Patches and Hidden Software Installs

So, I mostly agree with this article: http://windowssecrets.com/2009/08/13/01-Sun-Apple-Microsoft-install-chaff-with-patches. It's about how many "critical security updates" install other software by default. I know this is how some freeware programmers actually make money so I understand if they do it. However, in the interest of not misleading the customer, the check-boxes for other software should be defaulted to being unchecked. Especially in a corporate environment, when I see unknown software popping up on a client computer, it can be a security breach in and of itself.

at$t wtf?

WTF AT$T? Why do you allow tethering with a BlackBerry but not with the iPhone?

vmware fusion, you dissapoint me

Maybe the vmware folks haven't figured out how to utilize the Nvidia chips on the new macbooks, but the 3D performance in my virtual XP Pro machine sucks. I'm playing Civilization 4, a turn-based strategy game that uses 3D models and terrain, it's video requirements are pretty slim and yet there's lots of lag and clipping. I don't even want to try playing Fallout 3, a full-blown FPS-intensive game.

please log off

From the great folks at thinkgeek, a bumper sticker perfect for these times...

There's no doubt about it. The end of the world IS coming. We're just not entirely sure how or when. We're pretty sure there'll be a broadcast message, though, about 10 minutes before the entire system goes down if the sysadmins have their shit together. But it's best to save your work often in case they don't. They might be as surprised as we are if it all ends in a total system meltdown.

And be sure to log off. You don't want your session to remain active through the apocalypse. That would seriously suck.

c'mon Mcafee, I don't want to go back to Norton

Actually, I'll probably just go with Grisoft's AVG.

So here's a weird thing. I have a client who's laptop keeps BSOD'ing with a 0x0000000F4 Error (there may have been some extra zero's). He kept telling me that Windows was blaming McAfee every time he rebooted from a BSOD. Well, I decided it wasn't McAfee because I saw a lot of things pointing F4 errors as relating to the Hard Drive. Now I realize the guy is right. I captured one of the minidump's (windows error reports when the system crashes) and analyzed them with windows debugger, a neat little tool if you've never done it before. The minidump is here if you want to take a looksee. The minidump points to mfehidk.sys, a Mcafee file that apparently is included with Active VirusScan 8.5.

Now, here's the weird (and very frustrating) part. I used McAfee's management console on the client's server to uninstall VirusScan 8.5. And the error still happened! If there's one thing that I hate, it's programs that don't *!%&#ing uninstall correctly. And I realize now that I have encountered this before when I was trying out VirusScan 8.5 without the management part. It seemed to leave behind the autoupdater as well as the Outlook scanner .dll's.

I'm exhausted now, so the problem won't get fixed til' tomorrow. But I just wanted to rant a bit.

DD-WRT

I'm moving to a new place and was shopping for a new wireless router. I had heard about the reliability of the Linksys WRT54GL before but I didn't know the full details of how it could be customized. What I found out, to put it mildly, was very exciting. After looking at the product on newegg.com (my favorite online store) I found out that the firmware could be upgraded to something called DD-WRT. Now, firmware is a bit of a misnomer because you would think that it meant it couldn't be messed around with; but, lo and behold, changing the firmware is as easy as hooking up a laptop directly to the router and transferring some files. For those of you not in the know, DD-WRT is basically a mini linux operating system that turns a home-consumer wireless router into something that would excite any aspiring hacker / network engineer. I wouldn't even begin to list all the capabilities... you can find them here.

Now, the real reason why I'm excited is that I'll finally have WOL (wake-on-lan) capability for my home computers. Right now, I leave my PC at home on all the time. It's a good thing my electricity is flat-rate included in my rent. But my new place will be different; plus, I actually do care about wasting electricity, I gotta fight global warming somehow. Anyway, mucho props to the linux geeks at the DD-WRT org. As someone wiser than me once said, "It's not what you sell, it's what you make".

Citrix - Great Software, Horrible Customer Service

I'm writing this as I'm on hold with Citrix. I have been passed back-and-forth between customer service and technical support twice already. All I really need is a new TS CAL license keys for Citrix Access Essentials. The inital purchase got us keys that worked with Windows Server 2003. We decided to go with 2008 and that's my guess as to why the keys won't work. They did, however, get the Citrix Access Essentials key to work for the user-licenses on their software.

I really don't get how you have to have license keys for Terminal Services Users as well as license keys for Citrix Access Essential Users. But I guess that's what this company gets for choosing third-party remote access software. Good god.

Maybe I should call Microsoft and try to get new TS CALs from them; I'm surprised to say it, but they might have better customer support than Citrix.