As you may have heard on the news, many Internet users are experiencing problems with their computers shutting down abruptly. This is not a problem with Charter Pipeline service. It is the result of a computer vulnerability and is being experienced by computer users around the world. It is due to a computer worm that scans computers checking to see if port 135 is open. If so, the worm takes advantage of the computer and shuts it down.

If your computer has not been infected, you should go to one of the web sites shown below to update your anti-virus software or install a patch to prevent infection.

Here is a Microsoft bulletin regarding this vulnerability:

http://www.microsoft.com/security/security_bulletins/ms03-026.asp

Here is an update from Symantec:

http://www.sarc.com/avcenter/security/Content/8205.html

Here is an update from McAfee:

http://us.mcafee.com/virusInfo/default.asp?id=description&virus_k=100547

If your computer becomes infected and gets shut down, you will need to follow these steps (you may want to print them for future reference):

1. Unplug modem.
2. Restart computer.
3. Go to Start / Search / For Files and Folders.
4. Confirm that Look in is set for C: drive.
5. Search for files and folders named: "MSBLAST.exe"
6. When computer finds the msblast file(s), right click on the file names and delete all copies of the file.
7. Shut down the machine.
8. Plug the modem back in.
9. Restart the machine.
10. Go directly to one of the web sites above and install the patch and/or update.

Sincerely,

Charter Communications

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