by , 1:45 PM EST, December 14th, 2006

Microsoft released a security updater, 11.3.1, for Mac Office on Tuesday. After many applied it, Microsoft pulled the updater on Wednesday with no notice, threw up an HTTP 404 error, and later suggested in their blog that customers "uninstall" the patch. That left many outraged, wondering how to perform the uninstall process, and in an article Thursday at Mac360, the litany of assaults on Apple customers was summarized in a scathing editorial.

Microsoft explained that it was simple human error that led to the premature release. Bambi Hambi wrote: "That�s an explanation I can buy. Even Apple has a few updates that went sour for whatever reason. I�m willing to cut Microsoft�s Mac Business Unit a little slack. Except for this phrase:

'We recommend that anyone who may have installed these pre-release updates to uninstall them.'"

Unfortunately the update has no uninstall option, and the explanation by Microsoft revealed that they haven't a mechanism in place to back up to a previous version. The author and the Apple community all came to that same conclusion on Wednesday. Ms. Hambi explained, "Uninstall seemed to mean the worst -- remove Microsoft Office and start over with the updates."

On Wednesday, Macintouch covered the event under the Security section, and many contributors offered explanation, confirmed the situation and quoted Mactopia:

"To remove this update: This update does not include an uninstall feature. To restore your application to its original state, delete it from your hard disk, reinstall it from your original installation disk, and then install the updates you want."

One approach that may be helpful is to use Appzapper. This product was reviewed here at TMO back in October and is reported to be able to remove MS Office components.

But Mac360 wasn't done: "Added to that insult is a list of others from Microsoft. Visual Basic won�t be included in the next Mac version of Microsoft Office, breaking compatibility with the Windows version of Office. Windows Vista honcho Jim Allchin once wrote he�d buy a Mac if he didn�t work at Microsoft -- then denied the context of his obvious rant. Microsoft was caught stealing icons from Apple for one of their products. Adding fuel to the flames now burning my formerly good relationship with Microsoft�s Mac products is a video spoofing Apple�s "I�m a Mac, I�m a PC" TV commercials -- with the Zune."

It has been a tough week for Microsoft's Apple customers.