If you ever needed a reason to go Linux, here you go. The noise surrounding this patently obscure Windows XP bug / patch fiasco has just reached a fever pitch, and now we've got engineers within Redmond scratching their heads, too. As the story goes, Microsoft recently patched a security hole that took care of an
antediluvian DOS vulnerability, and in doing so, some users
began to see BSODs and endless reboots. Today, we've learned that the patch has been yanked, and Microsoft is suggesting that malware is to blame. But here's the skinny -- the patch simply disturbed the malware, which called a specific kernel code that directs your PC to keel over; in other words,
any application that calls that same code could theoretically leave your machine in dire straits. And that, friends, probably explains the software giant's following quote:
"In our continuing investigation in to the restart issues related to MS10-015 that a limited number of customers are experiencing, we have determined that malware on the system can cause the behavior. We are not yet ruling out other potential causes at this time and are still investigating."
Rock, meet hard place.
posted February 13th 2010 12:33AM
lol is all I have to say.
@B3astofthe3ast
this is actually a conspiracy. some dude 20 years back put it into the dos system quietly, never triggering it until now!
@B3astofthe3ast
Sorry I don't get it... What does "yanked" means in english ?
I would please the engadget writers, authors or what ever.. to write in plain english so readers can actually understand them.
*You can Mark me as an international (non American) troll.*
どうもありがとう
@Blastar "yanked" isn't exactly an uncommon word. If you want less informal english, stop reading blogs and go back to the BBC World Service. The informal and less needlessly stodgy english is one of the reasons I prefer blogs. Plus in this case it's actually more expressive since it implies it was pulled with more haste than just "pulled" or "redacted".
yank |jaŋk| informal
verb [ trans. ]
pull with a jerk : her hair was yanked, and she screamed | [ trans. ] he yanked her to her feet | [ intrans. ] Liz yanked at her arm.
@Blastar
Yanked, as in 'pulled out'.
If someone pulls a stick of RAM out of a computer, then it could be put as 'yanking the RAM out of the computer'.
@B3astofthe3ast
This would be an ideal way for MS to ensure that people upgrade from XP to 7. Conspiracy?
@kalleboo Not only are you looking like a typical arrogant American that most of the world hates us for, but you didn't even give a relevant definition. Why not use it in a (relevant) sentence, such as the other posters did?
@Blastar "Sorry I don't get it... What does "yanked" means in english ?" It means to masturbate furiously.
@Ducman69
That's European English, not American English.
@XIYL I'm English English, and I have never used it in that way. To me, yank means to pull in a jerking motion.
@Denji
Unlike the other poster who was 'arrogant' too in visiting an American site using American expression. Give me break. Some folks just hate Americans because we're better than them! Lol.
@B3astofthe3ast How do you know if your computer is pwned/bot? I'm running XP on an old HP.
@RitchieTheBrit
Really ? "Yank" to me is just the way I call my New York born brother in law.
@Musicman247
Has anyone confirmed that the same bug did not make its way into Windows 7? What we can all learn from this is not to let Windows automatically reboot our system to install the latest critical update. Wait at least a couple of days before taking action.
@RitchieTheBrit
couldn't it also mean in Brit speak: to be taken advantage of by a Yank?
How... do they release these patches without discovering the implications in testing?
@Decoy
Because the only ones affected are the machines which have previously been infected with a specific form of malware. The malware modifies the kernel's files, and when the patch is applied the malware-infected code keels over and causes the machine to BSOD.
Presumably Microsoft don't keep malware-infested Windows XP machines around to test compatibility with.
@Decoy
I don't know what software testing you have been part of, but in my experience, we don't put malware on our machines purposely before we start testing things.
@Decoy
you just earned yourself a "Stupid lives here" tag on your forehead mister.
Cheers, I suppose I am stupid for not realising that the malware had nothing to do with the vulnerability.
@Decoy Because ostensibly Microsoft doesn't have computers that are rooted to test on?
Don't sweat the asswipes giving you a hard time. Some people have nothing better to do than troll the forums looking for someone to make fun of.
@CJ100570
No.. they're right - I totally misunderstood the problem, griped about it, and have been downranked to oblivion.
In order to have nice things we need to be able to admit our mistakes.
In this case, Microsoft couldn't be expected to predict what might happen on an infected system - I thought the patch was -related- to the malware, and got annoyed - and here we are. :)
@Decoy
I
@Decoy
...heart you.
Won't let me do "
@DcMeese
That might be the lesser-than symbol you wanted? Their comment system is probably stripping 'special' characters used in html. <
@Decoy
Yes, Indeed. I was attempting to say, "I heart you". But with the special touch of a less-than-three.
I was commending you on you're humility. ;)
@Decoy In order to have nice things we need to be able to admit our mistakes. You sir win the internet in a non sarcastic way.
@Decoy
Yeah I can see how you made that assumption. This article and the previous one are particularly anti-MS and make it seem like it's their fault that people have malware. Typical engadget.
I guess maybe more people should use virus scanners?
DUH!
@Decoy
You don't see a lot of comments like this around here :D
@Decoy
Our Windows XP computer was affected and it had an updated version of Norton Internet Security with no reported virus. Microsoft has stated that there may be other causes not related to virus infection.
@Decoy
I dunno. How long has this issue been around?
The idea that they don't have the means to test it or that they couldn't foresee this is nonsense. The fact that there are plenty of people willing to make excuses for them doesn't really matter. They have to consider the conditions under which their stuff will actually be used, not some ideal that's out of touch with reality.
This sort of self-serving wishful thinking gets people killed in more serious types of engineering.
Reading this from Firefox in Xubuntu, Lol
@loismustdie
Reading this from IE8 with Windows, Lol
@MrDiSante
**Windows 7. God damn Engadget, add a comment editing system or at least force a preview like DailyTech. Also, make sure that voting up+down is an asynchronous call in IE (I'm guessing that's what it's supposed to be).
@loismustdie
Reading this from Firefox in Windows, Lol
@loismustdie
Reading from Opera on win7 x64 LOL
@MrDiSante
I would do anything engadget wanted if they would just fix how the comment block looked in IE8. I'm not asking for IE6 compatibility, but over 1/4 of all internet users use IE8 at this point. We often don't have a choice of what browser to use and it would be nice if the big 4 were covered (IE8, Firefox, Safari, Chrome in order of market share).
@Delta
how does it look to you? it looked fine to me, I just fired up IE8 to check it out and IMO it looked better than in firefox.
I'm using firefox because I wanted to check out the 3.6 for a month and so far I'm missing IE8....I love that I can see all my tabs at a glance in windows 7 using IE8. firefox doesn't use Windows 7's SuperBar quite well.
@lennie22
You could try 'about:config' and setting 'browser.taskbar.previews.enable' to true to get the preview in the new taskbar.
@loismustdie Safari on an iPhone haha.
@Decoy
thanks for that one.
@Delta Seriously, Engadget fix the site for IE8, this is taking way too long.
@loismustdie
Reading this from Google Chrome on Windows XP lol.
@loismustdie Reading this from Opera in win7 and greeting the people in dumbfvckistan.
Reading this... LOL
@loismustdie
Reading this from a notepad.
Before work I always wake up early, jot down all Engadget's comments so I can read them on the bus.
@Jamesy
LOL
I want to be your friend.
@loismustdie
Reading this from IE6 on Windows ME lol
@loismustdie
Reading this from Chrome in Karmic, lol.