Microsoft Hoping For Smoother Patch Tuesday

Microsoft plans next week to release three patches aimed at three
software vulnerabilities in Windows and the software giant’s Exchange
e-mail server.

The announcement comes as Microsoft tries to rebound from April’s patch release, where three out of five security bulletins created
further user problems.

Although Thursday’s advance notification was short on
details, the Exchange patch fixes a problem forbidding mobile devices
to send e-mail.

The problem affects users of Microsoft Exchange
Server 2000 and Exchange Server 2003, according to the Web site.

A “critical” security patch impacting Windows
will also be released May 9 as part of Microsoft’s monthly “Patch
Tuesday,” according to the Redmond, Wash.-based company.

Next week’s patches come after Microsoft was forced to re-issue a
“critical” IE patch and respond to claims another April 11 patch
caused problems for Outlook Express users.

A mega patch designed to fix a number of security bugs in IE was
soon discovered to cause problems for users of HP digital
photography software, Sunbelt Software’s Kerio Personal Firewall, as
well as the Windows operating system.

Although Microsoft instructed users how to resolve the problems
by editing their Windows registry, the software maker earlier this
week released a new version of the patch through Microsoft Update.

Also stemming from last month’s patch release is Outlook Express
users fuming about problems they experienced after installing MS06-6, a patch aimed at curing an OE Address Book vulnerability.