Microsoft Says Glitch In Download Site

Microsoft Corp. said engineers are working to fix a glitch in its Web server that has prevented Windows XP users from downloading software updates, including a patch for a new security hole.

The problem, discovered Thursday, was created when engineers attempted to update software on a server, a spokeswoman said, adding that it is expected to be corrected before today.

The news does not bode well for Windows XP users who are at risk from two serious security holes announced last month that could leave computers vulnerable to hacker attacks or a denial-of-service attack.

Meanwhile, an anti-virus company said a new computer worm masquerading as a software update from Microsoft is capable of deleting all files on the hard drive of an infected computer but has so far spread very slowly.

The so-called Gigger worm is a low threat because so few computers have been infected, according to Network Associates Inc.

The worm, a self-propagating virus, arrives as an attachment to an e-mail that has a subject line of “Outlook Express Update.”