[Merged] Microsoft Security Updates
 

Early warning that July is going to be a busy month! ;)

On 13 July 2004 the Microsoft Security Response Center is planning to release:
- 7 Microsoft Security Bulletin affecting Microsoft Windows. The greatest maximum severity rating for these security updates is Critical. Some of these security updates will require a restart. At this time no additional information on these bulletins such as details regarding severity or details regarding the vulnerability will be made available until 13 July 2004.

Re: Microsoft Security Updates
 

Got news for you,
They are already released. At least this morning I got them in automatic update. Taking a long time to download too.

Re: Microsoft Security Updates
 

It's been a long time but there is a critical update for Windows Me.


Incog. :)

Re: Microsoft Security Updates
 

Windows ME :disturbd: Just did my mum's laptop and there were a few driver updates. I always worry that the damn thing won't come back up :(

<goes off to run Windows Update>

Re: Microsoft Security Updates
 

Updates:
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Re: Microsoft Security Updates
 

Oops they did it again! :mad:

Re: Microsoft Security Updates
 

They've even had to bug fix a bug fix because they messed up.

Re: Microsoft Security Updates
 

My Windows 98SE machine has also received critical updates.

I thought Microsoft had stopped supporting W98.

Re: Microsoft Security Updates
 

I can't beleive Windows has so many bugs in it, I know I had to download 130mb's worth of updates when I got linux but they were mostly adding things into the software, not many fixing bugs etc :erm:

Microsoft need to get there software sorted is all I have to say.

Re: Microsoft Security Updates
 

I don't think Windows has any more or fewer bugs than any software. We were taught at Uni that IBM (who have done a lot of work on bug-tracking systems) found that, on average, there was 1 bug for every 1000 lines of code. They tested software written for all operating systems (including Linux).

Another way of looking at it is that somewhere around 95% of the worlds PC's use Windows. This means there are more hackers looking for faults. Of course more bugs will show up.

At least Microsoft are regularly releasing patches.

Re: Microsoft Security Updates
 

Yes, but most people *fix* the bugs in Beta Testing instead of *releasing* what is effectively a Beta Test version and letting the users unwittingly find out the problems...! :mad:

Re: Microsoft Security Updates
 

Averages are very good at disguising the real offenders. If the average is one buggy line per 1,000, then one company may produce one every 500 while another, just one every 1,500. The average is still 1 every 1,000 but one company produces three times as many bugs as the other.

Re: Microsoft Security Updates
 

You can beta test software for as long as you like, and as thoroughly. There will still be bugs that slip through the net though (for instance, IIRC, Windows 2000 was in beta testing for over a year)

That is true, and being an average it must be taken as such. I was actually trying to make the point that there are bugs in ALL software, and Microsoft do at least correct some of them..

Having said that, I am sure that there are still bugs within Windows, as much as I am sure there are bugs within Mac OS, Solaris, Linux, Free BSD & any other Operating System you care to name.

Re: Microsoft Security Updates
 

All bugs are not created equal, either, nor do they have equal effect - critical code should be subject to much greater testing and review than areas where a "bug" may be more noticeable (eg. a menu option missing/malfunctioning) but less crucial in the wider scale of things - Microsoft do not seem to be very proactive in searching for vulnerablities, or the initial quality of code left a lot to be desired.

Re: Microsoft Security Updates
 

You're forgetting that Microsoft Beta tested Windows for years (Windows 3.1, 95, 98...) before releasing a production version (XP). Okay it's still riddled with bugs and security holes you can drive a bus through but hey - Microsoft made the effort. Surely that counts? And you only have to look at how many customers, I mean Beta testers, Microsoft has to see how dedicated it is to producing quality software.

:p: