Microsoft Patches its XP Patch

A free tool repairs PCs impaired by the XP SP3 update and a conflict with Symantec's software.


Microsoft Patches its XP Patch

Nearly three weeks after security vendor Symantec Corp. released a free tool to clean up PCs crippled by the Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) update, Microsoft Corp. issued a fix that should reestablish lost Internet and wireless connections.

Last week, Microsoft posted a hotfix for a problem users first reported in mid-May. Users of Symantec's consumer security software said that after updating their PCs to XP SP3, a bug emptied Windows' Device Driver and deleted network connections.

Although Symantec initially blamed Microsoft for the snafu, it later accepted some responsibility. In late May, Symantec acknowledged that Microsoft's updating process and a security feature in its own Norton-branded software combined to swamp the Windows registry with hundreds, sometimes thousands, of bogus and corrupted keys. That security feature, dubbed "SymProtect" by Symantec, was designed to protect the company's security software from attack by guarding against unauthorized changes to the registry.

Although Microsoft had previously declined to comment on the episode, the support document that accompanied the hotfix fingered Symantec's software. "This problem occurs when the Fixccs.exe process is called during the Windows XP SP3 installation," said Microsoft. "This process creates some intermediate registry subkeys, and it later deletes these subkeys. In some cases, some anti-virus applications may not let the Fixccs.exe process delete these intermediate registry subkeys."

The hotfix replaces the Fixccs.exe file with an updated version, but it can only be applied if the user has booted into Windows' Safe Mode, according to the support document.

Symantec has contended that other security software with registry-change monitoring defenses also caused similar problems for users updating to Windows XP SP3, but there have been few reports logged to Microsoft's support forums. Microsoft, however, intimated that Symantec might not be alone when it used the generic, and plural, "some antivirus applications" in its explanatory document.

Users can download the hotfix from the Microsoft site.

Microsoft has not yet begun serving up Windows XP SP3 via Windows Update's Automatic Updates feature, and conceivably could prevent machines that have specific security programs installed from receiving the update. It's already done exactly that by blocking other systems, notably those running AMD processors, from getting XP SP3 to sidestep an endless reboot bug.

Microsoft Clarifies XP SP 3 Flash Issue

Amid concerns that users of its Window XP SP 3 may be vulnerable to online attacks, Microsoft has finally explained XP users need to upgrade Adobe Flash Player


Microsoft Clarifies XP SP 3 Flash Issue

Amid concerns that users of its Window XP Service Pack 3 operating system may be vulnerable to online attacks, Microsoft has finally broken its silence and explained which XP users need to upgrade their Adobe Flash Player software.

The confusion started Monday, when handlers at the Internet Storm Center pointed out that Microsoft had quietly noted that the recent XP SP 3 was vulnerable to five Flash bugs patched in November 2006. Some took this to mean that if an XP system was updated to Service Pack 3, it would somehow wind up with an older, buggy, version of the Flash Player.

Microsoft originally declined to comment on the matter, but on Tuesday it reconsidered and said that this is not the case.

"Microsoft does not ship any version of Flash in the Windows XP Service Pack 3 update that customers use to update existing SP2 machines," the company said in a statement.

However some people who build new XP systems using SP3 will need to update their software. "A new system built using a copy of Windows XP with SP3 integrated will install the original Flash 6 that shipped with Windows XP Gold and will need MS06-069 installed from Windows Update," Microsoft said.

They should, however, be running the latest version of the player, 9.0.124.0, which includes bug fixes that protect against an attack currently being used by criminals.

Just last week Symantec mistakenly reported that attackers had discovered an unpatched zero-day flaw in the Flash Player. The bug turned out to be something patched in April, but nevertheless, it is being exploited in a fairly widespread attack, so having a vulnerable version of Flash is a dangerous proposition.

But that incident, combined with Microsoft's initial silence on the XP SP 3 issue, has made things tough for Windows users, said Susan Bradley, a Windows blogger who is chief technology officer with Tamiyasu, Smith, Horn and Braun, Accountancy Corp. "It is very confusing," she said. "First we were really freaking out because we thought we had a zero-day," she said, "Now we've got this bulletin that says if you apply this, you're [in trouble]."

Users can find out if their PCs are running the latest version of the player by checking with this Adobe Web site.

ODF Wins the Office Document Format War?

Office 2007 Service Pack 2 will bring improved XML support to the office suite -- but it will be ODF, and not Microsoft's own format.


ODF Wins the Office Document Format War?

Good news for those of you who have been following the XML office document standards battle. Microsoft today announced that Office 2007 will support ODF (Open Document Format), the document standard used by OpenOffice.org and other open source productivity suites, with the release of Microsoft Office 2007 Service Pack 2, due sometime in early 2009.

Even more surprising, however, was the corollary to the announcement. While the Office programmer bees are busy buzzing away at ODF, OOXML (Office Open XML) is being put on the back burner. Don't expect Office to support a fully ISO-compliant version of OOXML until the next major release of the suite, currently codenamed Office 14, release date unknown.

Exactly why Microsoft is backpedaling its support for OOXML is not known. But open standards maven Andy Updegrove blogs that it may have something to do with Microsoft's current regulatory troubles in Europe and with the standards bodies that now govern OOXML. It appears likely that Microsoft actually can't implement a fully-compliant version of the standard just yet.

Instead, according to reports, users of Office 2007 Service Pack 2 will have the option to make ODF the default file format for word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation documents, the same way they can choose Office 2003 or several other formats. Office users can already import and export ODF files using third-party filters, but it doesn't make sense when only a small number of users have installed the filters or even know that they exist. Having support for ODF "baked in" to the Office suite will mean that everyone will be able to save and access these files with no extra effort.

Any way you slice it, this is a big step toward shaking off Microsoft's dominance of the office software market and ensuring that we can all preserve our files for years to come.

XP SP3 Good to Go

Windows XP Service Pack 3 is now available for download from Microsoft's Download Center, and is also being released via Windows Update.


Windows XP SP3 Available for Download

Microsoft released the third service pack for Windows XP on Tuesday to the Web after last week delaying its scheduled release because of an incompatibility with one of its other software applications. It also resumed automatic distribution of Windows Vista, Service Pack 1 (SP1), which had been halted because of a similar problem.

Windows XP SP3 is now available through Windows Update and also on the Microsoft Download Center. Microsoft had expected to release the software on April 29; however, it discovered it conflicted with an application called Microsoft Dynamics RMS. The problem also affected Windows Vista SP1. Dynamics RMS is a retail-chain-management software for small and midsized businesses.

In announcing the release of SP3 for XP, Microsoft said it had addressed this problem by deploying a Windows Update filter that would keep the service packs from being offered to customers who use Microsoft Dynamics RMS, and advised these users to contact Microsoft's support services for more information.

Microsoft has also resumed automatic distribution of Vista SP1, which was suspended following discovery of the RMS incompatibility.

Microsoft still is not offering either service pack to Microsoft Dynamics RMS customers, having put in place a filter on Windows Update to prevent distribution to those customers. The company is still working on a fix it expects to have available later this month, it said.

Microsoft still recommends that Dynamics RMS customers running Windows XP SP3 or Windows Vista SP1 contact their Microsoft Customer Support Services for more information.

Microsoft Learns From Itself

Microsoft has delayed the release of the Windows XP Service Pack 3 indefinitely and Microsoft deserves a little credit for doing so.

Microsoft Learns From Itself By Delaying XP SP3

The third service pack was expected to be available to the consumers earlier this week, but that release has been suspended indefinitely due to flaws with Windows Dynamics Retail Management System.

Microsoft deserves some recognition, sarcastic or not, because this delay has proven that Microsoft is learning from its prior mistakes. Microsoft pushed Vista out the doors far too soon and has paid the price with a plethora of bad public relations, and now the software giant is making the right decisions ensuring that kind of a catastrophe doesn't happen again.

When SP3 is finally made available to the masses, it will hopefully come without a problem in the world, which will be a nicety for Microsoft, who has been known for not being able to handle software releases in the recent years.

Windows XP SP3 Delayed

Microsoft has delayed the release of a third service pack for Windows XP, blaming a "compatibility issue" between the software and a retail-chain-management application.


Microsoft Delays Release of Windows XP SP3

Microsoft had said last week that it completed development on Windows XP, Service Pack 3 (SP3), and that it would be available via its software-update services on Tuesday. However, incompatibilities discovered in the past several days between an application called Microsoft Dynamics RMS and both Windows XP SP3 and Windows Vista Service Pack 1 will force the company to hold off on releasing the software. Dynamics RMS is a retail-chain-management software for small and mid-sized businesses.

Microsoft said it is putting filtering in place to prevent its Windows Update service from offering both service packs to systems running Microsoft Dynamics RMS. Once that filtering is in place, Microsoft will release Windows XP SP3 to Windows Update and Download Center for users not running the application causing the problem. The company on Tuesday did not say how long putting in filters would take.

Microsoft is recommending that Microsoft Dynamics RMS customers not install Windows XP SP3 or Windows Vista SP1. For more information, those customers should contact Microsoft Customer Support Services, the company said.


A fix to the Dynamics RMS problem is being tested and "will be available as soon as that process is complete," Microsoft said. The company did not provide a time frame for completion of the testing and recommends customers visit its TechNet Forums for more information regarding Windows XP SP3.

Windows XP's Final Service Pack

Microsoft lets everyone try Windows XP SP3 Release Candidate, available last night. However, it warns off people who are not comfortable using pre-release code.

Windows XP's Final Service Pack
Microsoft has made available the Release Candidate (RC) for Windows XP Service Pack 3. The update, available at the Microsoft Download Center, would be the last Service Pack for the six-year-old operating system.

The service pack is finally available to the public, after giving thousands of users access to the update in an invitation-only basis.

According to a company spokeswoman, the version that was released, was dubbed a 'release candidate' to note the progress from earlier betas. She was unable, however, to say when the service pack would be available to Windows Update so users can download and install it with Windows Automatic Updates.

The final version of Windows XP SP3 remains slated for delivery sometime in the first half of 2008, the spokeswoman said. She also warned off casual users from trying the preview. "As this is a release candidate, we strongly encourage only those who are comfortable installing prerelease code to download Windows XP SP3," she said.

Recently, Microsoft has been downplaying the significance of Windows XP SP3. In a white paper posted to its Web site last week, and also Tuesday, the company praised Windows Vista at XP's expense, reminding users that "Vista provides the most advanced security and management capabilities of any Windows operating system."

"Windows XP SP3 does not bring significant portions of Windows Vista functionality to Windows XP," the spokeswoman said.

According to the white paper, the Download Center version of XP SP3 will weigh in at about 580MB; the version downloaded and installed via Windows Update, however, will be much smaller, typically around 70MB.

Windows XP debuted in October 2001 and was last updated as SP2 in August 2004; SP3 will be the final major upgrade of the operating system.

Windows Genuine Disadvantage?

Thousands of Windows users went berserk after Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) system crippled their system, accusing them of conterfeit software. In Windows Vista SP 1, Vista cripples WGA.


WGA - Change or Go Away
Back in August, a glitch in Microsoft's servers for Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) accused thousands of users of counterfeit copies of Windows. Users, who paid for their software, were inconvinienced by the fact that WGA crippled their Windows machine, especially Vista. Microsoft has announced that Windows Vista SP1, shipping early next year, will end the kill-switch measure that cripples every aspect of Windows Vista except limited Web browsing if it believes you to have a pirated copy of the operating system

Windows Genuine Advantage is Microsoft's way of determining whether you have an original, genuine copy of Windows, or just a counterfeit copy. The system is installed during Automatic Updates or when you try do download a software off the Microsoft website that requires WGA validation. What it does is scan your system, mainly the product key of Windows, to generate a code that it sends over to Microsoft. If the servers in Microsoft determines your copy of Windows is counterfeit, it tells WGA to run Windows in Reduced Functionality Mode.

With Windows XP, nothing much is changed except for occasional message that your copy of Windows did not pass the WGA test, on your system tray or in the log-on screen. In Windows Vista, however, the effect is more severe. Failing the WGA test on Vista will disable key features, such as the Aero interface, ReadyBoost, and a limited time of using the computer (you are automatically logged off after an hour).

Microsoft has reduced the impact of WGA on Windows Vista users, and it does this with SP 1. It no longer disables the Aero interface or any other features. Instead, it will only annoy them with messages accusing them of piracy. It'll also change their wallpaper, and it'll give them a dialog box that makes them wait until they can postpone activation.

Killing the kill switch is a good start, since it'll reduce the chances that Vista will mistakenly prevent deny functionality to paying customers. But it doesn't represent fundamental change to WGA. In fact, Microsoft VP Mike Sievert says that "It's worth re-emphasizing that our fundamental strategy has not changed. All copies of Windows Vista still require activation and the system will continue to validate from time to time to verify that systems are activated properly."

Still, a lot of users have no confidence with Microsoft's WGA. Of course, that includes those innocent Windows users who were accused of counterfeit software when they were in fact, genuine copies. Users say that either Microsoft has to change WGA to be integrated perfectly with Windows, or better yet, make it go away.

For years, the Microsoft monopoly made it very hard for anyone to opt out of using Windows. Thanks to the resurgent Mac OS X and ever-improving Linux--neither of which are burdened with copy protection--that's no longer true. WGA remains a significant argument against choosing Windows, and will be one until it gets far more seamless or simply goes away.

Service Pack 3 Speeds XP

Microsoft has released the beta version of Windows XP to a limited number of testers just days after Windows Vista Service Pack 1 was released. Testers say SP3 speeds up Windows XP.



Service Pack 3 Boosts XP's Speed
Looks like the six-year old operating system is improving, as early testers of Windows XP SP3 reveals that it speeds up Windows XP. Microsoft has released the beta version of SP3 to a limited number of tester just days after the release of SP1 for Vista.

Devil Mountain Software tested the SP1 for Vista earlier, and claimed that Vista with SP1 is no faster than the original, unpatched version. They repeated some of the same tests on the release candidate of Windows XP SP3.

"We were pleasantly surprised to discover that Windows XP SP3 delivers a measurable performance boost to this aging desktop OS," said Craig Barth, Devil Mountain's chief technology officer, in a post to a company blog Friday.

Devil Mountain ran its OfficeBench suite of performance benchmarks on a laptop equipped with Office 2007, Microsoft's latest application suite. The notebook - the same unit used in the Vista/Vista SP1 tests earlier - featured a 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 1GB of memory. The results reported a 10% speed increase under XP SP3 when compared to SP2, the service pack released in 2004.

"Since SP3 was supposed to be mostly a bug-fix/patch consolidation release, the unexpected speed boost comes as a nice bonus," Barth said. "In fact, XP SP3 is shaping up to be a 'must-have' update for the majority of users who are still running Redmond's not-so-latest and greatest desktop OS."

According to the Office performance benchmarks, Windows XP SP3 is also considerably faster than Vista SP1. "None of this bodes well for Vista, which is now more than two times slower than the most current builds of its older sibling," said Barth.

This may be the Service Pack that could snatch away Vista's selling points. Since companies are still reluctant to upgrade to Vista, they may test out this service pack and eventually skip Windows Vista altogether if all goes well. For one thing, upgrading to Windows Vista costs money - to purchase the operating system, to upgrade the computer components to match the requirements of Vista, and to train people on how to use the new operating system. Upgrading Windows XP to Service Pack 3, is free, however. In addition, XPs performance is better than Vista, considering the application incompatibilities, and with this upgrade, it looks like XPs the clear winner.

But we can't tell for sure. Even though Microsoft extended the support for the six-year old operating system, they may come up with some scheme to force Windows XP users to upgrade to Vista.

Windows XP Service Pack 3 is scheduled to be released in the early quarter of 2008, but Microsoft said this lock is not definite, but will respond accordingly to consumer demands.

Windows XP Service Pack 3

Windows Vista's Service Pack 1 has been quite a buzz during the past few months, but Microsoft is quiet about its Service Pack 3 for Windows XP


Microsoft Quietly Readies XP SP3
Just days after Microsoft delivered the release candidate of Windows Vista's Service Pack 1, Microsoft issued a quiet release of the Windows XP SP3 beta, to about 15,000 testers, the company said.

The next major service pack, a critical fix to the six-year old operating system, will be scheduled to be released in the first half of 2008. Microsoft, however, reminded everyone that this is not definite rather an estimate. "We are targeting [the first half of] 2008 for the release of XP SP3 RTM, though our timing will always be based on customer feedback as a first priority," a company spokesperson said. RTM means release to manufacturing, and when a software is given to a publisher to be boxed and shipped to consumers.

Like Windows Vista SP1, Microsoft will at some point offer the beta version to anyone who wants to test it, the spokesman said.

Microsoft has been quiet about what will be in Windows XP SP3, and in general has been reluctant to even mention the update as it publicizes the progress of Vista SP1 in company blogs and regular communications with the press. Analysts have speculated that Microsoft, which has already made several XP-related concessions, including extending support for the aged OS and pushing the end of retail and OEM sales out five more months, wants to downplay SP3 to make sure it doesn't steal any more thunder from Windows Vista.

According to accounts published last month, XP SP3 will feature more than 1,000 hot fixes and patches that have been issued in the past three years, as well as at least four new features, some of which will be ports of Vista tools.

Windows XP Service Pack 3

Microsoft leaked out the news that Windows XP will have SP3, and possibly some features from Windows Vista

Microsoft Plans to Release Windows XP
Service Pack 3

It looks like Windows Vista isn't warming up to the audience, and still sales of Windows XP are noticeably higher than Windows Vista. In fact, several computer manufacturers like Dell are actually offering their customers a Windows XP rollback CD for systems that came with Vista preinstalled. This rollback CD allows users to install Windows XP with license in case they don't like the new Vista.

In fact, Windows XP sales are still soaring Microsoft intends to release a new Service Pack. Windows XP Service Pack 3 is still in development, and will contain several Windows XP fixes, and probably features from Windows Vista.

Clearly, Microsoft is trying to extend the life of the six-year-old operating system we know as Windows XP.

Service Pack 3 will be available in early 2008.

On other topic, Microsoft has released a Service Pack for Windows Vista, but it is sill in beta and are only available to businesses and corporate entities.