Microsoft Corp. warned consumers Wednesday about four new flaws in its popular Windows software as the company shifted to monthly alerts for serious problems that could let hackers break into computers.

In particularly embarrassing disclosures, Microsoft acknowledged problems in its technology to authenticate software publishers over the Web and in its Windows help and support system.

The company said it did not believe hackers were yet exploiting any of the vulnerabilities it announced.

Microsoft said last week it will begin issuing monthly warnings and software patches, responding to frustration from technology managers who must apply sporadic patches each week across hundreds of computers inside corporations.

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