Microsoft Patches: Good News/Bad News
~~Mike Baynes, MikesWhatsNews
As you are probably all aware, Microsoft's
Windows XP is the latest and greatest Windows program from Microsoft.
In their efforts to maintain the security of XP, Microsoft frequently
issues Critical Updates and patches That's the good news.
Unfortunately, sometimes the patches can cause unforeseen problems and
that's the bad news.
Most recently Microsoft issued the "Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-013"
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-013.asp
"Buffer Overrun in Windows Kernel Message Handling could Lead to Elevated
Privileges (811493)"
Originally posted: April 16, 2003 Updated: April 25, 2003and
http://www.microsoft.com/security/security_bulletins/ms03-013.asp
The installation of the patch resulted in a slowdown of many XP systems
after it was installed, which was reported in many of the online news
reports:
Microsoft Security Patch Slows XP Systems
http://www.microsoft-watch.com/article2/0,,1037305,00.asp
By Mary Jo Foley Monday, April 21, 2003, who says "Microsoft is said to be
looking into a fix to its kernel buffer overrun remedy."
See also:
Latest Windows XP Patch Slows PCs
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,110385,00.asp
Joris Evers, IDG News Service Tuesday, April 22, 2003, who says "Microsoft
works to repair bug in bug fix...Microsoft's latest security patch can cause
computers running Windows XP to slow down to a crawl, affected users say.
Windows XP can take up to ten seconds to start an application after
installation of the patch released last Wednesday with security bulletin
MS03-013, say some users. The complaint is echoed in dozens of postings on
several online discussion boards. Removing the patch brings system speed
back to normal, according to these users."
There is more to both of these articles on their respective pages.
The problem can be cured in most cases by removing the patch.
- Click on Start> Settings> Control Panel> Add and Remove Programs
- Scroll down the list. Near the bottom of the list of programs is the
installed patch: Windows updates 4-16-2003 Windows XP Hotfix (sp1) Q811493
File size 18 MB.
- Click Remove
- You will be prompted to reboot the computer to finish the uninstall.
You should be able to install the program again if you save the download
to a specified location. Then shut down your Anti-Virus program and
install it.
Although it is frustrating to experience problems like this and earlier
problems with XPSP1, we are fortunate that the problems are made public and
solutions or alternatives to the problems are found.
I still download the security patches as they come out. I do, however,
always set a Restore Point before installing any update, download, or patch,
whether it be an Anti-Virus update or a security patch.
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