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Microsoft admits big delay on Home Server bug fix

Alert! Data corruption causes domestics

Microsoft has admitted that it will not deliver a fix to a Windows Home Server data corruption bug it first discovered late last year until June at the earliest.

The firm confessed to the massive delay on a Technet blog post yesterday.

It claimed that only a “small percentage” of people have been affected by the bug. Apparently it corrupts data on a number of well-known Microsoft and third-party applications when the programs are used to edit or transfer files in the firm’s latest server operating system for the low-end, home user market.

The software giant first became aware of the problem, affecting servers that have more than one hard drive running Windows Home Server in December last year.

Apps on the tech multinational’s data corruption list include Windows Vista Photo Gallery, Windows Live Photo Gallery, Microsoft Office Outlook 2007, Microsoft Money 2007, Intuit QuickBooks and BitTorrent client uTorrent.

"Fixing this issue is the Windows Home Server team's top priority and the team is making good progress on the fix," claimed Microsoft tech-bods. "We understand the issue really well at this point – it is at an extremely low level of the operating system and it requires thorough testing to ensure that the fix addresses the issue.

"Our current plan is to release beta test versions of a fix over the next few months, with a final version currently estimated for June 2008, although that date could change as testing progresses. Thorough testing of the fix is critical and will take time."

However, “truly frustrated” Microsoft evangelist Volker Will, who lost 180Gb of data after his system was downed by the bug, complained about the problem on his blog back in January.

“I might wait until version 2.0, if I ever decide to install it again," he wrote. "The current piece will be permanently banned from our home by the weekend. Sorry folks, I think it is a GREAT idea, this implementation is just not ready for prime time."

In fact, the poor guy even fell out with his missus over the data corruption debacle.

“BTW, thanks to Home Server my wife stopped talking to me as she is now really mad at me. Not only are some of our pictures gone, I spent countless hours in my room figuring out what the hell is wrong instead of with the family,” he added. ®

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