Frontpage
Forums
Tutorials
Members
Calendar
Subscription
Donate
Links
Contact 
Help
Latest Software News
Latest Hardware News
Latest Mobile
Latest Security News
Latest Forum Posts
Latest News Comments
-
Firefox 8 released, finally...
By MohdNishat, Yesterday, 02:45 PM
-
Google Chrome vs. IE10 on W...
By MohdNishat, Yesterday, 02:42 PM
-
Microsoft rebrands itself
By j7n, Apr 30 2013 05:00 AM
-
Microsoft rebrands itself
By j7n, Apr 30 2013 05:00 AM
-
Google releases Metro-style...
By gelapir, Apr 29 2013 04:59 AM
MSFN Statistics
Recommended Sites
KB971029 update disables AutoRun on XP, Vista
Posted on Mar 04 2011 10:05 AM by BogenDorpher in Windows | Viewed 7254 Times
There is an update to Windows XP and Windows Vista that was probably installed on your machine without you even knowing about it. This update, KB971029, disables the AutoRun feature and provides the user with no file-installation prompts when inserting a USB flash drive. As Computerworld reports, Microsoft originally deployed this update around February 8th of this year. This patch was set to be an optional update. However, Microsoft now changed its mind by reclassifying this update as "High Priority." This update is now automatically downloaded via Automatic Updates.
In case you were wondering why, Microsoft decided to disable automatic execution of files via AutoRun or AutoPlay because of malware that has been targeting such methods. A worm called "Conficker" and a worm called "Stuxnet" are two worms that utilize AutoRun to infect machines when a flash drive is plugged in.
Because of this update, anytime a flash drive is plugged in on a machine that runs Windows XP or Windows Vista, an AutoRun popup will not display. This update does not affect CDs or DVDs, but only USB flash drives.
This actually breaks a lot of features that most USB flash drives require in order to function. Microsoft informs XP and Vista users that "Users who install this update will no longer receive a setup message that prompts them to install programs that are delivered by USB flash drives. Users will have to manually install the software."
If you are on Windows XP or Windows Vista and want to enable AutoRun once again, download this tool available from Microsoft's website.
News Source: WinBeta
4 Comments
Page 1 of 1
uid0
04 March 2011 - 03:27 PM
The only down side to this story is that I will have less trade in cleaning up dirty PCs.
This is A Good Thing, really.
This is A Good Thing, really.
erpdude8
04 March 2011 - 05:36 PM
BogenDorpher, the KB971029 updates were first made available at the Microsoft Download Center in late August 2009 (do a search on KB971029 on the Microsoft Download Center main page and you will see they were released on 8/24/2009). Microsoft didn't made those KB971029 updates available through Microsoft Update & Windows Update until early February 2011. Don't know why MS took so long to make them available through Windows Update when they first released them through the MS Download Center.
BogenDorpher
04 March 2011 - 11:57 PM
@erpdude8 very interesting observations. I wonder the same too.
Sp0iLedBrAt
05 March 2011 - 03:39 PM
Again, this is not a new update. I've been integrating it into nLite testing VMs for over a year, and the file properties say I've downloaded it on 26th August 2009.
Page 1 of 1