Thanks:
I read on wikipedia that LSASS attacks are related to the sasser worm which first appeared in 2004. I understand it was stopped by Microsoft security patches. So.... why didn't my operating system stop it in the first place in which case Avast would have had to do nothing, right??
Actually, whether or not my Windows XP SP2 really is up to date is a concern for me. I DO have automatic updates turned on and I always see the little yellow exclamation mark frequently indicating a download. Also, when I shut down the pc, it does freqently indicate it is installing updates. However, when I went to windows update website tonight and tried the "scan" feature to see if I need updates, I got an error message....
[Error number: 0x8024001D]
The website has encountered a problem and cannot display the page you are trying to view. The options provided below might help you solve the problem.
Also, when I click on the button indicating microsoft will tell me my update history, all the updates show red question marks instead of green check marks BUT under control panel, add/remove programs and show updates, I do show many windows security updates as having been installed.
I have submitted this question to MS, but my experience is their replies are very generic in nature and it is difficult to solve an individuals problems. Would you happen to know if it is common for automatic updates to APPEAR to be working, but for a manual attempt to fail??
thanks for the help.