Windows 10 failing to patch properly? You are most definitely not alone
- Reference: 1709842513
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/03/07/users_report_windows_10_patch/
- Source link:
The Register saw the update, [1]KB5001716 , appear on a Windows 10 test rig overnight and it triggered a sense of déjà vu.
We checked the update history and, sure enough, there was another update already installed in October: "2023-10 Update for Windows Version 10 22H2 systems for x64-based Systems (KB5001716)."
[2]
A problem detecting that the patch is already installed appears to be what's causing the issues, and some users are reporting a 0x80070643 error when Windows 10 tries to install it.
[3]
[4]
The update itself is relatively minor and tweaks the Windows Update UI. Once installed, Windows might attempt to download and install feature updates, said Microsoft. Windows might also send users a pop up notification or two warning them of problems stopping the operating system from keeping itself up to date.
[5]Microsoft suggests command line fiddling to get faulty Windows 10 update installed
[6]Microsoft's latest security patch troubles Windows 11 users
[7]Microsoft admits issues with Windows 10 patch almost 2 months after release
[8]Microsoft fixes Point of Sale bug that delayed Windows 11 startup for 40 minutes
Microsoft gave an example: "You may see a notification informing you that your device is currently running a version of Windows that has reached the end of its support lifecycle, or that your device does not meet the minimum hardware requirements for the currently installed version of Windows."
It sounds like all it needs is a link to a vendor selling hardware that Windows 11 will run on.
The error is not a critical one. Some affected users have reported they fixed the issue by simply uninstalling the update from October and then trying again.
[9]
However, the issue speaks of a greater malaise within Microsoft and the Windows team. Problems in patches are becoming all too common, and getting mixed up about what is already installed – if that is indeed the cause, Microsoft continues to publicly insist that there are no known issues with this one – is yet another symptom of quality issues.
Microsoft has yet to acknowledge problems with the update, although its AI representative, Copilot, was more forthcoming and admitted, "Many users have encountered problems with this update." Then again, users could say that about a lot of Windows updates. ®
Get our [10]Tech Resources
[1] https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/topic/kb5001716-update-for-windows-update-service-components-fb9dd3d3-d702-4f8a-af10-b9551cfa6e13
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZepHFrKKzWZPVXzUFf9O3AAAAFY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZepHFrKKzWZPVXzUFf9O3AAAAFY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZepHFrKKzWZPVXzUFf9O3AAAAFY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/12/microsoft_update_for_bitlocker_vuln/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2022/07/18/windows_11_patch_problems/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/24/windows_10_patch_issues/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/04/26/windows_11_patch/
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZepHFrKKzWZPVXzUFf9O3AAAAFY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
You're trying to apply logic and reason. It's Microsoft.
"There has been a degree of speculation that Microsoft are simply not interested in Windows desktops anymore. Their money comes from services; Azure, 365 etc. plus, of course, virtual windows-based desktops, for which they can charge a recurring fee rather than a one-off Windows licence."
You may be right, but then Microsoft's online services exhibit the same amount of broken-ness (remember that Entra formerly known as Azure is the cloud service with the highest unplanned outage rate amongst all big cloud providers), which comes on top of some of the most idiotic security lapses there are, so the only thing we can say with a straight face is that Microsoft is showing consistent behavior across all of its product ranges.
But looking at how businesses fall over themselves to pay Microsoft a pretty penny for its crapware it could be argued that they are actually doing the right thing.
non-optional updates
A couple of months ago my W10 VM insisted on updating itself. After reboot my user profile had mysteriously rewound to a state approximately 2 years ago.
I uninstalled the most recent "updates" and, thank bob, all my recent documents etc miraculously reappeared.
Some weeks later the system informed me that it wanted once again to apply the same updates. This time I wanted to snapshot the VM first. So I ignored the options to apply updates before shutting down or restarting and opted to simply shut down without applying anything at all.
It just ignored me and applied the updates anyway.
Tossers.
-A.
There has been a degree of speculation that Microsoft are simply not interested in Windows desktops anymore. Their money comes from services; Azure, 365 etc. plus, of course, virtual windows-based desktops, for which they can charge a recurring fee rather than a one-off Windows licence.
And it’s not as if this, somewhat cavalier, attitude to updates quality is a new thing, how long ago was it since a Windows update decided to flush users’ data down the toilet?
Now, if, if, Microsoft are pivoting away from being focussed on making money through the Windows OS and stand alone Office installations, then the first thing you start to do is reduce the resources allocated to supporting them and checking that updates don’t do anything stupid, yes?