Microsoft fixes its touch interface bug reported previously.

About a month ago, I posted about a bug deep in the Windows 8.1 touch interface code, a problem which triggered an exception in our products.  I detailed the debugging process and verification that it was an error in Microsoft’s latest operating system.

Last week, Microsoft indirectly confirmed the bug by issuing an update, KB2919355, which fixes the reported problem.  With that update installed via Windows Update, our test system now works correctly with all of our unrevised games that had previously responded to a hardware (floating point) exception.  Of course, KB2919355 is a “cumulative update” comprised of more than 100 different fixes so, without unwarranted experimentation, I cannot be certain which one addresses our issue, though KB2927066: Ichitaro crashes when you use a touch screen to enter text in Windows 8.1 seems to be the most likely candidate.  (The description is very similar.)

Unfortunately, we still need to update all of our Windows products, since we cannot rely on customers applying the update (and, ironically, it actually fails to install on one of our development systems).  The fix comes too late, after Windows 8.1 was distributed to the public at large and, also, after I spent many hours debugging the problem.  Still, it is better that it was acknowledged and fixed (than denied and ignored).

A series of updates for Goodsol products will commence shortly.