Vista SP1 kills and maims security apps, utilities

Kelly Fiveash

27 Feb 2008

Microsoft has admitted that Windows Vista service pack one (SP1) renders useless a number of well-known third party security products.

Redmond said in a knowledge base article yesterday that due to "reliability" issues with Vista SP1, it has been forced to prevent some security products from running after the service pack is installed.

So, customers who currently have versions of Jiangmin KV Antivirus or Trend Micro's Internet Security on their Vista computers will no longer be able to use the software, which are suppose to safeguard their machines against hackers and malware, after SP1 is installed.

The two other security products deemed by Microsoft to make Vista SP1 "unreliable" are versions of BitDefender AV and Zone Alarm Security Suite.

It added that it has put a block on Fujitsu's Shock Sensor utility, which protects laptop hard-drives against sudden shocks.

Microsoft also pinpointed a number of products that simply won't work after the service pack, which is expected to be available for download to everyone by the middle of next month, has been installed.

Versions of Iron Speed Designer, Xheo Licensing, and Free Allegiance software are on that particular blacklist.

Meanwhile, Novell's ZCM Agent and the New York Times reader software are among the products listed as having severely reduced functionality post Vista-SP1.

Microsoft said in the article: "A program may experience a loss of functionality after you install Windows Vista SP1. However, most programs will continue to work as expected after you install Windows Vista SP1."

This latest embarrassing cock-up comes just days after Microsoft snatched back a key pre-requisite update for Vista SP1 from its Windows Update website.

It was forced to suspend distribution of its servicing stack KB937287 update after customers complained that their PCs wouldn't boot up properly once it had been applied. ®