Microsoft stops fixing security flaw on PCs with AMD chips

Microsoft has temporarily stopped fixing a serious security flaw on personal computers powered by certain chips from Advanced Micro Devices because the repair is crippling the affected machines.

The suspension will delay efforts to protect the AMD machines from potential intrusions caused by security bugs known as "Spectre" and "Meltdown." The problem primarily threatens devices running on processors from AMD's larger rival, Intel, but also could cause trouble on devices running on other chips.

Microsoft began offering updates to its Windows operating system to address the flaw last week, but is withholding the repair from some AMD-powered machines that have been rendered inoperable by its fix. The company said in a notice Tuesday on its website that it's working with AMD to resolve the problem so people can resume installing the recommended repairs.

After the bugs were announced last week, AMD declared there is "near zero risk" to its own processors, partly because of Microsoft's security patches.

In other developments, Microsoft also warned that some computers powered by older processors probably won't work as well as they once did after the antidotes to Spectre and Meltdown are installed.

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