Microsoft has pushed out its first patch for the Windows 7 public beta. The update saves your MP3s from a rather nasty bug that trims seconds off any song that's been edited, either by you or via automatic updates from Windows Media Player. If you've got afflicted files, there's a chance they're salvageable via properties window, according to the patch notes -- and if not, then here's hoping you backed up your library. Additionally, a new update has gone out to Windows 2000, XP, Vista, and Server 2003 / 2008 that fixes some vulnerabilities in the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol. Beta users won't get their fix until the next public release, explains Microsoft Security Response Team's Christopher Budd, since it's only considered a "moderate" risk for the new OS.
Read - Microsoft issues first Windows 7 beta patch
Read - Patch notes / how to fix afflicted MP3s
Read - Security update
posted Jan 14th 2009 at 7:25AM
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Verythrax @ Jan 14th 2009 7:36AM
"since it's only considered a "moderate" risk for the new OS."
read: it's beta, deal with it.
Paul Chapel @ Jan 14th 2009 8:42AM
I'm glad the word is finally getting out. I've been telling all my friends to please not load their MP3s on Windows 7 and at least one of them did it anyway, the idiot.
zioncat @ Jan 14th 2009 9:40AM
Why exactly would you load your music or a lot of programs onto a beta. Back it up people.
Mark @ Jan 14th 2009 9:57AM
@Samboini: that's a little harsh, seemed like a perfectly reasonable comment to me, yours on the other hand was both offensive and completely irrelevant to the topic at hand, so i propose it is you that goes forth and procreates.
Jash Sayani @ Jan 14th 2009 10:19AM
@Zioncat: You are absolutely right... Why load all apps and music on the beta?
I am dual-booting with XP on my Aspire one. So I can access all my data from C drive.
And as of the apps, I just portable apps, so I don't have to install them.... And the music, netbooks are not meant for it so I use my iPod....
OneLove @ Jan 14th 2009 11:24AM
FIX UAC! If I say a program is OK, don't ask me again on reboot. Also sidebar doesn't work with UAC off.
TheAxMan @ Jan 14th 2009 9:28PM
@ Paul Chapel:
Do you hit F5 all the time, every day waiting for an MS-related story to pop up so you can say something negative? Is that how sad your life is?
CJ @ Jan 14th 2009 7:36AM
You know, for a Beta, this is getting pretty full-on
Imagine how good it's going to be when you have to PAY for it?
216 @ Jan 14th 2009 7:43AM
I'm willing to pay for it (it'd be real nice if they had something like what they have with Office, where you pay for 3 Licenses)
Verythrax @ Jan 14th 2009 7:48AM
Yeah, I'm not bitching, just stating a fact ;)
Why should they hurry for a fix for a beta product? They don owe us a fix, they'll do when they want.
CJ @ Jan 14th 2009 7:52AM
Er... Yeah, I wasn't replying to you.
But fair enough.
jakem @ Jan 14th 2009 7:53AM
They do need to fix bugs like this if they want people to thoroughly test their software. Nobody will test an OS that corrupts their data will they.
pball_inuyaha @ Jan 14th 2009 8:18AM
anyone who realizes this is a beta should either use a dedicated test computer or setup, or backup everything regularly if they put anything important on that computer.
I can't wait to get this on my secondary computer to play with some.
Angus Hedger @ Jan 14th 2009 8:35AM
I ran win7 on a 2nd HDD for a week, i had NO problems, now its my main OS, no vista install, but it doesn't matter to much to me, all my data is kept on another HDD, if the OS dies, all i lose is the install and maybe some stuff that doesn't matter.
Sircolby45 @ Jan 14th 2009 9:16AM
Personally I would pay for it right now! I just wish it could be updated to the new version without having to wipe it first.
Hackettman @ Jan 14th 2009 10:19AM
I think they realize the early issues with vista and are trying to make amends. And its smarter to give them a taste because when it comes to launch alot more people will buy the totally stable and sealed in plastic release.....
jcdenton @ Jan 14th 2009 7:45AM
I can't wait for a stable release, I am sick of Windows XP :)
jakem @ Jan 14th 2009 7:54AM
You didn't have to stick with XP. Vista is perfectly stable.
jcdenton @ Jan 14th 2009 8:12AM
I tend to disagree
Mobius_1 @ Jan 14th 2009 8:25AM
Vista's still got some issues, like all goes crap after sleep and then waking it, registry bloat after using it for some time that slows just about everything, and being quite resource intensive, although not that much of a problem with a modern pc.
Mark Anderson @ Jan 14th 2009 8:44AM
What problems after sleep? It was rubbish before SP1 but seems to be OK now.
As for registry bloat, that's more down to craptastic third party software that doesn't unisntall properly. CCleaner and other apps will sort that out.
MioTheGreat @ Jan 14th 2009 10:16AM
'registry bloat'?
Do you even understand what the registry is or how it works? Particularly with the virtualization schemes that Vista uses, the registry is unbelievably resilient against 'bloat' impacting performance on any perceivable level.
Dirk @ Jan 14th 2009 10:30AM
Vista is certainly a worthwhile upgrade if you can afford a new computer that can handle it. However, Mobius has a valid point if you are looking for a PC with Vista. The bloat after a day of running is ridiculous and it forces to me restart my PC everyday since it only has 3Gb of RAM and Vista quickly eats that up in a 24 hour period. With that said, I greatly prefer Vista over XP (which I run on my laptop, but is now dual booting with Win7 and will not be used until August)
d840 @ Jan 14th 2009 11:22AM
OK, first of all, despite what all these "registry cleaner" companies want you to think, "registry bloat" has never been shown to have ANY impact on a computer's performance.
As for the sleep thing: I leave vista running for weeks at a time, often putting it to sleep when I leave for a significant amount of time. EVENTUALLY, and I mean after at least 14 sleep and wake cycles, the sound will quit working, or flash videos will only play 2 seconds at a time and then freeze. Happens to me about once a month. It doesn't really bug me very much though.
Other than that, vista is a perfectly stable OS on suitable hardware, and with some tweaking, people have gotten it to run fine on netbooks. Vista gets a bad rap because it had a bad start. For example, 1 out of 3 early crashes were caused by nvidia driver problems. Not exactly nvidia's fault as microsoft kept changing some APIs all the way up until release, effectively screwing over companies like nVidia who were working their asses off trying to get drivers out.
When I hear comments like Mobius_1's, all I see is a "me-too" person trying to be "trendy" for saying vista still has major issues big enough to warrant avoiding it like the plague, and that's simply not true.
FlashBroke @ Jan 14th 2009 5:50PM
My XP screensaver breaks every time I watch a flash movie. Oh the agony.
Jonathan @ Jan 14th 2009 7:46AM
That piece of code that specifies "if it's been changed, delete it" is a little much. Why would somebody sit down to write that code unless you had some sort of sinister side.
Fred @ Jan 14th 2009 8:29AM
It doesn't delete seconds off your song because it's been changed. The first seconds of the song are 'lost' because the header (containing the song info) got corrupted, not because of some sinister "it changed so we destroy it" scenario.
But feel free to perpetuate Gutman's lies and paranoia about Windows and media if you feel a need to.
Jonathan @ Jan 14th 2009 8:57AM
Thanks for the clarification. I misunderstood.
Boards of Canada @ Jan 14th 2009 9:09AM
+1 for J
Fred @ Jan 14th 2009 4:36PM
Sorry, my bad for misjudging you. Too much FUD going around about Windows.
asdfjio @ Jan 14th 2009 7:50AM
i got it running on my 300Mhz PII with 64MB of RAM.
Ed @ Jan 14th 2009 8:16AM
How many days does it take to boot?
acme @ Jan 14th 2009 8:29AM
define running...
Jash Sayani @ Jan 14th 2009 10:23AM
Good work... Does it have SuperAERO ??
Patriks7 @ Jan 14th 2009 10:57AM
You could call that jogging for fast walking at best..
Baozer @ Jan 14th 2009 8:02AM
That must be such a pain in the ass.
Dustin @ Jan 14th 2009 8:18AM
Is there a way to know or test to see if this has happened to your music? (other than just going in and listening to every track)
Beastage @ Jan 14th 2009 8:10AM
Patch is almost 7 days old .... you guys needed computer world?
smo @ Jan 14th 2009 9:09AM
it's only just been released to Windows Update...read the article...
Kris120890 @ Jan 14th 2009 8:33AM
When I started downloading the beta I got a little notification just under the key notifying me that this issue was a problem and had been fixed and if I had a problem I would need to download A bug fix and reinstall the fix again. But it stated that it had been fixed. so is this a new fix or just the old one. I downloaded the beta Friday-Sunday.
Kris120890 @ Jan 14th 2009 8:34AM
That should have been Friday-Saturday.
Matt @ Jan 14th 2009 9:03AM
Quick question. I partitioned my hard drive to dual boot with vista so I could play around with it. I didnt load any of my music onto Windows 7, but it is on the same hard drive. Does this affect me? I do have music on vista, but I didnt transfer or load it onto windows 7. This is my first beta so i'm a little new to all of this. I downloaded the beta yesterday.
Kris120890 @ Jan 14th 2009 9:11AM
Matt. I'm the same set-up and it hasn't posed a problem for me but I haven't played any music in windows 7.
Matt @ Jan 14th 2009 9:33AM
Thanks for the info. I just wont listen to my music on windows 7 until I get the patch or bug fix. I did back it up 2 days ago so I should be fine either way.
Kris120890 @ Jan 14th 2009 9:42AM
The update is out. Just need to go to windows update.
shugg @ Jan 14th 2009 12:03PM
wtf.,thought u carried ipod in left pocket n samsung glide in other on sprint network.,
scape @ Jan 14th 2009 8:33AM
granted this bug is nasty, and for a market release this would be pretty bad press; not to mention why would they even program such a feature as having it edit the audio of music files to begin with is beyond me-- but..."If you've got afflicted files, there's a chance they're salvageable via properties window, according to the patch notes -- and if not, then here's hoping you backed up your library", who on earth would place their non-backed up music library onto a beta build?
Kris120890 @ Jan 14th 2009 8:36AM
There is quite a few stupid people out there who don't understand what a beta build is. People like Paul chapel.
willyboy @ Jan 14th 2009 10:03AM
There 'are' quite a few people out there. Of course, I see what you did there. '-'
Kevin @ Jan 14th 2009 8:54AM
Some patch recently allowed my old laptop to use Aero. It was a nice surprise, since I didn't really plan to attempt to make it work.