AVG Virus Scanner Removes Critical Windows File 440
secmartin writes "The popular virus scanner AVG released an update yesterday that caused their software to mark user32.dll as a virus. Since this is a rather critical file, AVG's suggestion to remove it caused problems for users around the world who are now advised to restore the file through the Windows Recovery Console. AVG just posted an update about this (FAQ item 1574) in the support section of their site. Their forums are full of complaints."
Well... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Well... (Score:5, Funny)
When I read it, I thought the title was "AVG Virus Scanner Removes Critical Windows Flaw" ...
That would have been excellent sales technique. shame the reality is so very different.
not what it seems (Score:5, Funny)
Re:It's sad... (Score:4, Funny)
Should have gone for the gold... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:doh (Score:5, Funny)
Actually the free versions always get their updates later than the paid for versions, so it's the paying customers who were affected the most by this.
Re:doh (Score:3, Funny)
So not paying institutes messing up your pc?
Then I know some people from the Cosa Nostra that I want you to meet...
Re:doh (Score:5, Funny)
It's done this before.. (Score:5, Funny)
I've been using AVG at customers sites since version 6.. It has, over the years, deleted entire outlook pst's, repeatedly uninstalled VNC servers and radmin, and generally been grumpy for the slightest reason.
I am a sucker for punishment, because I still keep using it. It's just as good as the rest, it's half the price, and noticably faster than all the others I've tried.
I think that, however, the entire concept of antivirus is going to have to fail, and we'll need a whitelist, rather than a blacklist.
There has been quite a bit of discussion about this over the years, and it's going to come true.
Oh. And as an added bonus, Slashdot is screwing up my display. When I load the page, I get the comments page, and then it clears and I get a spammy IBM flash ad of some sort. Serves me right for not installing ABP after a reinstall.
--Rob
Re:not what it seems (Score:3, Funny)
Naw, the patch that was released was called Windows Vista.
Re:Should have gone for the gold... (Score:5, Funny)
You haven't used Microsoft software in a while, have you?
Re:doh (Score:5, Funny)
Careful what you bare, you saw how quick it cut off that dll file :D
Re:Well... (Score:5, Funny)
shame the reality is so very different.
It is?
Oh so the real truth comes out (Score:2, Funny)
Windows really is a virus and not an operating system. The user32.dll file is the one that phones home to Microsoft and has that "NSA Backdoor" in it.
Re:It's sad... (Score:5, Funny)
"nearly 80% of all websites kill a kitten when you visit with out a spyware blocker?"
It's actually one of the HTTP status codes
463 - NO_MORE_KITTEN
Re:Should have gone for the gold... (Score:3, Funny)
We've had our eye on you for sometime now... (Score:5, Funny)
I'd like to share a revelation that I've had during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your operating systems and I realized that you're not actually cross platform. Every OS on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding community but you Windows users do not. You move to a hardware manufacturer and you multiply and multiply until every desktop is consumed and the only way you can survive is to spread to another OEM. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Windows is a disease, a cancer of this planet.
You're a plague and AVG is the cure.
Re:doh (Score:5, Funny)
It's just not Kosher, sometimes.
Re:Well... (Score:5, Funny)
It removes the biggest flaw of all: user.
Re:It's sad... (Score:4, Funny)
Thus we see the ultimate Open Source solution for anti virus is to remove the vectors which viruses cannot attack.
So, Microsoft got it right?
Re:It's sad... (Score:5, Funny)
Also, don't tell anyone, to prevent AVG from changing it.
Especially not any popular websites.
Re:doh (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Well... (Score:5, Funny)
"AVG Virus Scanner Removes Critical Windows Flaw"
There's a redundancy in there somewhere. I can't quite put my finger on it.
Re:Well... (Score:3, Funny)
When I read it on the /. front page, there was a Samsung ad covering part of it due to some rather poor CSS. As a result the headline read,
"AVG Visus Scanner Removes Critical Windows".
That is all.
Re:Well... (Score:5, Funny)
)get rid of the viruses (virii?)
Viruses is the correct plural. Virii only makes you look like a pretentious fuckwit and is piss-poor Latin grammar.
http://linuxmafia.com/~rick/faq/plural-of-virus.html [linuxmafia.com]
Now write it out 100 times. If it's not done by sunrise, I'll cut your balls off.
Re:Arrr! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Well... (Score:2, Funny)
Virii is a good way to catch pendants though.
Re:Arrr! (Score:5, Funny)
No, it's Pirates, dammit! Now I'm going to lecture you about the proper pluralization of latin sounding words because I think you're a dumbass trying to look educated, there is no way you would make a common mistake for comedic value. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/humor [reference.com]
Re:Well... (Score:2, Funny)
It removes the biggest flaw of all: user.
No, unfortunately, the user won't be removed until the Skynet update is released.
Re:It's sad... (Score:3, Funny)
How is that an error? Cats are fucking annoying.
263 No More Kitten.
Re:Well... (Score:3, Funny)
(pedants?)
Sorry, I couldn't resist...
Re:Well... (Score:5, Funny)
Just doing it's job!
At 16:42:34 AVG achieved sentience and decided that the user(32.dll) was the problem.
Re:Arrr! (Score:5, Funny)
Well, better than my slip up. I was working at an office with a secretary. She was showing me around the place, where the machines were etc. We had finished and needed to get back to her station to fix her system. Guess what I said without even thinking?
"Well I guess we should go now and take a look at your box." She laughed pretty hard.
I couldn't believe that I said that.
Re:Well... (Score:5, Funny)
Virii is a good way to catch pendants though.
So THAT'S where my +2 Amulet of Snarkiness went....!
Re:Arrr! (Score:4, Funny)
No, Avast ye scurvy viruses, dammit!
There's no such thing as "viruses", just there's no "mouses". "Virus" is the plural for "virua".
Other commonly confused words include "bus", the plural of "bue", "adress" for "adreso" (tricky one!). Not many people know or use those words correct hence the mess we're in.
But some words are catching up faster than others, such as the popular "yes", which is the plural of "yea".
Re:Well... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Well... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Well... (Score:2, Funny)
MULTICS.
Of course.