Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • Cybersecurity
    • PC Hardware

    Bug in Microsoft Security Essentials Crashes Windows XP Machines

    By
    Robert Lemos
    -
    April 26, 2014
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      An update to Microsoft Security Essentials, the software company’s free anti-malware software, crashed Windows XP computers last week, causing business disruptions to customers still relying on the outdated—and, in many cases, now-unsupported—operating system.

      The update caused a variety of Microsoft operating systems to restart and then fail to reboot, displaying an arcane “MsMpEng.exe application error” message, according to online posts by affected users.

      Many point-of-sale systems, which some businesses are protecting using Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) as a way to meet the antivirus requirement of the Payment Card Industry PCI), still use Windows XP or related operating systems, including Windows XP Professional for Embedded Systems and Windows Embedded POSReady 2009. Those systems were affected by the update as well, according to one New England value-added reseller with more than 500 clients in the hospitality industry.

      While Microsoft corrected the issue within days, the bug crashed at least hundreds of machines. For the New England firm, the issue affected more than 250 machines at 50 customers who relied on the systems, a consultant at the company said on condition of anonymity.

      “This affected about one half of our customers running Windows XP,” he told eWEEK. “This brought their business to a 100 percent standstill until we could resolve the situation. In a pinch, the only solution we could determine was to uninstall MS Essentials to get them running their business again.”

      While uninstalling Microsoft Security Essentials worked around the issue, it also caused an additional problem: Even though Microsoft later fixed the update, MSE could not be reinstalled on Windows XP computers because the systems are no longer supported by Microsoft, the source said.

      The problems came just over a week after Microsoft’s scheduled end of support for its 12-year-old Windows XP operating system. Standard desktop users will no longer receive updates for their systems, and Microsoft urged businesses and consumers to upgrade. However, the Windows XP versions for embedded and point-of-sale systems continue to be supported, according to the software giant. The incident shows, however, that there are holes in such support.

      “We were all told that Microsoft Security Essentials would be updated through July 15, 2015, no problem,” one IT administrator stated on Microsoft’s Community forum. “Now there are constant nag messages about your operating system not being supported, a red antivirus taskbar icon so you can’t tell if you are being nagged or have a virus. And now this bug, which even caused me to pause and wonder if XP machines are actually in the process of being attacked.”

      Microsoft declined to comment specifically on the issues, except to confirm that a problem did exist with the update to Microsoft Security Essentials and it had been fixed. The company’s statement, however, did not acknowledge any major support issues caused by the update.

      “On April 15, 2014, Microsoft released an Antimalware Engine update that may have caused interrupted service for customers using affected Microsoft security products,” the company stated in an April 21 email to eWEEK. “Microsoft corrected the issue via signature update, which automatically resolved the issue, and customers do not need to take any action.”

      While business customers have long been urged to end their reliance on Windows XP, many cost-conscious firms are trying to avoid upgrading.

      “One can say the customers got what they paid for, as MS Essentials has no charge and is bundled with the operating systems,” the New England technology provider said. “Our customers are small, overly cost-conscious folks that use the lowest-cost solutions available to them when possible.”

      Robert Lemos
      Robert Lemos is an award-winning freelance journalist who has covered information security, cybercrime and technology's impact on society for almost two decades. A former research engineer, he's written for Ars Technica, CNET, eWEEK, MIT Technology Review, Threatpost and ZDNet. He won the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi award from the Society of Professional Journalists in 2003 for his coverage of the Blaster worm and its impact, and the SANS Institute's Top Cybersecurity Journalists in 2010 and 2014.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×