Microsoft Corporation late launched an automated tool to bewilder utilizes of a critical unpatched Windows vulnerability that specialists fear will shortly be used by hackers beside the general PC populace.

But, the tool, similar to a manual procedure that Microsoft suggested last week, is only a temporary protection, one that lots of users might oppose applying, as it makes a lot of Windows system, as well as the desktop, taskbar and Start menu, about unusable.

The corporation posted a "Fix It" tool on its support site that automatically immobilizes the displaying of all Windows shortcut files. Microsoft paced users through similar technique last week in its first security advisor, but at that time it told them that they had to edit Windows registry. Nearly all Windows users are unwilling to monkey with registry, since a single error can cripple a PC.

Microsoft's single-click Fix It tool just automates that process. Users should reboot their machines after applying work-around, but IT administrators can arrange tool to install it whereas users are out of office or not at their PCs.

The corporation admitted that applying Fix It or registry-editing work-around will "collision usability" of machine, as both change the usual graphical icons on desktop and somewhere else into generic white icons, making it impractical to tell at a quick look which represents say, Internet Explorer, and which stands for Microsoft Word.

Microsoft as well amend its security advisor, initially published last Friday, to tell corporate administrators that they might protect against attacks by as well blocking downloads of shortcut files identified by ".lnk" addition and ".pif" files at network edge.