[Steve]

Following yesterday's warning, Real Media has provided a 'Critical' security update to the Windows version 10.5 of its RealPlayer product. Hackers are reported to be actively exploiting a “zero-day hole” in RealNetworks’ RealPlayer media player, which is installed on tens of millions of Windows computers worldwide. Macintosh and Linux versions of
RealPlayer are not at risk.

To obtain the latest Real Player update, select (in Windows) the command
[Start][Programs][Real][RealPlayer][Check for RealPlayer Updates].

The update attempts to offer the option of installing the security update only if you agree to register your name and details, but it's not necessary to do this to get the security update. If you don't want to register formally with Real Media as a user, simply (when prompted to do so at a 'Product Registration' screen) choose [Cancel] - then when prompted further to [Cancel Setup] choose [Exit]. At this point the small green RealPlayer
application launches, followed by a small animated panel showing that it is checking for updates. This should eventually reveal a further panel offering [Critical Updates]. Choose 'RealPlayer 10.5 with Harmony' and install it (it's 12.1 Mb in size). The update process may also offer the Google Toolbar - which you can elect to accept or reject. It also offers to put icons on the desktop for RealPlayer (which again you can accept or reject as desired it's not necessary to have them in order to make the software work).

Finally the update installer offers to 'Make RealPlayer your universal Media Player'. Again, you don't have to do this unless you want to. It's sufficient just to 'Select Media Types from a list' scroll through the list and associate Real Audio and Real Video filetypes (.rt, .ra, .rm etc) with RealPlayer.

At the end of the update process, you will be invited to restart your computer.