Thanks Fotix...SEATTLE, May 27 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. said on Tuesday it has withdrawn a security update for its Windows XP software after discovering that it switched off Internet connections for some of the 600,000 users who downloaded and installed it.
The update, a small software addition that is used to fix and add features to existing software programs, was originally aimed at improving the security of Internet connections. But after releasing the update on May 21, Microsoft discovered it was incompatible with other security firewall software used to protect home computers from attacks over the Internet.
That shut down Internet connections for some of the users who had other security software already installed on their computers. Microsoft said those users were not at risk of a security breach and did not experience widespread system crashes. Removing the software update would restore the Internet connection, Microsoft said. A new update was being prepared, it said.
Update: Microsoft hs confirmed that its Q818043 thats the probem
View: The full story @ Forbes.com
News source: Neowin BPN Forum
The update, a small software addition that is used to fix and add features to existing software programs, was originally aimed at improving the security of Internet connections. But after releasing the update on May 21, Microsoft discovered it was incompatible with other security firewall software used to protect home computers from attacks over the Internet.
That shut down Internet connections for some of the users who had other security software already installed on their computers. Microsoft said those users were not at risk of a security breach and did not experience widespread system crashes. Removing the software update would restore the Internet connection, Microsoft said. A new update was being prepared, it said.
Update: Microsoft hs confirmed that its Q818043 thats the probem
View: The full story @ Forbes.com News source: Neowin BPN Forum
Spotters to get paid
Walker envisions spotters getting up to $10 per hour, paid by the government agencies and companies that need protecting. He wants to sell USHomeGuard to the federal government for $1, then charge fees to run the system.
Critics dismiss USHomeGuard as a doomed scheme that exploits September 11 paranoia. Others question the effectiveness of a security system built on the Internet -- itself vulnerable to hackers, power outages and congestion.
And you just know the peeps affected aren't reading this
me: "hi, I'm calling from work since my phone at home doesn't work"
phone co: "ok, we'll send out a tech to your place tomorrow. he'll call you before he gets there to make sure you're home"
And yet, coming from Microsoft, no one is surprised.
Plus, this is Microsoft, fixing a problem with a MICROSOFT product.. when they issue the patch, it causes a problem with 3rd party stuff.. that is not MS's responsibility.. because that means there is a coding error in the 3rd party software.
What MS did was fix a problem that made their stuff not run completely compliant with standards, and when they fixed it to work for the standard the 3rd party software broke the connection.. that means the 3rd party software does not run on the standard either.
If anything we should be happy the Microsoft still issues patches for their software since they don't legally have to.. and since it is definately not cost effective to devote your employees to working on something they can't sell.. but instead is given away for free.
ok frankly i don't see how this escaped MS. if you are releasing a patch that has anything to do with firewall stuff, i would have thought they would have tested it with at least norton firewall etc...
either way, IMO all this shows is how hard it is for MS to do anything. basically i figure that the norton (and others) software was so dependant on 1 part of windows that when MS changed it, they ended up "breaking" the internet connection. not everybody is effected by this, because i have the update and obviously i have an internet connection, but not any 3rd party stuff.
in conclusion (lol) i do feel that maybe there should have been more testing, if there wasn't some already, but this just illustrates how hard it is for MS to make changes without stepping on somebodies toes.
However, your "These 'additional security firewall programs' aren't a standard feature of the operating system, so of course it could be overlooked" is the wrong attitude I think. They are a very large company with a lot of resources and thousands of available beta testers. Before they release something, it is their responsibility to make sure the proper testing of their patch is done in real world conditions (ie: not just testing on a freshly formatted XP machine).
oh and the system I am currently on isn't affected, lucky
- CONNECTION LOST -
- WIT LOST -
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