Due to a critical software issue in the updater code in PokerStars’ client software, all customers are now required to download the latest software from the website and reinstall.
Since Friday, players who have run PokerStarsUpdate.exe – the default shortcut for opening the poker room client – have been greeted with an error message stating that due to “a problem with the recent software update” players are required to “visit the PokerStars.com website” to download the latest release.
However, further communication from a PokerStars Admin, posting on 2+2, suggest that “this was not caused by a new update” but because the problem lies in the updater code itself, customers’ “best option” is to reinstall.
Other customers have reported that, upon opening the client, they receive an error stating simply “Signature Expired or Wrong Time Settings.” This, along with PokerStars first recommending that players change their computer time settings, points towards an unexpected expiration in the security certificate used in the update process.
To add further confusion and embarrassment, some players – such as those residing in the United States and Belgium – cannot download the client from PokerStars.com as instructed due to regulatory restrictions blocking access to the site. To one customer blocked from the dot-com website, a customer service email provided direct links to download the client for windows and for MAC.
Generally well-regarded in the industry for high levels of communication, PokerStars has been surprisingly quiet on an issue that effects nearly all their players. Other than posts on 2+2, there has been no email to customers and no update on their official blog.
Some seasoned PokerStars players, who have perhaps been bitten in the past by finding bugs when running the update executable, change their shortcut to point directly to “pokerstars.exe” that resides in the same folder. This bypasses the update process and allows players to continue to play as others test out the new version first.
