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Wilson, George, Jr.

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University of Mississippi eGrove Newsletters American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Historical Collection 6-1997 Updating Microsoft's Windows 95 and Internet Explorer George Wilson Jr. Follow this and additional works at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/aicpa_news  Part of the Accounting Commons Technology Alert© 1997 AICPA Information Technology Membership SectionVol. 97 No. 3June 1997Updating Microsoft’s Windows 95 and Internet ExplorerBy George W. Wilson, Jr., CPAGeorge W. Wilson, Jr., is the partner in charge of information systems technology for Turner, Wilson, & Company, P.C., in Rockville, Maryland and their affiliate, Desmond & Ahearn, Chartered, in Chicago, Illinois. George is a member of the AICPA, the Maryland Association of CPA’s, and the DC Institute of CPA’s. He is also a member of the AICPA Information Technology Practices Subcommittee, the IT Membership Section, and the Computer Resources Committee for MACPA. In addition, George is a member of ACUTE. In this Alert, he discusses how to update Windows 95 and Internet Explorer.Have you upgraded your version of Windows 95 or Internet Explorer? Have you heard about the security issues with Internet Explorer? If you have taken care of these, kudos to you! If you have not, you should!Windows 95Since it’s initial release in August 1995, Microsoft has released several updates to enhance the product, fix bugs, and correct security issues. The first update was the Windows 95 Service Pack 1 Update (SP1) and was first released December 31, 1995. Follow these simple instructions to determine if your operating system has been updated with the service pack. Go to the “Start” button and bring up your menu. Go to “Settings” and then press “Control Panel”. Choose the “System” icon and double click. You will see a reference at the top of the page indicating a Windows 95 version number. If you do not see 4.00.950a or above, you need to perform the upgrade.Although there are nine fixes in the SP1 release, there are two that are most important. The first important fix is the OLE32 update. It corrects the way MS Excel, MS Word and MS PowerPoint use OLE for file storage. Without the fix it is possible that files created with these programs may include extraneous data from previously deleted files. While you may not see the data when you are in these applications, it is possible to see the information when viewing a file with another program, such as Windows Notepad.The second important update provides improved encryption to the password file on your disk. This fix is necessary because an algorithm has been posted on the Internet for decrypting this file. If someone obtains access to your password file and knows the decryption algorithm, they may possibly gain access to all of your password-protected resources.Subsequent to the SP1 release, there have been several additional updates you need to download and install. If you browse the Internet much, or use another application that uses the Windows Sockets API, the Kemel32 Update will correct a memory leak that occurs when opening and closing a Socket. Without the update, you will experience a significant resource drain that may eventually result in your system crashing. (Remember the resource limitation inWindows 3.1? This is the same kind of problem.) Another system update worth mentioning is another Password List update that fixes a bug created by the fix in SP1.Where can you get these updates? You can order the Microsoft Windows 95 Service Pack 1 on CD-ROM or 1.44MB disks for $14.95 plus shipping and handling by calling the Microsoft Order Desk at 800.360.7561, or you can download the files from the following sources -• Microsoft World Wide Webhttp://www.microsoft.com/windows95• Internet (anonymous) FTP Siteftp ftp.microsoft.comChange to the Softlib/Mslfiles folder.Get <filename>.exe• Microsoft Download Service (MSDL)Dial 425.936.6735 to connect to MSDL.Download <filename>.exeIf you only want to download the fixes, download the file “setup.exe.” If you want to download the complete Microsoft Windows 95 Service Pack 1, download the following files: “start.exe” and “disk2” through “diskl4”.Internet ExplorerIf you are using Microsoft's Internet Explorer lower than version 3.02 (current version), it is strongly recommended that you upgrade as soon as possible. The new version fixes the security issues with the product that you may have been reading about in the news recently. It also updates the Internet Mail and News features and will warn you about starting a program that is attached to an e-mail message.In order to determine the version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer you are using, follow these steps. Open Internet Explorer and go to "Help" on the menu bar. Select "About Internet Explorer." The version number is on the second line of text in the dialog box, and should read as follows - Version 3.02(4.70.1300). If your version is something other than what is shown here, upgrade your Internet Explorer.All prior versions of Internet Explorer running on Windows 95 and NT 4.0 are affected. There are no security fixes and none planned for Internet Explorer 2.0. If you are using Windows 3.1, NT 3.51 or a Mac, you are not affected.The Internet Explorer version 3.02 upgrade addresses six different security risks. Each of these security risks allows outsiders to access your computer without your permission. It is important you take the time to perform this upgrade. Microsoft published these fixes within a week of discovering the security problems. They are very serious when it comes to your security. You should upgrade today!You can find the Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.02 on the Microsoft World Wide Web site at -• http://www.microsoft.com/ieOne last item to mention. If you suspect that you may be dealing with a security issue with any Microsoft product, send them an e-mail message to secure@microsoft.com. In your message, please include the following:• The name of the Microsoft product in the subject line of your message• Details about your computer system, including the name and version of the operating system, the amount of RAM installed, and the size of the hard drive.• The version number of your Microsoft product• A detailed description of the issue so it can be recreated. Include any error messages you receive.• The Web site you visited when the problem occurred.The CPA. Never Underestimate The Valuer

Updating Microsoft\u27s Windows 95 and Internet Explorer

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Updating Microsoft\u27s Windows 95 and Internet Explorer

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