Microsoft’s Security Update Sparks User Frustrations
In August 2025, Microsoft rolled out security update KB5063878, aimed at addressing a significant privilege escalation vulnerability. However, the update has inadvertently introduced a series of challenges for standard Windows users, disrupting their daily operations.
Rather than subtly enhancing User Account Control (UAC) as intended, the patch has resulted in non-administrator accounts encountering unexpected prompts during routine tasks. Microsoft has identified several common scenarios where these issues arise, including:
- MSI repair operations
- Initial launches of specific Autodesk software
- Per-user application installations
- Active Setup processes
- Software deployed via Configuration Manager that relies on user-specific settings
In particular, commands such as “msiexec /fu” may fail for non-administrators, and users attempting to set up older programs, like Office Professional Plus 2010, may encounter setup errors, notably error 1730.
As users navigate these unexpected hurdles, Microsoft has provided several temporary workarounds. Regular users are encouraged to utilize the “Run as administrator” option whenever feasible. Meanwhile, IT teams within larger organizations are advised to implement a Known Issue Rollback (KIR) policy, as outlined by Microsoft Support, to mitigate the disruptive prompts.
Microsoft has also issued a caution against disabling UAC entirely, as doing so would negate the security enhancements the update was designed to provide. Instead, administrators are urged to review their per-user software deployments and collaborate with vendors to sidestep potential compatibility issues.
Looking ahead, Microsoft has committed to releasing a future update that will enable IT administrators to whitelist specific applications for repair operations without triggering UAC prompts. Until that solution is in place, users will need to adapt to the heightened security measures introduced by the recent update.
