Desktop Software Updates: What was updated?

Throughout 2006, Desktop & Instructional Resources staff will be installing Thunderbird, Firefox and several other application updates on all office systems. The combination of these updates will improve the overall security and functionality of your desktop. Updated applications include:

Thunderbird is an e-mail client that is used to access your e-mail and Bboard. It can also be used to subscribe to news and RSS feeds. For more information on RSS feeds, please see the What is RSS? headline in News & Blogs > DIR Computer Information message-list.

Firefox, like Internet Explorer, is a web browser that provides you with access to the Internet. Firefox is an alternate web browser and should not be used for accessing any University applications or forms. It is available on your desktop to maximize and enhance the Internet experience.

McAfee VirusScan protects your computer from a plethora of computer viruses. It has been updated to the most current version available. In an effort to keep your PC's virus definitions (DAT files) regularly updated, the AutoUpdate utility on your PC has been scheduled to run once a day, every day. This means that while you're working on your computer you may notice additional computer activity when the McAfee scheduler installs a new virus definition file. This additional computer activity will be momentary and may include the display of the McAfee V-shield. It should not disrupt your work.

SpywareBlaster can prevent the installation of some spyware, adware and other potentially unwanted software while Ad-aware and Spybot can remove from your computer the annoying detritus that collects on your computer as a result of Internet surfing.

Adobe Reader is an application that opens files with a pdf extension. Many online forms from various web sites are in pdf format and require the Adobe Reader.

Windows Automatic Updates, including service packs and security updates, are regularly released by Microsoft Corporation for its operating systems (Windows) and its web browsers(Internet Explorer). Often these are considered "critical updates." Critical updates should be applied to your computer to keep your computing environment as secure as possible. Microsoft has attempted to make the process of applying these updates to your computer as painless as possible by creating an application that intuitively downloads and installs the critical updates your computer needs. If updates are available for your computer and you turn your computer off every evening, the updates will begin downloading and installing when you start your computer the following morning. If updates are available for your computer and you leave your computer on overnight, the updates will be downloaded and installed at 3:00 AM every morning. If you leave your computer on overnight be forewarned that your computer might be automatically restarted if a critical update requires a reboot.

If you have any questions about these updates or software applications, please contact the Help Desk.