>You can subscribe to the security updates newsletter, as well as a bunch of others at https://register.microsoft.com/regsys/pic.asp?sec=0. I got a whole lot of the blaster warning emails, I assume because I'm subscribed to quite a few newsletters. The "Microsoft Security Notification Service" newsletter is the one that warns you "a little sooner" as you suggested.

Thanks for the link, Cindy. I have XP auto-updates working at home, so I get right away all the latest patches, but they rarely indicate exactly what the patches are for (except some gobbledygook about vulnerabilities...but nothing about Blaster). I would prefer a little more info, like the email I posted about had. Maybe signing up at your link will get me this info.

>Of course we heard about the Ms02-026 problem weeks ago but there wasn't an exploit until recently. Now that so many computers are ridden with the worm, Microsoft is doing their part to get the word out as to how to combat the problem.

We get these notices at my workplace too, but the IT brass generally keeps them quiet and does a lot of testing before release to general IT staff (we've too-quickly released a few patches and DATs that caused major network headaches in the past, I'm sure you know what I mean), so all updates get rigorous testing now first, depending on urgency. Usually, most of us find out more from home use, NAI, or tech forums like the UT, than we do from MS (we're hoping this will change soon, of course...)

One other question while I'm here, perhaps someone can answer - why is it that MS has two separate "channels" for patches - one is formatted like this one: MS03-026, etc., and the others are like the KB format, 6-digit patches, sometimes with Q preceding and sometimes no Q. This is probably something I should know as an Admin, but the few people I asked aren't sure either.

For example, a few weeks ago, IT Security gave me a list of 4 patches to install for my Admin area, and 2 were in MS##-### format and 2 were in ###### format. Can anyone explain the different patch formats?