Windows Server 2022 patch is breaking apps for some users
- Reference: 1705491913
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/01/17/windows_server_2022_patch_breaks/
- Source link:
[1]KB5034129 is a security update for Windows Server 2022 and was released on January 9, 2024. The patch includes a large number of fixes, and as such, getting it tested and installed is a priority for administrators.
That is, unless those administrators like to run Chrome on their Windows Server 2022 desktop.
[2]
Judging by [3]postings on social media over the last [4]few days , things have not gone well. Users have reported the browser fails to open or starts as a blank white box. The issues seem to extend to other Chromium browsers, such as Edge. Some users also report that Windows' Snipping Tool has issues too.
[5]
[6]
Even more affected applications [7]include Mozilla's Firefox browser .
The problem appears to have something to do with the graphics subsystem. One user said that when logging was enabled in Chrome, "it showed a GPU failed to load error." Sadly, attempts to update Chrome or run it without hardware acceleration were met with the same problem – a blank white box where the browser should be.
[8]
The software giant told The Register that "Microsoft is aware of the issue and is investigating."
At the time of writing, however, the company's support page for the patch still says: "Microsoft is not currently aware of any issues with this update."
Administrators affected by the problem have had to uninstall the update in order to restore normal working. Others found that editing the Registry to deal with the affected settings solved their issues.
[9]Systemd 255 is here with improved UKI support
[10]Microsoft adds FPGA-powered network accelerator to Azure
[11]Microsoft investigating bug in Windows 11 File Explorer that makes the CPU hangry
[12]Microsoft makes Windows Server 2022 licenses a little less cynical
Both approaches carry some risk. This is a security update, so removing it could leave a system vulnerable. However, making Registry changes could also leave a Windows installation unstable or hopelessly broken.
Alternatively, users could decide not to use desktop applications on a server operating system. Just because it looks a bit like Windows 10 doesn't mean it is Windows 10. Then again, it's also reasonable to expect that hugely popular applications such as Chrome that worked perfectly well before an update would continue working afterward.
[13]
We contacted Microsoft and Google for their take on the situation and will update should either company respond. ®
Get our [14]Tech Resources
[1] https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/topic/january-9-2024-kb5034129-os-build-20348-2227-6958a36f-efaf-4ef5-a576-c5931072a89a
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/patches&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZagHusPRXf4mTLB9h6tsMQAAAJc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/193c0sz/kb5034129_on_server_2022_causes_chrome_to_crash/
[4] https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/windows-server-for-it-pro/faulty-patches-on-server-2022/m-p/4028125
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/patches&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZagHusPRXf4mTLB9h6tsMQAAAJc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/patches&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZagHusPRXf4mTLB9h6tsMQAAAJc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1873895
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/patches&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZagHusPRXf4mTLB9h6tsMQAAAJc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2023/12/08/systemd_255_is_here/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2023/11/21/azure_boost_network_accelerator/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2023/06/23/microsoft_windows_cpu_bug/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2023/04/26/windows_server_license_changes/
[13] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/patches&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZagHusPRXf4mTLB9h6tsMQAAAJc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
That line shows: El Reg has made itself a fool. Again. That single line is unprofessionalism pure.
Some risk
" This is a security update, so removing it could leave a system vulnerable. However, making Registry changes could also leave a Windows installation unstable or hopelessly broken. "
Clearly the entire system has evolved into something much too darned complicated for safety. That's almost inevitable where the development regime is based on incremental tweaking of existing code. I remember a conference in 2009 where M$ declared that "NT5 will be built from the ground up". Sadly, that policy wasn't implemented, so we have the current bloated mess that breaks somewhere else when anything's fixed.
Remind me again what exactly we are paying those licensing fees for?
> The latest Windows Server 2022 patch has broken the Chrome browser, and short of uninstalling the update, a registry hack is the only way to restore service for affected users.
https://companiesmarketcap.com/
'nuf said.
Browsing from a server?
Not on my watch... no way!
Re: Browsing from a server?
So don’t run an RDS server….
Re: Browsing from a server?
From localtesting a webservice, to using a localhost analytic page, to the simple fact that a goddamn chromium-based webbrowser comes as part of the OS anyway there are many good reasons why people would want to run a browser on a Windows Server, and why Microsoft should test this.
Re: Browsing from a server?
You're already doing it, and don't even know.
Many modern system administration tools are just web-interfaces to local services, and a local browser or web browser control in a window.
Using a browser vs browsing
Just because you're using a browser on a server doesn't mean you're browsing the internet, which certainly isn't recommended - indeed in our organisation it is actively prevented.
However, apart from Edge Chromium being part of Server 2022, there are all manner of applications these days that require administration via browser - even to administrate services running on the local machine, so it's not as simple as saying "no browser" in every environment. If your browser is not working, your app might not be working either, which is a problem, and is very much the downside of cumulative patches.
Re: Using a browser vs browsing
And many "local admin app" might just be an electron wrapped web page as well.
Which depends on Chromium, which is one affected app..
Luckily less than 1% have this problem after updating.
This means only a few million users affected due to market share.
All those in my hands are not affected.
"Alternatively, users could decide not to use desktop applications on a server operating system. "
It also includes Edge, which is the pre-installed Browser in Server 2022. I've not encountered any issues with Firefox (and we have had systems affected by this problem).
One suggestion seems to be that installations which have been in-place upgraded from Server 2016 to 2022 are those affected. I am unsure whether it is only these, though.