Posted on 03/25/2008 8:43:40 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Symantec, Windows users beset by Vista SP1 flaws
By Tom Espiner, ZDNet UK
Monday, March 24, 2008 10:56 AM
Security vendor Symantec has said that updated drivers to replace those adversely affected by Windows Vista Service Pack 1 are not yet available.
The company said users will have to wait for the updated drivers, which will be available "in the coming weeks". The drivers in question are for Endpoint Protection and Network Access Control, two of Symantec's flagship enterprise security products.
Microsoft released Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) to Windows Update on Tuesday. However, in the Vista team blog, Vista product manager Nick White wrote that some vendors' drivers "may be problematic after an update from Windows Vista to Windows Vista SP1". Symantec Endpoint Protection and Network Access Control clients were among the list of drivers affected by SP1.
On Thursday, Symantec said that, while it was aware of the problems SP1 had caused for its drivers and customers, updated drivers for Endpoint Protection were not yet available. Symantec made no explicit mention of Network Access Control drivers in an e-mail response to ZDNet Asia's sister site ZDNet UK.
"Symantec [is] aware of this issue and has updated the affected driver to resolve the issue," Symantec said in its e-mail statement. "The currently available version of Symantec Endpoint Protection (Maintenance Release 1) is not certified for use with Vista SP1 and could potentially be impacted by this issue. The next upcoming maintenance release of Symantec Endpoint Protection, which is currently with beta customers and due to be available for general release in the coming weeks, will be fully certified for Vista SP1 and will include an updated driver which is not impacted by this issue."
As well as vendors, some Microsoft customers were also affected by downloading SP1. In comments on Nick White's blog post, a user called "iggy23" said downloading Vista SP1 had caused a "blue screen", which can be displayed by Windows in the event of a critical system error.
"I downloaded [SP1] via Windows Update and got a blue screen on the third part of the update," wrote iggy23. "[It] took five hours to 'revert to previous'. So I downloaded the package version and tried that. Same blue screen. Same hours."
Another user experienced problems with their graphics drivers after downloading Vista SP1.
"Well, I installed Vista SP1 after seeing it on Windows Update last night," wrote the user. "In retrospect, not my finest decision. What a disaster! It exiled all of my Nvidia drivers to the Bermuda Triangle... they're simply all gone. Okay, no big deal, go to the Nvidia site, download the latest drivers, install and nada. Zip, zilch, nothing changes. The install fails... every time, without fail."
One irate Windows user claiming to be Howard Terry, a researcher at Berkeley and Stanford universities, said that university professors and students were considering a class action lawsuit if Microsoft did not resolve this problem.
"This is a very serious matter--tell someone in charge that Stanford and... Berkeley professors and students will begin a class action lawsuit very soon if this SP1 update problem is not fixed for Vista [business] users asap," wrote "drqc terry". "What have you people done to this new OS...?"
The majority of comments responding to White's blog post were positive, however.
Microsoft had not explained why it had released SP1 in the knowledge that it could break third-party drivers at the time of writing. However, a spokesperson for the company said that Microsoft would ultimately automatically push out updated drivers ahead of SP1 downloads.
"We've spent the last couple of months or so investigating the driver issues we shared back in February," said Microsoft in an e-mail. "Since then, we [have] identified a small set of device drivers that, if installed on a Windows Vista PC that is subsequently updated to SP1, may be problematic. We were pleased to find that many of the reports that caused our original concern were on pre-release builds of the service pack and were addressed by improvements made between the release candidate and final builds. Although many driver issues were addressed, there are a small number of issues around specific device drivers remaining."
"We want our customers to have the best possible experience with Windows Vista SP1, so we have configured Windows Update to initially delay offering the service pack to PCs with these identified drivers until the issues are resolved," said Microsoft.
"In order to deliver SP1 to these PCs, we worked with our partners to produce driver updates for the drivers that were reported to be problematic when updating to SP1. Updated drivers for the many of the issues found are available on Windows Update as 'optional' updates today. Ultimately, we will be using Windows Update to automatically deliver these updated drivers to PCs in advance of offering them SP1," added the software giant.
"We continue to work with partners to produce resolutions for several other issues," Microsoft said.
Did you quit selling Macs because they fired your sorry butt? That would explain you rabid support of MS...
Why do you not consider the operating systems released by Microsoft to not be ‘real’?
I believe that the US Government does have access to the Windows source code repository.
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/jan06/01-25EUSourceCodePR.mspx
Hey! Welcome to FR!
I think the press was stupid enough to believe MS's "product release announcements".
And, if memory serves, that was the birth of Vapor Ware.
Might want to to tell the DoD that that windows source license they have isn’t real.
Of course not, we all switched to PC’s and most everyone is still using them today. More customizable and affordable, but I still recommend Apple for those who want something different, or Sun Solaris if you want something for big iron. Great American products, yet some get in a tizzy I won’t support their foreign born Linux clone for some reason.
I use both Wintel and Mac.
The Mac lets me concentrate on my work.
The Wintel box forces me to concentrate on the tool.
All your customers switched to PC's?
Color me slightly skeptical.
That should get you started. I have dozens more.
The industry trueism:
Microsoft Windows x64: 64 bit rewrite of a 32 bit extension and graphical shell for a 16 bit patch to an 8 bit operating system originally coded for a 4 bit microprossessor, written by a 2 bit company that can't stand 1 bit of competition.
Ain’t that the truth!
1. The article refers to allowing the EU to see Windows source code, not the U.S. Government or U.S. businesses.
2. The WSSP is widely seen in industry as insufficient at best (not all of the source code is available) and a poison pill at worst. (If you get a WSSP license and you ever develop a competing product, even by accident, you will become a target for Microsoft's legal team.)
Liar.
You routinely shout down any U.S. company that has anything to do with Linux.
Come on, buzzard. Say something good about RedHat or SuSE.
And repudiate Microsoft for giving their source code the the Chinese Communists.
I dare ya.
The correct term is WSPP, also know as the Window Source Patent Peril.
Businesses need to realize that there are huge cultural and language issues when they outsource their tech support.
They don't get it.
Many cultures outside of the US don't understand that “the customer is always right.”
When I or my wife have dealt with tech support in India they have always been useless and a waste of time and almost always very rude.
More name calling of course, lost on the facts too. It’s people liike you who help keep your crappy clone stuck down at 2 percent of users, but you’re oblivious to that too LOL.
Yes, because the number of people using something is always a reflection of the quality of the product.
And I notice that you do a lot of whining about the facts but you don't post links to any refuting articles.
Just so we are clear:
Fact: Microsoft gave the source code to Windows to the Chinese communists while denying the Windows source code to American businesses.
Fact: You've tried to deny this fact but have had your butt handed to you with posted articles.
Fact: You have never denounced Microsoft for cozying up to the Chicoms.
Fact: You continuously whine about how Linux source is available to the Chinese in every thread you try to hijack, but once I mention that Linux source is also available to American businesses you stop...until the next thread.
Fact: As soon as one of your points is shot down you invariably switch to another outdated, refuted subject.
I have 2 Vista machines at home, installed SP1 on both in one afternoon, one completely unattended. Both booted back up and I have had ZERO problems, other than a little smaller memory footprint. Some people just read a story about some guy named Biff in Sheboygan who had issues becase he was trying to install on a 6 year old laptop with 5 year old drivers and assume that it's the end of the world.
As long as you have plenty of memory, Vista is fine. I have had far fewr lockups than I ever had with XP. Some people just have to b!tch about MS at all costs.
Well, maybe you should quit using it to cruise porn sites...
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