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from the not-supported-probably-means-not-tested dept.
Apparently a bug in a Microsoft Security Essentials update caused XP computers to bluescreen. After rebooting once updates were installed the XP machines would bluescreen with "MsMpEng.exe application error".
Microsoft has fixed the error by releasing a definitions update for Security Essentials. From the article:
Many point-of-sale systems, which some businesses are protecting using Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) as a way to meet the antivirus requirement of the Payment Card Industry PCI), still use Windows XP or related operating systems, including Windows XP Professional for Embedded Systems and Windows Embedded POSReady 2009. Those systems were affected by the update as well, according to one New England value-added reseller with more than 500 clients in the hospitality industry.
While Microsoft corrected the issue within days, the bug crashed at least hundreds of machines. For the New England firm, the issue affected more than 250 machines at 50 customers who relied on the systems, a consultant at the company said on condition of anonymity. "This affected about one half of our customers running Windows XP," he told eWEEK. "This brought their business to a 100 percent standstill until we could resolve the situation. In a pinch, the only solution we could determine was to uninstall MS Essentials to get them running their business again."
While uninstalling Microsoft Security Essentials worked around the issue, it also caused an additional problem: Even though Microsoft later fixed the update, MSE could not be reinstalled on Windows XP computers because the systems are no longer supported by Microsoft, the source said.
(Score: 3, Informative) by juggs on Wednesday April 30 2014, @05:01AM
*Reader Advisory* -This is likely an entirely offtopic rant - I saw POS in TFS and the red mist descended.
As subject - the POS unit industry as a whole seems to be an absolute clusterfuck of clueless fuckwittery from top to bottom. There appears to be absolutely no rigour whatsoever applied to determining what is fit for purpose to be deployed in this retail environment and subsequently no rigour in deployment and ever more subsequently no rigour in maintenance.
Personal Anecdote - hey sample sizes of one prove everything when the mist descends - visited my local convenience store (7-11 type operation, national chain) a couple of weeks back. Having corralled the ever shelf shifting meagre rations from their placements to my basket I head to the cashier. The cashier station looked as expected the usual all in one thing attempting to:
a. capture a rapidly moving barcode as the cashier juggles every item until a bleep is emitted or any carbonated drinks explode requiring mop-up supervisor
b. feed the cashier 'useful' 'time-saving' tips via on screen prompts that scanning the barcode would be good
c. accurately weigh both the in and out areas simultaneously within a picogram variance, throw an error if any anomaly detected and require godly override if one cashier skin cell was deposited in the wrong place
d. display an enticing product selection to the patient customer on their 5" facing screen - is this to encourage customers to rush back into the store to pick up more goods mid check out??! WTF
e. tally all cash and card receipts in and out
f. act as interface to the chip and pin keypad device so common in Europe (where's the nearest PTZ cam in a ceiling bubble?)
g. do all the above in real time with just a single 4004 processsor - because.... umm saving costs.
But all was not normal this day - on my approach to basket product jugglement by the cashier, I noted the customer facing 5" screen was overlaid with a lovely XP-esque error "Adobe Flash Player Update Failed Reason: 50MeHEX work it out yourself". So no shiny, dewy sweet pepper images for me that day.
Flash Player to show inspirational consumer choices on a device that is simultaneously connected to stock control, cash flow and a customer accessed device for entering both token (card) and knowledge (pin). What could go wrong in that scenario?
On vaguely questioning the poor cashier I was reassured that it had been like that "for a few days" and the IT engineer had been to look at it. On asking how they knew who the IT engineer was the response was - "they all wear the same shirts so they are easy to ID".
This is an absolute failure from the top (in choosing a supplier), through the middle (outsourced delivery of solution), to the bottom (outsourced maintenance and inadequate house rules).
We more or less had these issues nailed down 25 - 30 years ago as technologists. Tech was advancing into corp world as an enabler - a tool, a finely crafted tool to crack a nut. Strikes me tech sold out for the big bucks somwhere along the line and "as long as you're paying enough" kicked in. As ever in any field greed trumps all.
(Score: 2) by tibman on Wednesday April 30 2014, @04:13PM
Nice story : ) It does seem that the best solution is rarely the cheapest. Too many businesses are willing to roll the dice and save money upfront. But a lot of your story is dealing with very poor business decisions and not the tech used. Someone in-charge had a great idea that customers/cashiers would love and NO, they don't need to do market research.. they are a genius just like Steve Jobs. *rolls eyes*
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