RootsChat.Com
General => Technical Help => Topic started by: wyndham on Sunday 27 June 10 12:03 BST (UK)
-
When I switched my computer on just now, on the start-up screen was a box showing "IEEE 1667 Generic Silo - downloading drivers". In all there were 6 lines stating the same thing.
I have checked up on IEEE 1667 which is a security standard for USB's. However I looked at the generic silo part of it and the technical speak was somewhat confusing.
Can someone explain in straightforward manner what all this means and from whom did this download emanate and why wasn't I given an option not to download since I was totally unaware of what it was?
-
It appears to be a method of password protecting your pc by controlling which USB devices are allowed to exchange information with the computer.
Its use seems to be intended for work machines so the long suffering IT manager can sleep easier at night.
If you are on windows, then go to Control Panel/Windows Update/View update history to see if it was MS who downloaded it. It seems that IEEE 1667 is going to be automatically included in Windows 7. It has not appeared in my list (I'm on Vista)
-
Falcybe
Thank you for your reply. I am using Windows 7 and the last updates were on 24 July from MS. As I mentioned the download box showed absolutely no evidence of origin whatsoever and I am a little concerned that this has appeared. Also if it's for office use computers, why was I chosen?
IEEE is an American based organisation that appears to set standards, that and a brief explanation of 1667 is all I know.
Any other advice would be greatly welcomed.
-
Although it is based in the US the IEEE has members in 150+ countries. Last year's conference was in Oxford for example. Without their standards the internet could not exist. There are no downsides to having IEEE 1667 on your PC. IEEE 1667 will allow you eventually to prevent unauthorised USB devices being attached to your PC. Most enterprises simply ban all use of USBs. Or at least they should do.
You can stop automatic updates and manually select what gets downloaded - Control Panel/Windows Update/Change Settings. You can stop all updates, or set a halfway house - but this will waste 5-10 hours a week on pointless research.
A bit off-topic - but If you have a capped internet monthly allowance you can stop updates until you can connect to an uncapped source, and do all updates then.
Ken
-
Ken
Thank you for your reassurance in respect of IEEE 1667. However, I am still concerned that the download appeared without any indication of origin. Also, I would still like to know exactly what a 'generic silo' is!
-
Silo = storage, and generic means unbranded or ''all types" - ie a memory stick, or a portable disk drive.
So IEEE 1667 is to stop someone putting a memory stick in your USB port and stealing data. You however will be able to authorise a specific 'generic silo' to be used on your PC. At the moment all you can do is disable your USB ports.
The source from Windows Updates is always Microsoft. If you right click the update you can get more information. If this one is not listed in Windows Updates you need to look in System Configuration/Startup to see what programs you have allowing updates.
Ken
-
Ken
Thank you once again for your help. It's quite simple when it's explained!
However, I have checked both the Microsoft's US site and my computer but there is nothing to state that this emanated from MS although I imagine that they are aware of this. Even so am I the only one to have received this download??
-
Just to correct my 2nd paragraph above, I managed to locate a very technical description on Microsoft at
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff550139(VS.85).aspx