Latest MS Patches Cause Black Screen of Death
Looks as though Microsoft altered the Access Control List with the latest updates, causing some programs to lock up with the Black Screen of Death.
It's funny how things work out. Microsoft's little yellow shield appeared a few days ago, indicating that it's time to download and install the latest updates. Thanks to the turkey-basted holidays, it was put off until today. Now Computerworld is reporting that the latest patches are actually causing many users the Black Screen of Death, making this writer a little more thankful for tasty turkey and hard-headed procrastination.
With that wordy opening out of the way (had to make up for the two days off), the problem affects the latest Microsoft operating systems: Windows 7, Vista, and XP. Security firm Prevx actually reported the problem here in this blog, saying that Microsoft has made changes to the Access Control List that have caused installed applications to cough up the Black Screen of Death.
Mel Morris , the CEO and CTO of Prevx, said that security applications suffer more damage than other programs. Many users have tried to uninstall and re-install various security programs to no avail. "If you've got this problem, it's massively debilitating," Morris said.
Naturally, Prevx already released a free, downloadable update to fix the issue with its security offerings. But until Microsoft fixes the issue, other security software vendors will have to do the same. Advanced Windows users can also fix the problem my altering the registry settings, but as always, that's risky business. Morris said that Prevx has submitted the problem and solution directly to Microsoft.
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In other news, the sky is blue.
This is why Microsoft created a robust API set for virus, spyware, and firewall applications to use instead of injecting or nesting themselves in areas of the OS that cause problems (like this) and also slow down the system.
Norton and McAfee fought about Vista because Microsoft forbid them from injecting into the OS in unstable layers, and sadly Microsoft gave in to them and this is why you find security products degrading performance and causing compatibility problems, especially less known products that don't get the same levels of testing and depend on ACLs they have no business relying on or modifying.
Even on XP there are basic Firewall and some virus and spyware API sets that were added to the OS with SP2 and SP3, that these applications should be using.
When you install a product like Norton (for example) and it stuffs services that monitor all I/O or injects itself into the network stack it is going to cause more problems with compatibility and performance than it is ever going to 'help' the user.
(Especially when these are subscription based products that when they expire stop updating yet keep filtering network traffic causing problems for users to even send out email as port 25 is hijacked by Norton at the network level.)
Stick to MSE and the built in Defender, or at the very least, check that the product you are using is conforming to using the 3rd party API sets the OS provides instead of bypassing them and changing system security.
There are a few good 3rd party anti-virus/security products that conform to the OS provided API sets and by nature they will also be more compatible and faster than other solutions that do not.
In other news, the sky is blue.
Money green.
Money green that is.
I've got UAC disabled on my system seeing as it's basically useless anyhow (8 out of 10 pieces of Malware can bypass it).
When I check out the error message, it tells me that Windows Defender has a couple of files which it needs to submit for analysis. Both files are from the newest Avast! Program update (after Avast! has been updated) and there is no option to ignore the files. The only thing you can do is to uncheck the files and cancel.
After the second time, I went into the Control Panel, then opened Windows Defender > Tools > Options > Excluded files and folders after which I proceeded to add the directories for Avast!, SpyBot-S&D, MalwareByte's AntiMalware and PrevX.
I haven't had any more error messages since.
But now that I have seen this article, the first thing I did was call a few people and warn them about this issue.
Software developers abuse holes in a OS and when they get patched blame the OS.
Windows Defender is automatically installed in Windows 7.
You have to go to the Control Panel to even realize that it is there. At least in Vista they gave us a choice, or did they take that away from us with the latest service pack?
As for Avast! it's a Damned good AV program and I'll trust any of my systems to it.
This is why Microsoft created a robust API set for virus, spyware, and firewall applications to use instead of injecting or nesting themselves in areas of the OS that cause problems (like this) and also slow down the system.
Norton and McAfee fought about Vista because Microsoft forbid them from injecting into the OS in unstable layers, and sadly Microsoft gave in to them and this is why you find security products degrading performance and causing compatibility problems, especially less known products that don't get the same levels of testing and depend on ACLs they have no business relying on or modifying.
Even on XP there are basic Firewall and some virus and spyware API sets that were added to the OS with SP2 and SP3, that these applications should be using.
When you install a product like Norton (for example) and it stuffs services that monitor all I/O or injects itself into the network stack it is going to cause more problems with compatibility and performance than it is ever going to 'help' the user.
(Especially when these are subscription based products that when they expire stop updating yet keep filtering network traffic causing problems for users to even send out email as port 25 is hijacked by Norton at the network level.)
Stick to MSE and the built in Defender, or at the very least, check that the product you are using is conforming to using the 3rd party API sets the OS provides instead of bypassing them and changing system security.
There are a few good 3rd party anti-virus/security products that conform to the OS provided API sets and by nature they will also be more compatible and faster than other solutions that do not.
I've got to agree with "thenetavenger", however. I know all too well what poorly-written security software can do to a computer. Oddly, it's typically the store-bought, well-known "security suites" that do the most damamge. I've been running Avast! for years on XP, Vista, and Win7 machines with no problems whatsoever. Just goes to show that sometimes the best products aren't backed by large companies, but by a small group of people who really care about what they're doing.
I installed both updates as they came out on my win7 box. Everything still ran fine.
Didn't get the error message 'till about a day or so after the Avast! update and it was with only two files belonging to the program.
On topic: If only I had a dollar for every update that screwed me over...
Great.
Maybe the next step in expanding more into AV space? Competitors solutions starting not to work anymore is one of micro$uxx' hallmarks, in boosting own products.