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Microsoft Update Feature Locks Up User PCs
May 11, 2007 7:51 p.m. EST
Geoffrey Ramos - AHN Staff Writer
Redmond, WA (AHN) - A Microsoft update that was intended to fix flaws in the software company's products kept users from using their computers because of a long-standing bug in the update system itself.
Shortly after releasing seven security updates on Tuesday, Microsoft support boards was flooded by angry users complaining that their computers had locked up because of a bug in the Windows Server Update Services (WSUS). Until Friday, some users were still having problems.
The problem, which has plagued Microsoft users for months, causes the Windows Automatic Update feature to lock up. A component of the software, svchost.exe, eats up 100% of the computer's resources, during the update and renders the entire system unusable. Users need to reboot to get their computers running again.
A fix was released by Microsoft on Thursday. The hotfix can be downloaded and installed manually on Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 systems. The patch will be available as part of the Microsoft Update bulletin late this month or in June.
To completely fix the bug, users are urged to download and install a new stand-alone WSUS version 3.0 client.
"It's important to keep in mind that the new WSUS client is only a partial solution and clients must have both KB927891 and the new 3.0 client installed for a full solution," the WSUS team said in its blog.
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