Microsoft accidentally bricks AMD PCs with Spectre patch

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AppleInsiderAppleInsider
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A recently-issued Windows security update designed to deal with the Spectre processor vulnerability is more Maxwell Smart than James Bond, users say.




The patch inadvertently bricked some computers running AMD chips, with the machines reportedly unable to boot past the Windows logo. Complaints began appearing in Microsoft's Answers forum last week, as noted by The Register.

Rolling back the update doesn't seem to be possible, and reinstalling Windows is also a non-starter for most users.

The patch - KB4056892 - was released early last week in response to the Spectre vulnerability that dropped on New Year's Eve. AMD chips are not vulnerable to the similar Meltdown flaw, which was unveiled at the same time.

Apple addressed these vulnerabilities in recent versions of macOS, iOS, and tvOS, and continues to work to mitigate the problems. The company took further steps with the release of iOS 11.2.2 and macOS 10.13.2 earlier Monday.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 31
    ihatescreennamesihatescreennames Posts: 2,002member
    Well, that’s one way to make a bad situation worse. On the bright side, those users don’t need to worry about their computer being compromised...

    Is this actually an issue for many users or is it a small set that just sounds worse due to the internet echo chamber?
    edited January 2018
    zroger73anton zuykovchia
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  • Reply 2 of 31
    thrangthrang Posts: 1,051member
    ...
    macxpressSpamSandwichsergiozairnerdsuddenly newtonanton zuykovlolliver
     7Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 3 of 31
    GG1gg1 Posts: 483member
    The glass half-full: the Spectre vulnerability is completely fixed.
    suddenly newtonanton zuykovchiacornchip
     4Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 4 of 31
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,977member
    Bahahahaha...that just makes me laugh for some reason. It sucks for those using AMD's who are effected, but it still just makes me laugh. 
    baconstangairnerdanton zuykovlolliver
     4Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 5 of 31
    welshdogwelshdog Posts: 1,922member
    That is unfortunate. What a cluster it must be to make fixes for the tangled bird's nest that is Windows. All the thousands of hardware variants out there - total nightmare.  Of course Apple doesn't have that issue since it controls the hardware and only has a handful of CPU chips to deal with over the last 10 years of Macs. Plusses and minuses are the spice of life.
    SpamSandwichradarthekattoysandmeMisterKitwatto_cobrachia
     6Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 6 of 31
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,977member
    welshdog said:
    That is unfortunate. What a cluster it must be to make fixes for the tangled bird's nest that is Windows. All the thousands of hardware variants out there - total nightmare.  Of course Apple doesn't have that issue since it controls the hardware and only has a handful of CPU chips to deal with over the last 10 years of Macs. Plusses and minuses are the spice of life.
    Especially if you want to make custom AMD based builds that are supposedly better than an iMac Pro. Sure, maybe on paper its better, but this is the crap you have to potentially deal with. Imagine if an entire company with AMD based custom builds had this issue...it would cost them far more than just spending a tiny bit more and getting an iMac Pro. 
    seanismorristoysandmewatto_cobrachia
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  • Reply 7 of 31
    macseekermacseeker Posts: 551member
    Somebody made my day today. Party time.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 8 of 31
    stevenozstevenoz Posts: 319member
    We're all computer people... I feel bad for the AMD update pioneers whose computers were trashed. What is their next step?

    PC Intel users may be next with Spectre 'cures.' Be slow to update with something like this.
    edited January 2018
    baconstangphilboogiewatto_cobra
     3Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 9 of 31
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,154member
    macxpress said:
    welshdog said:
    That is unfortunate. What a cluster it must be to make fixes for the tangled bird's nest that is Windows. All the thousands of hardware variants out there - total nightmare.  Of course Apple doesn't have that issue since it controls the hardware and only has a handful of CPU chips to deal with over the last 10 years of Macs. Plusses and minuses are the spice of life.
    Especially if you want to make custom AMD based builds that are supposedly better than an iMac Pro. Sure, maybe on paper its better, but this is the crap you have to potentially deal with. Imagine if an entire company with AMD based custom builds had this issue...it would cost them far more than just spending a tiny bit more and getting an iMac Pro. 
    Not to worry.  I’m sure VRing has factored that into his phantom iMac Pro killer.

    just wait.
    baconstangwatto_cobramacxpressjony0lolliverchiacornchip
     7Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 10 of 31
    radarthekatradarthekat Posts: 3,911moderator
    “Sorry about that, Chief”
    baconstangMisterKitwatto_cobraGG1king editor the gratezroger73suddenly newtonwelshdogjony0chia
     10Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 11 of 31
    Rayz2016rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    Who are those people and why are they talking to shoes?
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 12 of 31
    darkpawdarkpaw Posts: 212member
    Rayz2016 said:
    Who are those people and why are they talking to shoes?
    Get Smart.
    lolliver
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 13 of 31
    cmauscmaus Posts: 49member
    While I acknowledge the fact that this can happen, as Microsoft has to support all sorts of hardware, it’s a sheer nightmare having to reinstall Windows, since that typically uninstalls all your installed applications, unlike macOS, where a reinstall over your existing macOS wouldn’t get you rid of anything!
    All those applications, their plugins, patches, activations, and settings - gone.
    That’s Windows, ladies and gentlemen!
    watto_cobrastevenozlolliver
     3Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 14 of 31
    Rayz2016rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    darkpaw said:
    Rayz2016 said:
    Who are those people and why are they talking to shoes?
    Get Smart.
    Mmm. Not heard of that. 

    Youtubing now…
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 15 of 31
    Rayz2016rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member

    cmaus said:
    While I acknowledge the fact that this can happen, as Microsoft has to support all sorts of hardware, it’s a sheer nightmare having to reinstall Windows, since that typically uninstalls all your installed applications, unlike macOS, where a reinstall over your existing macOS wouldn’t get you rid of anything!
    All those applications, their plugins, patches, activations, and settings - gone.
    That’s Windows, ladies and gentlemen!
    This is not often the case, but can happen if the registry gets broken during installation. I’ve never understood why Microsoft believes its a good idea to store all the application and OS settings in one humongous, single, surprisingly delicate database. 

    Still, after the problem Apple had with the root access bug, then I certainly appreciate how these things can slip through. 

    The other thing is that Microsoft does not test against every configuration on the market. They publish a spec and the vendors tests to make sure that their machines run to the spec. The situation here is a little unique. MS now has to test a fix against millions of configurations they’ve never seen.

    Can’t be done. 
    edited January 2018
    watto_cobrawelshdog
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 16 of 31
    macguimacgui Posts: 2,542member
    Rayz2016 said:
    Who are those people and why are they talking to shoes?
    Agents 86 and 99 of CONTROL fighting against the evil KAOS. They're talking into their shoe-phones. LOVED that show.
    haarlolliver
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 17 of 31
    GG1gg1 Posts: 483member
    radarthekat said:
    “Sorry about that, Chief”
    "Missed it by THAT much!"
    king editor the gratezroger73charlesatlaswelshdoglolliver
     5Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 18 of 31
    airnerdairnerd Posts: 693member
    Well, now I need to check my laptop.  Have a stupid Windows 10 laptop at home that is docked but hardly used, and I haven't touched it this year.  But I know it does auto updates since you can't prevent it on Windows, wonder if it is just a doorstop now.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 19 of 31
    ajminnjajminnj Posts: 40member

    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cyber-microchips-amd/microsoft-halts-some-amd-chip-meltdown-patches-after-pcs-freeze-idUSKBN1EY17X

    "Upon investigation, Microsoft said some AMD chipsets did not conform to technical documentation the chipmaker had provided, preventing Microsoft from successfully patching affected machines."

    (Grabs popcorn to watch the PR fight between MS and AMD)
    airnerdjSnivelylolliverchia
     2Likes 0Dislikes 2Informatives
  • Reply 20 of 31
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member
    It was just Microsoft's response to AMD saying their chips were not impacted, Microsoft, they could fix that...
    lolliverchia
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
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