More Windows patches — and warnings about the Win10 1709 update KB 4089848
Credit to Author: Woody Leonhard| Date: Fri, 23 Mar 2018 06:52:00 -0700
“Hey, Cortana.” (Pause.) “Is my PC working yet?”
It’s getting to the point that patches come flying out of Microsoft on any odd day. On most odd days, for that matter. Yesterday, Thursday, was no exception. On March 22 we saw all of these new patches:
All three of the active versions of Win10 got cumulative updates — the second set in the past two weeks:
We also got Servicing Stack Updates for two of the three active versions of Win10:
I don’t see any Servicing Stack update for 1709.
Windows 10 patches are stacking up like jets at JFK in a snowstorm.
Yesterday’s cumulative update for Win10 Fall Creators Update, KB 4089848, has raised some red flags. It’s still too early to say for sure if there are significant problems, but …
Poster yvrhnl on AskWoody reports:
KB 4089848 disabled Start Menu, Notification Centre and Settings Menu. After rollback all enabled again.
Poster Robert in PA on the Microsoft Answers forum says:
I installed the latest Windows 10 update – KB4089848 – today, 3/22/18. The update prevents my HP printer from printing. I deinstalled the update, and my printer started working again … HP LaserJet Pro MFP M426fdw I cannot print from any application when this KB is installed. The error messages I receive are pop ups that disappear faster than I can write them down.
Poster Washingtonian-in-SD on the Microsoft Answers forum says:
Update installed successfully (verified in Programs and Features); however, since it was installed, all information has been wiped from the installed update history from Windows Update.
Yesterday, Microsoft also released two previews of upcoming Monthly Rollups:
Notably, distressingly, there’s no preview of a Monthly Rollup for Win7. You may recall that this month’s Monthly Rollup for Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2, KB 4088875, and the download-and-manually-install Security-only patch, KB 4088878, have triggered all sorts of problems. Microsoft has acknowledged all of these problems:
Apparently in response to the multiple screw-ups, it looks like KB 4088875 now appears as an “Important” update in the Windows Update list, but isn’t checked by default, and doesn’t install automatically, even with Automatic Update enabled. I’m seeing conflicting reports about whether KB 4088875 currently appears on the WSUS list.
To the best of my knowledge, Microsoft hasn’t yet deigned to explain to us mortals what’s going on with the botched patch — but there’s no doubt that you should avoid it.
I don’t know what KB 4023057 actually does, but it’s been implicated as the impetus of the “accidental” forced upgrades from 1703 to 1709 — which happened even if 1703 was set to defer upgrades — that I reported on two weeks ago. Blame has fallen on a mysterious new, uh, feature called “Update Assistant” that bypasses Windows Update settings somehow, and this KB has been linked to the Update Assistant.
On AskWoody, poster abbodi86 says about an earlier version of KB 4023057:
It evolved from just fixing registry to restore tasks and fix drivers DB, and compatibilty for UAC management. The main purpose or function did not change: re-allow blocked or disabled Windows Update.
Of course, Microsoft’s official description is the usual “Nothing to see here, folks” drivel:
This update includes reliability improvements that affect the update service components in Windows 10 Versions 1507, 1511, 1607, and 1703.
This update includes files and resources that address issues that affect the update processes in Windows 10. These improvements ensure that quality updates are installed seamlessly on your device and help to improve the reliability and security of devices running Windows 10. When Windows update is available for your device, devices that do not have enough disk…
Only certain builds of Windows 10 Versions 1507, 1511, 1607, and 1703 require this update. Devices that are running those builds will automatically get the update downloaded and installed through Windows Update.
This update is also offered directly to Windows Update Client for some devices that have not installed the most recent updates. This update is not offered from the Microsoft Update Catalog.
I just wish Microsoft would speak plainly. In this case, some Win10 users (not sure which ones) are getting a patch that (apparently?) breaks their wuauserv Windows Update server settings. I assume that its entire reason for existence is to push more people onto the next version of Win10.
When did Microsoft become the enemy?
Keep us posted on the AskWoody Lounge.