Microsoft fails its customers after a bad patch.

On the whole, Windows Update seems to work very well. Although I don't use Linux much, my experiences with Windows and Microsoft Update have been much more positive than those with equivalent software on Linux.
The last time I had significant problems with Windows Update, which occurred with multiple PCs, I used Microsoft's free tech support. Their problem submission system uploaded relevant files to them, a person looked them over and I soon given a workaround for the problem. All for free.
I say this as background, I have no axe to grind with Microsoft.

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I say this as background, I have no axe to grind with Microsoft.

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Hi everyone,
I am writing to let you know that we are aware that after installing the February security updates a limited number of users are experiencing issues restarting their computers. Our initial analysis suggests that the issue occurs after installing MS10-015 (KB977165). However, we have not confirmed that the issue is specific to MS10-015 or if it is an interoperability problem with another component or third-party software. Our teams are working to resolve this as quickly as possible. We also stopped offering this update through Windows Update as soon as we discovered the restart issues. However, those using enterprise deployment systems such as SMS or WSUS will still see and be able to deploy these packages.

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Update - Restart Issues After Installing MS10-015 and the Alureon Rootkit

Hi,
We wanted to provide you with an update on our ongoing investigation into the “blue screen” issues affecting a limited number of customers who installed MS10-015. We have been working around the clock with our customers, partners and several teams at Microsoft to determine the cause of these issues. Our investigation has concluded that the reboot occurs because the system is infected with malware, specifically the Alureon rootkit. We were able to reach this conclusion after the comprehensive analysis of memory dumps obtained from multiple customer machines and extensive testing against third party applications and software. The restarts are the result of modifications the Alureon rootkit makes to Windows Kernel binaries, which places these systems in an unstable state. In every investigated incident, we have not found quality issues with security update MS10-015. Our guidance remains the same: customers should continue to deploy this month’s security updates and make sure their systems are up-to-date with the latest anti-virus software.

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stormy13 said:

Just a wee update to this,

The Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) : Update - Restart Issues After Installing MS10-015 and the Alureon Rootkit

Update - Restart Issues After Installing MS10-015 and the Alureon Rootkit

Hi,
We wanted to provide you with an update on our ongoing investigation into the “blue screen” issues affecting a limited number of customers who installed MS10-015. We have been working around the clock with our customers, partners and several teams at Microsoft to determine the cause of these issues. Our investigation has concluded that the reboot occurs because the system is infected with malware, specifically the Alureon rootkit. We were able to reach this conclusion after the comprehensive analysis of memory dumps obtained from multiple customer machines and extensive testing against third party applications and software. The restarts are the result of modifications the Alureon rootkit makes to Windows Kernel binaries, which places these systems in an unstable state. In every investigated incident, we have not found quality issues with security update MS10-015. Our guidance remains the same: customers should continue to deploy this month’s security updates and make sure their systems are up-to-date with the latest anti-virus software.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...