the ones that showed the most trouble early on, so standard precautions are warranted — image or back up important files first, and on OSes that support it create a System Restore point before installing. Community discussion and archives list file‑version differences and the unofficial patches that circulated while Microsoft worked the problem; rely on the official reissued package when possible. (Community thread and archive of the April re‑release.) (msfn.org)

If the update causes startup freezes or other problems, the commonly recommended recovery steps are: boot to Safe Mode, run msconfig and uncheck the KB891711 startup entry, and if needed remove the update via Add/Remove Programs. For administrators on NT/2000/XP, Microsoft documents using the Spuninst/Hotfix removal utilities located under the %Windir%\$NTUninstallKB891711$ folder. The Microsoft bulletin and Microsoft support responses list these removal and workaround steps. (dell.com)

Bottom line: the April 12, 2005 revision is the version Microsoft recommends; installing it from Windows Update is the safest route. For older, unsupported systems, treat the update like any significant change: back up first, prefer the official reissued package, and follow the Safe Mode / msconfig / Add‑Remove removal steps if instability appears. (learn.microsoft.com)

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Member Avatar for Catweazle

The download is an updated version.

Member Avatar for kosmoe

Thanks. Any details as to what the problem(s) were?

Member Avatar for Catweazle

The original release of the patch stuffed up on some systems and crashed them. I think it might've been one of those "You have one chance in 385,679,312,984 of this occurring to you, and we don't want that person complaining, so we'll withdraw it and fix the bloody thing! Wish some people weren't such crybabies!" things ;)

Member Avatar for kosmoe

"Wish some people weren't such crybabies!" things ;)

Would you mind elaborating on that last comment?

Edited by Dani because: Formatting fixed
Member Avatar for Catweazle

I'm merely suggesting, kosmoe, in a jocular fashion of course, that we sometimes have products and updates unavailable to us simply because they have issues with a very very small proportion of the almost limitless combinations of equipment that PCs can be. When such 'issues' arise, the noise we hear about them is somewhat disproportionate to the extent of the problem.

Member Avatar for kosmoe

So what your saying is people who had their computers crash after downloading a Critical Update from Microsoft are crybabies. jokingly,of course.

Member Avatar for Catweazle

Oh hell no. In 90% or more of cases, people who had their system crash after downloading a Critical Update from Microsoft had something seriously wrong on their systems beforehand, and it was usually a software problem which had resulted from an unprotected and infected system!

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