Intel tells companies to stop installing patch for security flaw as earnings loom

Intel Corp. was founded in 1968. SAN FRANCISCO -- Intel is halting some patches to the broad chip flaws it discovered earlier this month, after evidence that fixes resulted in problems with the computer systems. It's the latest stumble after researchers discovered a design flaw that affects hundreds of millions of PCs, Macs and smartphones, and comes ahead of Intel's earnings report. The patches "may introduce higher than expected reboots and other unpredictable system behavior," wrote Navin Shenoy, general manager for Intel's data center group in a blog posting Monday. Intel (INTC) and other tech companies have been scrambling since January 3, when researchers disclosed a design flaw in chips made by Intel and others that could allow an attacker to view hidden information such as passwords.