Microsoft Hoping for Smoother Patch Tuesday Three Patches Expected Next Tuesday Ed Sutherland
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.
