Gates order Microsoft 'code review'

Microsoft's programmers have been ordered to drop everything and work on fixing security problems in the firm's Windows operating systems, it has emerged.

Company founder Bill Gates has e-mailed the 7,000 programmers working on developing new software to postpone their projects in favour of finding bugs in Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

The move follows a series of security flaws in the systems, including one which let hackers take control of people's computers through the Internet without their victims knowing.The urgent "code review" includes a two-day training seminar for all programmers called "writing secured code", aimed at making sure embarrassing bugs do not show up in the future.