Microsoft Has To Patch A PatchMicrosoft Has To Patch A Patch

Microsoft has had to patch a patch for Internet Explorer after discovering that a Feb. 5 security fix resulted in some users being unable to access certain Web sites and MSN's own E-mail.

The problem isn't a new security vulnerability, Microsoft said, and need only be corrected by users who receive error messages after attempting to authenticate at some subscription-based Web sites that require log-ins with user names and passwords.

The hot fix, posted on Microsoft's technical Web site, resolves the issue, the company says.

Although Microsoft tries to test patches to make sure there aren't problems, "it's a very delicate balancing act," Iain Mulholland, security program manager with Microsoft Security Response Center, told The Associated Press.

The company tries to release security fixes to guard against attacks as soon as possible without impairing the program, he said. "In this case this one slipped through."