Infected XP owners left unpatched

[Corrine]

Some of the latest security updates for Windows XP will not be installed on machines infected with a rootkit virus.A rootkit is sneaky malware that buries itself deep inside the Windows operating system to avoid detection.Microsoft said it had taken the action because similar updates issued in February made machines infected with the Alureon rootkit crash endlessly.The latest updates can spot if a system is compromised by the Alureon rootkit and halt installation.

Complete story at BBC News - Infected XP owners left unpatched

[Guitar Man]

Microsoft urged those who are infected to ensure their machine is cleaned of the rootkit. It recommended using its malware removal tool or using rootkit detectors from other security companies.

I presume they mean the Malicious Software Removal Tool which is distributed monthly on Patch Tuesday.In my case, I installed the latest updates and noticed a huge decrease in web page loads. I rolled back the system. All is back to normal. For now...I will be reinstalling them one at a time (and rebooting) to see which one is the culprit.

[Corrine]

I think the Windows Live safety scanner would be better than the MSRT, although the best thing with a rootkit is a fresh install. Let us know what you find out when you reinstall the updates. I haven't seen anything in the groups I access on problems with any of the updates.