# Fake Microsoft patch?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-microsoft-patch/166350
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 4, 2003, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-microsoft-patch/166350 "2003-04-04T01:28:08Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2003, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-microsoft-patch/166350/1 "2003-04-04T01:28:08Z")

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Did anyone receive a file from MS Corporation Security Department \<[mrtqjqxuvcvaczsz@support.msdn.com](mailto:mrtqjqxuvcvaczsz@support.msdn.com)\> purportedly “April 2003, Cumulative Patch”?

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### Author: ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2003, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-microsoft-patch/166350/2 "2003-04-04T01:31:29Z")

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No, but considering the username in that email address, I’d be mighty suspicious.

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### Author: ![Severian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@Severian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Severian)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2003, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-microsoft-patch/166350/3 "2003-04-04T01:37:09Z")

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Microsoft does **not** mail patches.

> **[Developer tools, technical documentation and coding examples](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/?url=%2Ftechnet%2Fsecurity%2Fnews%2Fpatch_hoax.asp)**
>
> The home for Microsoft documentation and learning for developers and technology professionals.

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### Author: ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2003, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-microsoft-patch/166350/4 "2003-04-04T01:41:05Z")

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[Obligatory Snopes Link](http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/security.htm).

> [@](#):
>
> A bogus “Internet Security Pack” message which claims to include security patches for Microsoft Outlook and Internet Explorer harbors a **malevolent worm**.

(Emphasis mine.)

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### Author: ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2003, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-microsoft-patch/166350/5 "2003-04-04T01:48:21Z")

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Thanks, Severian.

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### Author: ![stockton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@stockton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stockton)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-microsoft-patch/166350/6 "2003-04-04T04:26:40Z")

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Are you interested in buying a bridge or some vacation land in Florida?

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### Author: ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2003, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-microsoft-patch/166350/7 "2003-04-04T08:50:33Z")

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- 
  - 
    - If you didn’t know, there is a beta patch leaked out to fix the XP memory allocation error. Some people see no difference, some (like me) see improvement with some programs but not all, and others see everything speed up. The link is in a thread on the ArsTechnica boards, in the Windows/OS area on it. The patch also seems to break a few different various programs, so you might best browse the reports from previous users.  
~