Microsoft Reissues Windows 2000 Update Rollup

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Microsoft on Tuesday reissued the Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 Update Rollup to correct a range of embarrassing glitches haunting users of the enterprise-facing operating system.

The re-release comes less than three months after the software maker first shipped the Update Rollup with more than 50 security patches and system reliability fixes.

Immediately after the update shipped in June, Windows 2000 SP4 users complained that it broke third-party security applications and caused installation hang-ups.

According to a knowledge base article published by Microsoft Corp., the Update Rollup 1 for Windows 2000 SP4 v2 provides fixes for four major bugs, including two that returned specific error messages when the first iteration of the update was installed.

/zimages/4/28571.gifTo read more about Microsofts reissue of the Windows 2000 Rollup, click here.

A third bug that caused “serious problems” when users attempted to modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor was also fixed.

The revised update also corrects a problem in the “Fastfat.sys” that blocked users from saving files from Microsoft Office programs directly to floppy disks.

The company had previously acknowledged several compatibility problems with security programs from Sophos Inc., Panda Software Inc., RealSecure and Internet Security Systems Inc.s BlackICE, but, according to the updated KB article, individual hot fixes were not included in Update Rollup 1 for Windows 2000 SP4 v2.

/zimages/4/28571.gifMicrosoft cancels its scheduled September Patch Day update. Read more here.

“These issues affect very few customers and may have third-party solutions. Where it is possible, an individual hot fix is available from Microsoft Product Support. These individual hot fixes were not included in order to minimize the exposure to most customers who are not otherwise affected by these issues,” Microsoft said.

A company spokesperson said the revised Update Rollup is only applicable to a “small subset” of Windows 2000 customers who had installation issues with the original release.

Separately, Microsoft released a new version of its malicious software removal tool to add detections for several new virus strains.

The latest upgrade detects and removes Bobax, Esbot, Gael, Yaha and Zotob virus variants.

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