Affiliate Disclosure
If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Read our ethics policy.

Microsoft accidentally bricks AMD PCs with Spectre patch

A recently-issued Windows security update designed to deal with the Spectre processor vulnerability is more Maxwell Smart than James Bond, users say.

The patch inadvertently bricked some computers running AMD chips, with the machines reportedly unable to boot past the Windows logo. Complaints began appearing in Microsoft's Answers forum last week, as noted by The Register.

Rolling back the update doesn't seem to be possible, and reinstalling Windows is also a non-starter for most users.

The patch - KB4056892 - was released early last week in response to the Spectre vulnerability that dropped on New Year's Eve. AMD chips are not vulnerable to the similar Meltdown flaw, which was unveiled at the same time.

Apple addressed these vulnerabilities in recent versions of macOS, iOS, and tvOS, and continues to work to mitigate the problems. The company took further steps with the release of iOS 11.2.2 and macOS 10.13.2 earlier Monday.