STFU && RTFM

I rarely write posts off the cuff, but this warrants it. Microsoft has released Security Bulletin MS08-059, along with a hotfix for the problem detailed. There are already exploits in the wild to take advantage of the hotfix.
 
What I ask is simply this: Update your computer. Run Windows Update, and update your computer.
 
Here’s the bulletin from Microsoft:
Bulletin Identifier – Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-059
Bulletin Title – Vulnerability in Host Integration Server RPC Service Could Allow Remote Code Execution (956695)
Executive Summary – This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in Microsoft Host Integration Server. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if an attacker sent a specially crafted Remote Procedure Call (RPC) request to an affected system. Customers who follow best practices and configure the SNA RPC service account to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than customers who configure the SNA RPC service account to have administrative user rights.
Maximum Severity Rating – Critical
Impact of Vulnerability – Remote Code Execution
Detection – Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer can detect whether your computer system requires this update. The update may require a restart.

I’ve been seeing a problem lately with a few computers. After installing the latest security updates, their WLAN card stops working. It is unable to acquire a dynamic IP address from any router, and setting a static IP address does not work either.
 
The cause
The cause of the problem is a Microsoft recommended hotfix, (815485). The hotfix is part of an optional, though recommended update to Windows XP.
 
The solution
Resolving this problem can be done in one out of two ways, either by uninstalling the specific hotfix, or by rolling back to a previous system restore point.
 
Uninstalling the hotfix:

1. Go to the Control Panel and open the entry “Add or remove programs”
2. Scroll to the bottom and look out for an entry called Windows XP Hotfix (SP2)Q815485
3. Remove the entry

 
The other solution hinges on System Restore being active on your computer. If it is, simply follow the instructions (given here) from Microsoft to roll back to a restore point from before the problem occurred.

Have you ever returned to your computer only to find it having restarted, and all of your data gone? For a myriad of reasons, I keep my computers running continuously for a long time at a time. This makes this insistence on a reboot not only annoying, but in its extremes, it can actually make me lose work. To prevent this, I have disabled the auto-reboot, and I am no longer annoyed with repeated requests for reboots.
 
For some reason, there is no GUI-button for this setting, so we have to edit the Group Policy of the computer. This is relatively safe, as long as you don’t start to fiddle with anything you do not know what is. The process is as follows:
 

1. In the Start-menu, hit run
2. In the window that opens (it is called “Run”), enter gpedit.msc
3. Locate the following subfolder: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update
   
4. Double-click the setting “No auto-restart for scheduled Automatic Updates installations”
5. Choose “Enabled”
   
6. Click “Apply”
7. Close the gpedit.msc window

 
Congratulations! One less annoyance to contend with.