Finally Got Anti-Virus Software On Vista 64-bit 5
Yes, I’m lazy.
I waited and waited to install anti-virus software on my 64-bit Vista Ultimate (how you can label some edition of Vista as “Ultimate” but not bundle anti-virus software is beyond me….). I was basically waiting for two things: a sale on anti-virus software and some anti-virus software that cockily proclaimed it supported 64-bit Vista. Most anti-virus software includes kernel-level hooks these days, so it didn’t seem likely that dirty ol’ 32-bit software would do the trick. Newegg decided to have a sale on Trend Micro’s Internet Security such that after rebate the cost was basically just taxes and shipping and the product label said “64-bit Vista supported”, so I went for it.
The install was pretty straight forward until a message appeared indicating that Trend Micro needed a software update that “optimized performance” be installed on my Vista system before it could itself install. Then a dialog popped up asking me if I’d like to install the hotfix for KB931365. Unlike on this blog there was no link to get more information on the hotfix, and of course the installer had helpfully suggested that all windows and all additional software be shut down during the install, so if this was your only computer, you were kind of SOL for uncovering what KB93165 was before approving the install.
Fortunately, I had other computers from which to look this kind of thing up, and from that I learned what those of you who followed the above link already know: this wasn’t just some performance fix, it was a fix for a BSOD, and would be triggered by the install of any anti-virus filter driver!
But wait, it gets better: the hotfix for this has been around in its present form since March 2007, and it looks like it first appeared at least as far back as January. Microsoft’s regular security update rounds have yet to include a fix for this.
The implications seem clear to me: either Microsoft doesn’t have much confidence in this fix or they don’t feel installing anti-virus software on Vista is important… most likely both. This is a bug that literally crashes a computer when installing software everyone should be installing… and yet they haven’t been able to roll out a long term fix after 10+ months? Please.
Here’s looking to see if it makes SP1.