DigitMemo.com

Microsoft doesn’t make all their patches publicly available, get them through backdoor…

Do you ever encounter this situation: something goes wrong, and, of course, as a geek, you try to fix it yourself. So after lots of diagnoses and searching, the suspect is identified: the Windows System you are running, or more exactly, microsoft.

Next step is heading towards Microsoft’s website and search for the solution(aka. hotfix). Well, the symptoms match, and Microsoft claim that they’ve known and fixed the issue, but wait, you’ve to contact them to get it or wait for the next service pack release.

A supported hotfix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that is described in this article. Only apply it to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next Windows service pack that contains this hotfix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services telephone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site: http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support

Kindly enough, Microsoft does provide a URL with phone# and fax#, and I personally have good experience with the phone support(if you don’t mind put on hold for 20 minutes or more). But, can this be done without leaving the computer and without waiting?

The answer is YES, and we have more than one choice.

• Request it directly from Microsoft online. The link is hidden and no where it can be found directly. Make a Google Search of "hotfix request microsoft", and the first result is what we’re looking for. It’s a webform, just fill it and wait for 4-8 hours, you should get an email reply with download link inside.
• How about get it instantly? There is a website with great hotfix collection–thehotfixshare. They are sorted by language and KB number, you should get yours without much problem. If it’s not found there, maybe it’s too new or few people use, then use the above webform to get it from Microsoft. Also, downloading hotfix from third party instead of microsoft is a bit dangerous, though thehotfixshare is a reputable site, it’s never hurt to verify the digital signature before installing.