Microsoft said it can't resolve a potentially serious glitch in its Windows Home Server product until at least June.

"Internal testing is expected to continue for at least several more weeks" before technicians at the software maker will be able to issue a patch that resolves the issue, according to a post Monday on the Windows Home Server team blog.

The bug can corrupt files, such as applications, music tracks, or digital photos, if they're transferred to a Windows Home Server unit equipped with two or more hard drives. The glitch can occur if the files are transferred using a number of specific Microsoft programs, including Vista Photo Gallery, Office OneNote 2007, Outlook 2007, Money 2007, and several others.

Microsoft insists it's seen "only a very small percentage of users with confirmed instances of this issue."

Microsoft said the problem presents no easy solution. "It is at an extremely low level of the operating system and it requires thorough testing to ensure that the fix addresses the issue," according to the blog post.

The note cautions that issuing a patch may even take longer than until June. "That date could change as testing progresses," it said.

In the meantime, Microsoft is telling potentially affected users to set Windows Home Server's Shared Folders setting to read-only and to avoid using media management programs, including Windows Media Player, to import files to the server.

They should "also avoid redirecting applications to access files that are stored in the Shared Folders because some applications may change the metadata of a file without explicit user action," Microsoft said.

Windows Home Server allows consumers to create a central repository for all the digital content in their homes. Microsoft released the product in November of last year.