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Patch and crash

18 September 2004

A CLUTCH of popular software packages are likely to crash when PC users install a free upgrade to Windows XP this week. But experts say the upgrade is probably worth the hassle.

Microsoft’s Service Pack 2 (SP2) upgrade is in part designed to plug security loopholes in Windows XP, including some that allow hackers to take control of a PC and steal passwords. But the upgrade trips up many supposedly XP-compatible software packages, such as the drivers for networking and video cards.

Microsoft has already identified some 40 packages that crash when SP2 is installed (see list at

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