“Microsoft’s Windows 7 RTM [Release To Manufacturing] build 7600.16385 includes a potentially fatal bug that, once triggered, could bring down the entire OS in a matter of seconds,” Randall C. Kennedy reports for InfoWorld.
“The bug in question — a massive memory leak involving the chkdsk.exe utility — appears when you attempt to run the program against a secondary (that is, not the boot partition) hard disk using the “/r” (read and verify all file data) parameter. The problem affects both 32- and 64-bit versions of Windows 7 and is classified as a ‘showstopper’ in that it can cause the OS to crash (Blue Screen of Death) as it runs out of physical memory,” Kennedy reports.
MacDailyNews Take: Oh, look blue lipstick! Knowing Microsoft, they’ll just rename it “Windows Goth.”
Kennedy continues, “I also verified that the problem exists with the integrated disk check utility in Windows Explorer. When you use this function, explorer.exe starts consuming RAM like it’s going out of style, pushing my test system to 98 percent memory utilization in just a few seconds. Worse still, explorer.exe failed to release the RAM when I canceled the disk check and grew even more despite the fact that the check was now deliberately aborted. My only recourse was to either reboot the system or try to manually kill and restart explorer.exe.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Shitastic Microsoft strikes yet again. Get A Mac.
Ballmer to hold news conference to extol the “Exciting New Windows 8! Coming Soon! Just You Wait!” in 3… 2… 1…
It’s truly stunning that Microsoft with it’s army of programmers, billions of dollars, enormous wealth of talent (yeah..they DO have talented people there…really!)…can’t avoid stepping in huge piles of crap…
It’s funny and tragic at the same time
Hahahahahahahahaha….
Ex windoze-junkie as of Jan this year, and lovin’ it!
Get with the program, MDN. The problem has already been shown to be minor, but of course you don’t bother to report the latest news on this.
Truth be told, big bugs do arise in programming…. however this _should_ have been caught in a pre-alpha version of Win7, not the pre-release version! Sloppy coders, and even sloppier QA folks. But then again, this is M$ we’re talking about, so, nice work, guys!
Aw, if they keep this up, I’m going to flip from satire to downright sympathy.
Yet on ZD-Net the buzz is how Windows 7 is more secure than Mac or Linux, and Ed Bott poopoos the notion of a show-stopping bug in Windows, and Mac security comes into question after Apple releases a patch that fixes said problem. That website sucks, hard.
PcFreak, what you doing on a mac website? Are you a closet mac user?
“Windows Goth!”
LMMFAO!!!
When the patches and bandads exceed the amount of original code… Its time to grab a which sheet of paper and start again…
This mummy need to be put into a tomb…
I also park my 10-year-old Yugo just across the street from BMW auto dealerships and gaze longingly from afar with a pathetic mixture of jealousy, malice, and spite.
There’s obviously an easy fix to this. Simply delete the chkdsk.exe utility.
Just wait, Windows 8 will be awesome. Don’t switch, hold on until 2012 for 8.
PcFreak
“InfoWorld contributing editor Randall C. Kennedy describes his test results today in his Enterprise Desktop blog. Kennedy notes that the bug is more likely to affect IT administrators than everyday users, since admins are more likely to run Windows 7’s diagnostic and repair functions. But he speculates that the bug may affect the core NTFS file system, either delaying the planned Windows 7 release date or causing IT to hold off on deploying Windows 7 until Microsoft issues a patch or service pack.” From MacWorldUK.
“Comment from: MacGeek Pro
PcFreak, what you doing on a mac website? Are you a closet mac user?”
Other way around. I use Windows7 and OSX side by side at work. And Windows7 has worked flawlessly for two months, and so I use it as my primary computer, even though the IT crew wants us to use only Mac. I simply popped in my own harddisk in the MacBook, and uses Windows7 through Bootcamp. The IT crew are angry of course, but since I’m more productive this way they let it slide…
Oh, I’d just love to see that happen! Now That’s entertainment!
Aaaaacheeeewwwww!! Sorry, I’m alergic to hyperbole.
I’m an an Applehead to the core, but come on is it really that bad. you guys sound like effin Fox News.
I don’t think Microsoft needs our help pointing the AK47 at their feet.
Just report the news please.
Reply to “Silverhawk” – this is what a later news report states:
“After emailing back and forth with the VP Sinofsky, it was found that the chkdsk /r tool is not at fault here. It was simply a chipset controller issue. Please update you chipset drivers to the current driver from your motherboard manufacturer. I did mine, and this fixed the issue. Yes it still uses alot of physical memory, because your checking for physical damage, and errors on the Harddrive your testing. I’m currently completed the chkdsk scan with no BSOD’s or computer sluggishness. Feel free to do this and try it for yourselves. Again, there is no Bug.”
So – it’s a non-story.
PcFreak,
You’re more productive using Windows 7 than Mac OS X?
Oh, I get it, you work for Symantec testing Anti-Virus “solutions.”
Or you’re just another astroturfer.
Sorry PcFrea (and freak you must be), but it isn’t just the chipset. It works in a virtual environment as well. It is a story, one that freaks like yourself will attempt to talk down.
Windows – for your daily dose of pain and frustration.
To “Superior Being”:
I wish. I would love to be on Microsofts payroll, if they wanted to pay me for writing on websites…
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Hey, I’m not saying that Windows7 is always better. But it helps me get things done more quickly in my line of work (and no, I don’t work for Symantec et al…)
If you want to find problems with Windows7, please go ahead. But please make sure that it’s real.
@ Brian Taylor,
“I’m an an Applehead to the core”
I can’t believe you are still using an Apple ][. You really should try out the Mac. With OS X and an Intel Core 2 Duo you’ll be happy you did. Apps just fly on these babies.
“Just wait, Windows 8 will be awesome. Don’t switch, hold on until 2012 for 8.”
Good post!
Sent the link to this article to my kid.
Her response sums it up nicely.
“Unsurprising”
To “Macaday”:
Either way, how many users will encounter this problem? 0,0001 percent? Yes, I guess that’s a “fatal flaw” in Windows7, as MDN puts it…
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Once again, please find a problem that means shi*t,
Well PcFreak, seems you know nothing. PC admins in every business using Windows uses chkdsk.exe
So as you so, probably no big deal there then…