Microsoft testing 'Core Duo power drain bug' fix

Microsoft has pledged to post a patch that will fix the power drain bug that has hit some Core Duo-based notebooks when they're connected to USB 2.0 devices. Separately, it has been claimed Intel has also finished a fix, though at this stage it remains unclear when one or both solutions will ship to users.

The bug, which sees an affected notebook's battery charge drain away whenever a USB 2.0 peripheral is connected to the system, emerged in independent testing last month. The finger of blame was initially pointed at Intel's 945GM and 945PM chipsets, but it soon emerged that the problem arose from a glitch in Microsoft's Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) driver in Windows XP Service Pack 2.

Curiously, the problem was allegedly documented in Microsoft Knowledge Base not-for-public-consumption article dating back to July 2005. However, yesterday it emerged the problem experienced with Core Duo-based notebooks and the symptoms outlined in the Knowledge Base article aren't the same, and Microsoft told TG Daily - the website which jointly exposed the new bug - that users should not implement existing workarounds.

Instead, users should wait for the upcoming patch and BIOS update, which are currently being tested by Microsoft, the company said.

According to the TG Daily report, Intel has completed work on a fix of its own, though the company would not comment on the solution's status - possibly it's part of what Microsoft is currently testing. ®