In brief: Intel admits to motherboard bug

Intel has confirmed that a bug in some motherboards it manufactures can cause machines to hang, but claimed that the problem is now fixed.

Certain SE 440 BX2 motherboards, dubbed Seattle 2, have a power glitch that scrambles Bios settings and can damage the Flash Bios. The bug has no effect on the processor, a representative said.

He said: "We identified the problem in October and have created a utility for distributors and dealers, which will let them identify whether a particular motherboard has a problem."

The fix for the problem involves adding two decoupling capacitors to the motherboard, he said.

End users who encountered the bug should return faulty machines to their retailer or dealer, he said. In practice, the "very few" faulty motherboards are easily identifiable because the machine hangs very quickly, he added.