Microsoft: Vista Update May Screw Up Your Programs

Vista’s first major service pack may do more harm than good. Microsoft is warning that its upcoming update may disable various third party programs, particularly virus protection and security software, which accounted for half of the dozen programs Microsoft listed as victims. Microsoft said that list wasn’t comprehensive, and told users to contact the software developers, not Microsoft, with any problems.

This is already the second problem to plague Service Pack 1. Microsoft had to abandon a preparatory update for the pack because it reportedly sent machines into an update loop. Service packs are big, landmark updates for Windows. This first one will be available in February for businesses and in mid-March for home users. (More Microsoft Vista stories.)