Disable DCOM support

The Distributed Component Object Model, or DCOM, is yet another feature that was built into Windows that has caused a great deal of problems. Sure, it provides an acceptable programming interface for programmers who are trying to write network apps, but there are better ways to do that than to use a DCOM.

DCOM has presented quite a few problems in terms of security. Exploits have been discovered for it that have allowed an Internet worm to spread to hundreds of thousands of Windows machines worldwide. Additionally, a very small number of applications actually use DCOM. In all of my computing experience, I have only seen one application that used DCOM, and that was an inventory and store management software suite. Home and professional PC users probably will never even use an application that uses DCOM.

So why is it on your computer? DCOM was one of Microsoft's attempts to please software developers. However, this attempt has clearly failed, and yet they still include it. The only thing that it has given to operating systems such as Windows XP is headlines in the newspapers about how some worm exploited it and has now infected thousands of PCs.

Disabling the Distributed Component Object Model is a good idea for most computing users. That is, it is for everybody except the rare few who actually have an application that the developers wrote using DCOM. To shut down DCOM and increase the security of your computer, follow these steps:

1. Gibson Research has come up with another cool utility to take care of Windows security shortcomings. This one is called DCOM bobulator and will help you disable DCOM on your computer. Visit www.grc.com/dcom/ and download a copy.

2. Start up DCOM bobulator and click the tab labeled DCOM bobulator Me!

3. Click the Disable DCOM button.

4. Click the Exit button and you are finished.

If you find that you are forced to use a program that needs DCOM, just run the utility again and click the Enable DCOM button on the DCOM bobulator Me! tab.