KB 936357

[Mike Scott]

Anyone know what this XP update actually does please? It bills itself
as a "microcode update" for intel core duo systems; do they /really/
mean that? I'm not sure I like the idea of M$ mucking around with the
hardware :-(

--
Mike Scott (unet <at> scottsonline.org.uk)
Harlow Essex England

[Rob]

"Mike Scott" <usen...@spam.stopper.scottsonline.org.uk> wrote in message
news:Zc9li.16997$aJ3....@newsfe4-gui.ntli.net...

> Anyone know what this XP update actually does please? It bills itself as
> a "microcode update" for intel core duo systems; do they /really/ mean
> that? I'm not sure I like the idea of M$ mucking around with the hardware
> :-(

Hi Mike,

Yes, that's exactly what it does, update the microcode in the CPU itself.
Don't worry about it as it usually happens behind our backs - apparantly,
microcode updates can also be done via the BIOS, so when you update
the BIOS, a microcode update to the CPU can also occur. Scary, isn't it!

Fact is, it's an Intel update, but how many users go to the Intel site for
CPU microcode updates?.. MS have included it in their updates just
for that reason I believe (and as not doing it may degrade the performance
of their products, of course.. ;)

More here:
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r18576155-Intel-patch

Best,
--
Rob

[Clint Sharp]

In message <f75hcc$3e8$1...@south.jnrs.ja.net>, Rob
<no...@nowhere.noway.com> writes

>"Mike Scott" <usen...@spam.stopper.scottsonline.org.uk> wrote in message
>news:Zc9li.16997$aJ3....@newsfe4-gui.ntli.net...
>> Anyone know what this XP update actually does please? It bills itself as
>> a "microcode update" for intel core duo systems; do they /really/ mean
>> that? I'm not sure I like the idea of M$ mucking around with the hardware
>> :-(
>
>Hi Mike,
>
>Yes, that's exactly what it does, update the microcode in the CPU itself.
>Don't worry about it as it usually happens behind our backs - apparantly,
>microcode updates can also be done via the BIOS,

> so when you update
>the BIOS, a microcode update to the CPU can also occur. Scary, isn't it!

But a BIOS based update is applied every time you boot the machine, it's
not permanent or never used to be on PIII and P4 chips so it's not going
to trash a CPU if it's corrupt. I guess the MS/Intel one must be able to
put the CPU into 'update' mode (definitely not the right term but I
can't remember the right one anymore) and patch it at boot time.

>
>Fact is, it's an Intel update, but how many users go to the Intel site for
>CPU microcode updates?..

Umm, certainly no end users, they are rolled out to the companies who
manufacture hardware and in this case MS (must have been a good bug for
them to do this though)

> MS have included it in their updates just
>for that reason I believe (and as not doing it may degrade the performance
>of their products, of course.. ;)
>
>More here:
>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r18576155-Intel-patch
>
>Best,

--
Clint Sharp