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Windows 11 Patch Tuesday preview is a glitchy disaster

(2024/09/30)


Microsoft's Patch Tuesday preview, KB5043145, arrived last week and is already causing some headaches thanks to serious stability issues.

These previews are released early to give administrators time to test them before a full rollout on the next Patch Tuesday. In this case, October's Patch Tuesday, the last preview update for Home and Pro users of Windows 11 22H2.

Judging by both Microsoft's support article on the update and the company's feedback forum, things are not going smoothly.

[1]

Microsoft's support article on [2]KB5043145 describes problems which may ensue as "known issues."

[3]

[4]

"After installing this update, some customers have reported that their device restarts multiple times or becomes unresponsive with blue or green screens," the document states. "According to the reports, some devices automatically open the Automatic Repair tool after repeated restart attempts. In some cases, BitLocker recovery can also be triggered."

The support forum lists a catalog of catastrophes. Users on the feedback hub have complained of glitches with USB and Wi-Fi, as well as computers failing to boot after installing the update.

[5]

Others have [6]reported that Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 breaks following the update.

[7]AI to power the corporate Windows 11 refresh? Nobody's buying that

[8]Microsoft on a roll for terrible rebranding with Windows App

[9]The end is in sight for Windows 10, but Microsoft keeps pushing out fixes

[10]Windows 11 users still living in the past face forced update, like it or not

When KB5043145 works, it provides some useful enhancements. Local files can be shared directly from search results, and the sign-out command is added to the account manager in the Start Menu. Admins are giving mixed reviews on the latter change. While some are [11]welcoming the tweak, others remain [12]worried that end users might simply turn off their computers, much to the chagrin of tech departments planning to perform maintenance outside of regular hours.

However, the update should fix Microsoft Edge not responding to requests to use Internet Explorer mode. Assuming it can be installed.

The update is an optional preview. Users must elect to install it and, considering Redmond's track record on quality control, risk their computers requiring a reinstall.

At present, the only solution for admins who have installed the update and encountered problems is to roll it back if possible. There is just over a week to go until Patch Tuesday, so we're sure Microsoft is working to rectify the problems.

[13]

For Reg readers sticking with older versions of Windows 11, the monthly dose of Microsoft mayhem will soon be a thing of the past. There is just one more Patch Tuesday to go. For the rest, the problems associated with this latest debacle again highlights the need for testing before letting an update go anywhere near production. ®

Get our [14]Tech Resources



[1] 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=2ZvrLJCy2s6n4LgOvcE5k0wAAAIc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0

[2] https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/topic/september-26-2024-kb5043145-os-builds-22621-4249-and-22631-4249-preview-71ee16f6-9a39-4569-937c-fe0fd8577285

[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=44ZvrLJCy2s6n4LgOvcE5k0wAAAIc&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=33ZvrLJCy2s6n4LgOvcE5k0wAAAIc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0

[5] 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=44ZvrLJCy2s6n4LgOvcE5k0wAAAIc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0

[6] https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows11/comments/1fqk01r/psa_cumulative_update_preview_for_windows_11/

[7] https://www.theregister.com/2024/09/23/windows_11_ai_opinion/

[8] https://www.theregister.com/2024/09/20/microsoft_windows_app/

[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/09/17/windows_10_insider_update/

[10] https://www.theregister.com/2024/09/11/microsoft_23h2_forced_update/

[11] https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/1fqmfk9/comment/lp6okoa/

[12] https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/1fqmfk9/comment/lp6h9s3/

[13] 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=33ZvrLJCy2s6n4LgOvcE5k0wAAAIc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0

[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/



Impressive

seven of five

I find it always amazing how much Micros~1 manage to break with just a single patch - or a handfull of them. One click and carnage all over the place.

Backup Tuesday

mickaroo

It sounds like copying a system image BEFORE patching might be a thing.

I'll add that to my to-do list...

Re: Backup Tuesday

Charlie Clark

And always give it at least a week (three maybe better) for the SNAFUs to be reported by the beta testers other users, though this can lead to the conundrum: update to a potentially unusable system to avoid a zero-day exploit?

Liability in such cases really needs clarifying but, guess what, it won't be.

Re: Backup Tuesday

Doctor Syntax

You also assume they'll have fixed it in three weeks. Hope springs eternal.

Re: Backup Tuesday

Charlie Clark

No, I don't assume it. Let's call it the updaters dilemma: you know you've got to install the security fixes at some point, but how do you know that the update won't brick your system?

A minimum of a week is reasonable, but only if you have some resource that taps into the feedback provided by the millions of unwitting guinea pigs and let you know whether it's another howler, or mostly harmless.

Re: Liability???? WTF???

Steve Davies 3

Sorry to disappoint you but MS is NEVER EVER Liable for anything.

Otherwise, Move along there. Nothing new to report. The MS update system is broken and has been for over a decade but they don't care. No one can sue the living daylights out of them and survive.

Re: Backup Tuesday

James O'Shea

I usually have Acronis run a full volume image before allowing a Patch Tuesday patch. I suspect that I will be doing that, and backing up important stuff onto other media as well. Just in case. Time to buy another external drive.

At the Weyland Yutani IT Department

Homo.Sapien.Floridanus

Newt: It’s the second Tuesday, we better take snapshots and check backups.

Ripley: what’s the big deal about second Tuesdays?

Newt: That’s mostly when they come, mostly.

Re: At the Weyland Yutani IT Department

MyffyW

It's a Windows update. It'll breed. Your computer will die.

meanwhile in a more optimistic universe sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

Re: At the Weyland Yutani IT Department

Steve Davies 3

or

dnf -y update

Re: At the Weyland Yutani IT Department

Lee D

I would love to just take off and nuke the whole thing from orbit.

They can bill me.

There's never a penalty for Microsoft.

Awk_ward

Here's your OS and we'll bork it for you when you need it.

Every single paid for License key for software Windows should come with a compulsory 2 license package. One for the machine you're using, and a back up machine if it goes Kaput on an update.

Windows also needs to allow people to manage their own updates, when the updates are worse than the Malware - you know you're on the wrong OS.

As much as I hate to say it, I'm slowly turning to Mac.

Re: There's never a penalty for Microsoft.

keithzg

A friend of mine just messaged me an hour ago lamenting that he let his desktop Mac install an OS update and now it's repeatedly locking up for minutes at a time, so . . .

Pascal Monett

Don't forget : Borkzilla has (had) Apple shares.

Cupertino has been infected . . .

Re: There's never a penalty for Microsoft.

Steve Davies 3

Come, this is a tech forum. You should know that we need version numbers or update numbers before we believe a word. Sorts like certain immigrants eating cats and dogs. Great press but easily debunked.

There are enough Mac users here that some of us (yes, me included) should have encountered this problem before now.

Please don't tell us that your friend was installing a beta release.

Blessing

elsergiovolador

Sounds like the end of support for Windows 10 will be a blessing in disguise for those who stay on it.

_You_ might be sure

James O'Shea

that Microsoft is working on fixes for the problems. I have my doubts. I also feel that even if they are working on fixes, they won't have the fixes ready in time for Patch Tuesday, and they will emit the patches anyway, ready or not. They're Microsoft. It's what they do.

I shall be spending the weekend setting up images for my home and office WinBoxes. And I will probably wait to install patches until at least Friday. Just to see how bad things really are. This is being typed on a Win10 box which will not, repeat, NOT be going to Win11.

Now, where did I put that Acronis key...

"These previews are released early to" . .

Pascal Monett

. . ensure that users can beta test it and report on the issues.

Because Redmond doesn't test anymore. Why should it ? It's reputation doesn't seem to suffer no matter how many times it fucks up.

And my God does it fuck up.

Practical politics consists in ignoring facts.
-- Henry Adams