Got a Dell? Read This Now! - Comments Page 1

Phew!!!!

Am I glad I chose to stick with XP!

Excellent article.

The third option goes to an invitation to a virtual summit, the Dell link offers two options, a way too complicated 12 page instruction manual and an automatic link that goes to error messages.
So I ended up scared with no solution.

I'd be very careful about using the manual removal instructions from Dell's site. The poor quality of the screenshots makes it hard to see the items that have to be selected.

I turned off automatic updates months ago, as I did not want to see Windows 10 slowly being downloaded into my PC. (as one of your articles suggested might happen.)

Does this make me safe from Dell's mistake?

I tried installing the patch and receive error message indicating "unable to stop windowns service. Unable to dlete plugin" Please advise what to do about this issue !

Clicking the automatic correction link yields "Issue not found." and "Unable to delete the plugin." I have Dell Optiplexes 740 and 780 and a Dell Vostro. Perhaps they're so old Dell doesn't update them?

EDITOR'S NOTE: As far as I can tell the "issue not found" means you don't have the problem, or it's already been patched.

Bob, when the initial notice appeared on-line, it referred to Dell _laptops_ only. I have a desktop but thought I might as well read through all the text. I downloaded the instructions but decided to use the Automatic correction. After it ran, the result was that no affected item was found. Thus, I am assuming that not all Dell computers are/were affected. I have received no notification whatsoever from Dell regarding this certificate problem. I will remain alert, however. Thanks for bringing this to _our_ attention.

Followed your link and automatically attempted to remove Dell root issue. A window came saying, 'issue not found". Can I assume my computer was somehow unaffected or is this wishful thinking?

EDITOR'S NOTE: My link should go to a PDF file with instructions: See https://dellupdater.dell.com/Downloads/APP009/eDellRootCertificateRemovalInstructions.pdf

"download" link doesn't seem to work. Clicked it 2 different times, each time brought up different websites. Weird. Scary.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The link should take you to a PDF with instructions. Try this: https://dellupdater.dell.com/Downloads/APP009/eDellRootCertificateRemovalInstructions.pdf

This is very scary. I have a Windows 7 from Dell that is 4 years old. Thank goodness I don't use it very often. Bob, I'll try what you recommended about deleting the problem. Thanks for the information about eDellRoot.

Bob - I think stating "Every Dell computer running Windows..." is an over statement and requires clarification. I've checked both of my Dell laptops running Windows 7 and I do not have the Dell Foundation Services service or the eDellRoot certificate. As a double check, I also ran the automatic tool and received "issue not found". Clearly this issue does NOT affect "Every Dell computer running Windows..."

EDITOR'S NOTE: Is it possible the fix had already been automatically applied by Dell? In any case, it's best to check for the problem, right?

For more accurate information of speficially which Dell computers are affected see https://grahamcluley.com/2015/11/edellroot-huge-security-hole-shipped-dell-laptops-pcs-need-know/

BTW - Are you sure your emails are still going out to all your subscribers? I've not received one since 11/02 (and I did NOT unsubscribe). The only reason I saw this article was because I came to your site looking for an article on Google+.

Bob, what do we do about this from ZDNet a couple of hours ago?

Dell customers have turned up a second root certificate installed on some Dell machines, which could make them easy prey for malicious attacks on public Wi-Fi networks.

The second problematic root certificate is called DSDTestProvider. Its discovery follows yesterday's removal by Dell of the dangerous eDellroot certificate from affected Dell PCs.

The most interesting thing that occurred within this article was: I clicked on the patch and it went to weird website "All Array Flash Solutions - Extreme IO Extreme EMC. I got out of there as it was too weird and returned to this page. The link in your article to the "patch" had disappeared. WOW! Upon further reading in the comments I did discover that this issue is non existent on my Dell. I still appreciate your research and that you warn of possibilities. I would check that link though!

Just finished your article today on the Dell computer vulnerability and decided to take your advice about downloading the patch. I clicked on the link in the last sentence of the 2nd paragraph of the "Eliminating the Problem" section of your article and it brought me to a page I wasn't expecting to see - some kind of EMC page! I Xed out of that and went back to your article to try over, but the link I had just clicked earlier wasn't enabled anymore. I don't know much about computers, but this had me more perplexed than ever.

If everybody were of the same mind as me, the internet would probably come crashing down. I HATE all advertising with a vengeance and 'targeted' advertising even more (this in response to Bob's mention of Lenovo's Superfish). Therefore I block all the ads I can. I pay my way and don't expect advertisers to pay for what I choose to look at.

I would not use a Dell if you gave me one!!! Had bought two Dell desk tops and neither one lasted a Year! After Dell sent me parts to fix it it would run about a month and then the same parts went bad. They sent me a new, upgraded desktop, then charged me for it and it to quit in about 3 months. Will Never use a Dell computer again. ( GO ACER )

Bob , you have to be one busy guy , but can you give us an update of any sort since you posted your newsletter. I am not the sharpest crayon in the box , but a lot of the posts above seem like they don't understand and that includes myself as well. the very first post from Ian. Phew !!!! am I glad I chose to stick with XP ? unless I woke up dead , what does that have to do with owning a Dell. I have read everything you have put in your newsletters since day 1 , but people are going to start throwing their pc's in the garbage. lots of people freaking out here !! can you save us ? don