XP service pack causes "old" programs to fail

Found on The Inquirer on Sunday, 07 March 2004
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Microsoft is writing to software developers to warn that some of its programs will not work on Windows XP after the new service pack is introduced.

It has asked developers to test out their software on the beta of Service Pack 2, because it is pretty sure that some will not work.

The Redmond Giant said that this was because the new service pack is designed to enhance security and some of the older applications were simply full of holes.

Tony Goodhew of Microsoft said: "It may surprise some of the developers that we are changing some defaults, and that may affect the way some of the older applications run."

He added that applications that don't work on SP 2 are insecure. SP 2 will focus on browsing security, memory protection, network protection and email security.

Isn't it quite arrogant to say that every application which does not run anymore after SP2 is insecure? If the developers programmed their software to work with the previous defaults it will get insecure just because those defaults are changed? That's like "I changed the rules, now you're out!".