Windows 95 Password List Update

This Windows 95 Password List Update fixes a bug which existed in the Windows 95 Service Pack 1 Password List Update. The bug does not exist in the shipping version of Windows 95. This bug occurs when an application attempts to remove a cached password. If an application attempts to remove a password from the cache, a section of the cache file (.PWL file) can become corrupted, causing any passwords cached in that section of the file to be lost, and making it impossible to cache further passwords in that section of the file. An example of such an application is the Dial-Up Networking application in Windows 95.

The Windows 95 Password List Update also includes the enhanced protection for cached passwords.

When you connect to a password-protected resource, such as a network drive, you can choose to save that password. Windows then stores the password in an encrypted file on your hard disk. An algorithm was posted on the Internet for decrypting this file. If someone has access to your password file and knows the decryption algorithm, they might be able to decrypt it and the passwords it containsùand then gain access to the password-protected resources. The Password List Update provides a vastly improved encryption algorithm that is significantly harder to decrypt than the previous encryption method.

If you have installed Windows 95 Service Pack 1 and you choose to save passwords for a password-protected resource, such as a network drive, a section of your password cache file (.PWL file) may become corrupted causing any passwords cached in that section of the file to be lost, and making it impossible to cache further passwords in that section of the file. This Update resolves this problem.

If the user uses an application which attempts to remove passwords from the password cache, this component is necessary to avoid corruption of the .PWL file and possible system crashes.

Anyone who has installed or will install Windows 95 Service Pack 1 and uses an application which attempts to remove passwords from the password cache should install this Update after installing the Service Pack. Dial-Up Networking is an example of an application that may attempt to remove a password from the password cache.