In this week’s Finish Line Hotlap, we start off by asking you three questions. 1) Do you own a computer that utilizes Microsoft Windows? 2) Do you watch videos that have been downloaded to that computer either from a camera or the Internet? 3) If you answered “yes” to number two, do you use Apple’s QuickTime to watch the videos? Recently, QuickTime has been in the news as the U.S.’s Department of Homeland Security’s Computer Emergency Readiness Team (raise your hand if you knew there was such a team!) released an alert declaring that Apple will no longer support QuickTime with future updates, and thus, two major security vulnerabilities exist within the program. Click here to read the full report. Both vulnerabilities allow hackers to execute a remote command on a computer with QuickTime installed. When the user opens a malicious file or visits a certain website, all of hell’s fury will be unleashed on your computer. Because of this, the Computer Emergency Readiness Team strongly urges anyone with QuickTime (a program that had to be downloaded from the Internet) to uninstall it immediately.
So, how do we remove QuickTime properly? If your computer runs Windows Vista or 7, click the Start button, then “Control Panel”. If Control Panel lists its apps in Category view (look in the upper right of your screen), under the Programs heading, click “Uninstall a program”. If your view is set to Large icons or Small icons, click “Programs and Features”. Look down the list of installed programs, click on “QuickTime”, then click “Uninstall” just to the right of “Organize”. In WIndows 8 or 8.1, click the magnifying glass, and type “Programs and Features”. When “Programs and Features” appears on the list, click on it, and follow the steps described above. To navigate to Programs and Features in Windows 10, click the Start button, then “Control Panel”, then click “Programs”, and finally click, “Programs and Features”. When you’ve successfully uninstalled QuickTime, it will disappear from the list.
As I so often preach, it is essential to keep your computer updated, both in the form of Windows Updates, and program updates as they become available. Updates routinely plug security holes that can keep you and your system safe. If you’re a P.C. user, now is the time to remove QuickTime. If you’re reading this from your Mac, fear not, because Apple is planning on continuing support of QuickTime for at least the near future.