Bad BitDefender Update Clobbers Windows PCs

alphadogg writes "Users of the BitDefender antivirus software started flooding the company's support forums Saturday, apparently after a faulty antivirus update caused 64-bit Windows machines to stop working. The company acknowledged the issue in a note explaining the problem. 'Due to a recent update it is possible that BitDefender detects several Windows and BitDefender files as infected with Trojan.FakeAlert.5,' the company said. The acknowledgment came after BitDefender users had logged hundreds of posts on the topic. Some complained of being unable to reboot their systems."

Comments

PR - from blue screen to no screen!

[voodoo cheesecake]

They could have claimed it was all a part of a mock cyber-attack! Oh joy!

So secure, NOTHING will run

[Hansele]

Its a new security paradigm. The newly locked down computer will not run anything, and therefore no virii, malware, bots, or solitaire, will run. Truly they've created the "most secure antivirus ever".

Re:So secure, NOTHING will run

[Anonymous Coward]

Who has the most secure OS now? Take THAT Linux and Mac fanboys!

Re:So secure, NOTHING will run

[Aphoxema]

Who has the most secure OS now? Take THAT Linux and Mac fanboys!

Ouch. I feel so... insecure now!

Re:So secure, NOTHING will run

[Anonymous Coward]

Don"t worry.I"m sure one of the Mac users won't mind holding you in a comforting embrace.

Or maybe...

[Hansele]

Or maybe they should have put up a payment screen on their site, "We're sorry, your antivirus subscription has expired. To prevent your computer from being exposed to malware and virii, we have taken the proactive step of disabling your computer until you have made payment. For the low renewal fee plus a small reactivation fee of $199, we will be happy to walk you through the re-enablement process. Have a nice secure day!"

I see a market for a new product:

[Anonymous Coward]

Anticlobber software. To protect your computer against misbehaving antivirus software.

Re:what incompetent boobs

[Anonymous Coward]

Let me answer in the manner of a hammer legion member poster on a Steam forum:

Wrks fine 4 me. Must b ur computer. loL!! Time 2 upgrade.

Re:Update Filter / Schedule

[Rivalz]

Thats the motto of my life my friend.

Re:Quick Scanner

[1s44c]

Flash is a huge security nightmare. Maybe BitDefender was doing the right thing there.

Re:what incompetent boobs

[TheRaven64]

Well, Windows NT version numbers have gone 3.11, 4, 2000, 2003, 7, so the upgrade from 64-bit Windows must be... -512 bit Windows?

Re:The cure is worse than the disease

[Teun]

To Microsoft's credit, they finally sealed some of the fundamental security holes with Vista and Windows 7, and they offer a decent security suite for free,

You have an amusing way of explaining how MS applied a (yet to be proven) band-aid to their self-inflicted wounds.