Microsoft promises to fix pesky IE6 patch

Microsoft Corp. will update a patch by next Tuesday that’s causing a version of Internet Explorer (IE) to suddenly crash.

The patch, MS06-042, fixed several security vulnerabilities, Microsoft said on Tuesday. A “hotfix” is available at this Web site pending the forthcoming update.

The trouble affects users running IE 6 with Service Pack 1 on the Windows XP OS (operating system) running Service Pack 1 or the Windows 2000 OS with Service Pack 4.

The problem occurs when visiting a Web site that uses a Web coding standard, HTTP 1.1 (hypertext transfer protocol), and compression, Microsoft said.

The fixed patch will be available through Microsoft’s Download Center and through Windows Update, an OS feature that checks for updated software.

Microsoft released 12 security fixes on Aug. 8 for its OS and Office software, nine of which were labeled “critical.”