Macworld's sister site, Infoworld, has just confirmed that Windows 7 has a bug that causes a massive memory leak. The bug is serious enough for InfoWorld to question the current release date for Windows 7.
InfoWorld's tests of the final Windows 7 version (the RTM, or "release to manufacturing") confirms a massive memory leak that occurs when the chkdsk.exe utility is run. Chkdsk.exe scans the PC's hard drives looking for errors in the files and file structures. The memory leak -- which can cause the PC to stop operating -- occurs when chkdsk.exe is run on secondary disks, as opposed to the disk Windows is installed on.
The bug was first reported this morning at several Web sites. Microsoft is due to ship Windows 7 on Oct. 22, and it finalized the Windows RTM in mid-July.
InfoWorld contributing editor Randall C. Kennedy describes his test results today in his Enterprise Desktop blog. Kennedy notes that the bug is more likely to affect IT administrators than everyday users, since admins are more likely to run Windows 7's diagnostic and repair functions. But he speculates that the bug may affect the core NTFS file system, either delaying the planned Windows 7 release date or causing IT to hold off on deploying Windows 7 until Microsoft issues a patch or service pack.
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Comments received
whatever said on Wed, 05 Aug 2009
Mostly doesn't affect people, except maybe enterprise users. Infoworld, sister site to MacWorld --- yes, the release will still happen on 10/22. Talk about being dramatic!!!
WOLF said on Wed, 05 Aug 2009
WOOOLF!
dely release? give me a break!
Macdemon said on Wed, 05 Aug 2009
Ho hum............here we go again.............
Elf said on Wed, 05 Aug 2009
still, could just insert a bit of simple code and hijack the keyboard input - no, that's "secure" Mac's.
@whatever said on Wed, 05 Aug 2009
You are right - It's for chkdsk - 99% of users would not even know how to run it. Overkill story.
dave said on Wed, 05 Aug 2009
Um, I would guess most corporations are already going to wait for SP1, just like they did with Vista before deciding to give Vista a pass.
And Microsoft knows this, so they'll probably come out with something labelled 'SP1' a couple months after 7 is released...
@dave said on Wed, 05 Aug 2009
The three corporations I support have signed up already. With the Beta so open most of the testing has already been done.
Just wish Apple would do the same, would make my life a lot easier.
Baskaran said on Thu, 06 Aug 2009
As long as ctrl+alt+del and the Task Manager work Ok it should be fine with everyone. Internet Explorer has been working for ages - and people just do not care about the rest
Che said on Thu, 06 Aug 2009
Looks like the bug has more to do with chip-set drivers not being updated.
qwerty said on Thu, 06 Aug 2009
@dave, @whatever and everybody else who is defending this s**t
Seriously guys. Put your Microsoft Shield down and let the company take its flak. chkdsk isn't a small part of Windows it's the program used to check disk integrity.
The fact that it fails when used on an external drive is neither small, nor inconsequential, and it's something that Microsoft should have clearly fixed before going to release candidate. And it's obviously something they should fix straight away. either in the form of fixing the code prior to release or issuing a day of release patch.
Nobody expects an OS to be perfect on launch. Errors do crop up over time; security flaws are found and fixed. This is as true for Apple as it is for Microsoft. This isn't a small flaw it's a main program that does not work and hasn't been fixed prior to launch. For shame, Microsoft.
@dave. You never heard of the Apple Developer connection?
@qwerty said on Thu, 06 Aug 2009
talking C$*p as usual. It is an almost redundant command and the error only appears with the /r switch.
It will be fixed quicker than Java did on my Mac.
bleruuuch said on Thu, 06 Aug 2009
To all the Windows apologists, you do realise this isn't really a new OS don't you? How can you let Microsoft get away with a fairly major bug in what is really an OS update?
Roland Butta said on Thu, 06 Aug 2009
Sorry, but as a Windows newbe I'm a bit lost, but does NTFS stand for Never Trust the File System?
@bleruuuch said on Thu, 06 Aug 2009
Not as big a bug as having the machine owned in 10 seconds - that takes a very special OS.
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