Microsoft to patch Windows, Word next week

Next week's updates will include three critical fixes for bugs in the Windows operating system components, including Internet Explorer and the Outlook Express mail client. A fourth critical fix for users of older versions of Word will also be released, the company said Thursday in a note on its Web site.

The Word update is for Microsoft Word 2000 Service Pack 3, Microsoft Word 2002 Service Pack 3, and Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac.

Also on tap are less-critical updates for Windows and Microsoft's SharePoint collaboration software. Microsoft had dropped a planned SharePoint update at the last minute in September, so this SharePoint update is probably the missing patch, security experts said Thursday. Microsoft's public relations agency would not say whether the October updates include last month's planned SharePoint fix.

Although security researchers have said that they are focusing less on bugs in Microsoft's core operating system, this month's patches belie that trend. Five of the seven updates are for Windows components.

Last month Microsoft released a total of four security updates.