XP SP3 + Symantec = Hosed Registry
According to reports posted the day after Microsoft launched Windows XP SP3 on Windows Update, some users found that their network cards and previously-crafted connections had mysteriously vanished from Windows after updating to the service pack.
"The Network Connections screen now does not show any of the NIC cards. I have three adapters that used to show up," said someone using "MRFREEZE61" as an alias on Microsoft's XP SP3 support forum on May 7. "In an attempt to troubleshoot, I tried to bring up the Device Manager, and to my surprise it is now empty."
More information: it seems like the computers with problems are running Symantec security software. Now if only they used Windows Live OneCare, right?
Others chimed in to claim that the errant keys were located in sections of the registry devoted to settings for Symantec products, and they pinned blame on the security company's consumer-grade software installed on their PCs. "I see parent keys that all seem to be Norton/Symantec product keys," said someone identified as "gfrost."
"This appears to be a Symantec-related problem according to the keys showing up," said another user, "datarimlens." "Is anyone from Symantec on this yet? Since SP3 has been distributed to at least one of my machines, am I to believe that this problem did not show up in testing? Really? For something as widely tested as SP3? Really? I mean seriously?"
"I upgraded three well-maintained laptop machines, one with NIS2008 [Norton Internet Security 2008] installed and running during the upgrade, one with NIS2008 installed but shut down during installation and one without NIS2008 installed," said "bighowie," yet another user posting to the forum. "As you guessed, the one without NIS2008 upgraded like a charm. No problems. The other two have the same mess as identified by all in this thread."
Well, well, it seems Windows XP SP3 is as big a fiasco as Windows Vista SP1. The laughs just keep on coming.
