How embarrassing. MSNBC has published a BugNet "Top 10 reasons you do not want to install the [Microsoft] Office 2000 SR-1," while very decently and reputably stressing that "Microsoft is a partner in MSNBC." Under the circumstances we could almost forgive MSNBC for the strange and sudden disappearance of the somewhat negative story about MS exec Joachim Kempin it unpublished back in December. The problems BugNet reports aren't all yet validated, but they're all corkers, and just a short time after it was made available SR-1 looks like it's shaping up to be one of those Microsoft service packs that need an immediate service pack, because they break more things than they fix. The introduction of compulsory registration in SR-1 doesn't feature directly in the top ten as a reason for not installing, but it does look like it might be related. In at reason for not installing number eight we have "Internet installation of SR-1 requests Microsoft Office SR-1 Setup Disk." Which naturally you don't have, because you're installing from the Internet, and anyway the disks themselves aren't due to ship for weeks yet. There are various suggested explanations as to why it does this, it's maybe something to do with the new anti-piracy measures, but BugNet reports that "Some users have had workaround success using illegitimate CD keys acquired from Internet crack sites." This of course suggests that the wonderful new anti-piracy scheme being introduced with SR-1 doesn't entirely work - so much for the "successful" pilots. In addition to this, the number one reason for not installing is "Office applications exit a few seconds after opening." This may also be something to do with registration keys, as "Editing the registry and removing the product key has produced limited success with some users." Problems exist on all Windows platforms, but it looks like "Windows 2000 is having the hardest time with the Office 2000 SR-1 patch." For the full list, check here. ®