Tag: patches

Emergency Software Pack Released by Microsoft

As expected, Microsoft was able to release an Emergency Software Pack only days after the reported hacker exploitation issue which victimized thousands of websites via the Internet Explorer. The issue was not a light one to take and though it should have been discovered immediately by Microsoft, their fast action on the matter should be commended.

We have seen a lot of security issues with the Microsoft software available in the market and none was as vital as this one. Imagine over a million users using Internet Explorer each day via their workstation and you can have an idea on how critical the issue was. And to top if all, hackers, known for taking advantage of such flaws, are sure to take advantage of the situation and make life miserable for both users and website owners.

The Internet Explorer 7 Zero Day Attacks are especially dangerous because no user interaction is required for a user’s computer to become infected. Simply visiting a compromised (but otherwise legitimate) website is all that’s needed for the exploiters to install malware and spyware into a computer via the hole in the IE software.

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It is wise to be alert of these patches and perhaps frequently checking the Microsoft website or perhaps being up to date with the latest tech news is important. If you haven’t applied the update yet for Internet Explorer 7, it would be wise to do so now.

Learn Your Lesson from Past Windows Software

Everyone gets excited when there is a new operating system or software that Microsoft unveils in the market. But while most of the software that Bill Gates has introduced seem to always have bugs in them, it is quite interesting to note why the various operating systems that they unleash are always susceptible to bugs and patches.

It is understandable that operating systems are not immediately perfect once they are offered in the market. But it makes you wonder why Microsoft is always wants to distribute software that will always have its share of problems to which they should have foreseen. The answer here lies in a business aspect meaning if you are not updating your product line, your brand and image may fade fast if you don’t have another product up for release.

Knowing technology, this should always be ongoing. If you wait too long, the continuing process of product development may stand still and millions will be lost in the process.

Also, looking at the patches and service packs that Microsoft always announces, it can be seen as a form of marketing so that they can likewise keep track of who are using their products. How? Well have you ever wondered why aside from packaged service pack CD distribution, you are directed towards their site whenever patch updates are offered.

You can just imagine the load that their servers have to accommodate with practically the whole world having a Microsoft product in their home or office. But at least they know that the number of people who have bought their product are ranging from millions to billions.

Windows XP SP3 on AMD Chips Showing Problems

Applying the patches and service packs issues by Microsoft Operating Systems are usually seen to be solutions to improve and safeguard Windows users but apparently there are issues surrounding the type of processor that is in use. If you use an Intel based processors, chances are you will not be having much trouble installing and rebooting your system. The real problem really exists when AMD processors are being used and much of this lies in the configuration.

Apparently, to be able to adhere towards the proper specifications, some tweaks have to be done to the main processor of AMD based units to accept the new add-ons and patches offered periodically. Normally, you will have issue after applying the updated patches and this becomes a cause for consideration on whether people should install the service packs or not.

Ideally, installing these patches is a good way to be able to safeguard your computer from threats around the web. But in some cases like this AMD issue, it would be best to be open to proper installation and compatibility issues. In short, as a user you should be able to research and find proper troubleshooting tips so that you can avoid messing up your current system rather than improving it.

There are several issues that can cause a Windows XP computer to not reboot properly after installing Service Pack 3. Most of them affect relatively specific configurations, and most appear to have relatively simple work-arounds. Please: do not do anything rash. I have seen a lot of reports of people who reformat and reinstall when they run into this problem, losing all their data in the process.

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