Windows security updates

Winsage
June 27, 2025
Microsoft has introduced a new black variant of the "blue screen of death" (BSOD) for Windows, which will provide essential information like stop codes and fault system drivers. This update is part of the "Windows Resiliency Initiative" aimed at improving product robustness. The sad emoticon face will be retired, and the new BSOD is scheduled for release in Windows 11 later this summer, featuring a user interface update and a Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) feature. Other upcoming features include Connected Cache, Universal Print, Hotpatch Update, and Windows 365 Reserve. Users on older Windows 10 systems will still see the traditional BSOD with the frowning face emoji.
Winsage
June 26, 2025
Resilience is now a strategic necessity for organizations, prompting Microsoft to launch the Windows Resiliency Initiative (WRI) to integrate resilience and security into the Windows platform. In September 2024, Microsoft held the Windows Endpoint Security Ecosystem Summit (WESES) with endpoint security vendors and government representatives to discuss enhancing resilience. Following the summit, collaboration with Microsoft Virus Initiative (MVI) partners has increased, focusing on improving Windows security and reliability through rigorous testing and safe deployment practices. Next month, Microsoft will begin a private preview of a new Windows endpoint security platform for select MVI partners, allowing security solutions to operate outside the Windows kernel for better reliability. Microsoft has released the Windows Resiliency Initiative e-book to guide organizations in building resilience. Innovative products introduced under the WRI include: - Quick machine recovery (QMR) for faster recovery from unexpected restarts, reducing downtime to approximately two seconds. - Microsoft Connected Cache to enhance bandwidth efficiency during updates by caching content locally. - Universal Print anywhere for secure printing from any location. - Hotpatch updates for critical security updates without requiring a restart. - Windows 365 Reserve for secure access to a temporary Cloud PC during device disruptions.
Winsage
May 14, 2025
Microsoft addressed a boot issue affecting dual-boot systems running Linux alongside Windows after the August 2024 Windows security updates, which caused Linux systems to fail to boot due to a Secure Boot Advanced Targeting (SBAT) update. This issue impacted various Windows operating systems, including Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server 2012 and later. The problem arose from a detection mechanism that failed to recognize some customized dual-boot setups, leading to error messages such as "Something has gone seriously wrong: SBAT self-check failed: Security Policy Violation." Microsoft confirmed that the boot issues would be resolved with the May 2025 Patch Tuesday security updates and provided a temporary workaround in late August, advising users to delete the SBAT update. On September 19, Microsoft stopped the automatic application of the problematic SBAT update and recommended a command to prevent future SBAT updates. The issue was specific to the August 2024 security and preview updates, and subsequent updates starting with September 2024 did not contain the problematic settings.
Winsage
April 27, 2025
Microsoft's recent security update for Windows has raised concerns among users due to the introduction of a new vulnerability. The update, intended to address the CVE-2025-21204 vulnerability, inadvertently created a folder named inetpub, which Microsoft claims is essential for user protection. Security researcher Kevin Beaumont has warned that this update has introduced a denial of service vulnerability that allows non-admin users to halt future Windows security updates. Microsoft has classified the issue as moderate in severity and suggested that deleting the inetpub symlink and retrying the update may resolve the problem. The report has been forwarded to the Windows security team for potential further action.
Winsage
April 24, 2025
Microsoft has resolved a known issue causing 0x80070643 installation failure errors during the deployment of the April 2025 Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) updates. This issue affected the KB5057588 update for Windows Server 2022 and the KB5057589 update for Windows 10, versions 22H2 and 21H2. The error message was misleading, as it did not reflect the actual status of the update or the device's performance. The error typically occurred when a device attempted to install the WinRE update while another update was pending a reboot. Microsoft confirmed that users will no longer see the incorrect error message after installing the affected updates. Additionally, in August of the previous year, Microsoft retired the January 2024 Windows security updates that also triggered 0x80070643 errors during WinRE updates. During that time, fraudulent IT support websites promoted malicious PowerShell "fixes" for these errors, leading to malware infections among users.
Winsage
April 15, 2025
Microsoft has acknowledged that some users may experience installation failures with error code 0x80070643 when deploying the April 2025 Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) updates, specifically affecting the KB5057589 update for Windows 10 versions 22H2 and 21H2, and the KB5057588 update for Windows Server 2022. The company stated that this error is misleading and does not affect device functionality, as the WinRE update is typically applied successfully after a device restart. Users may see a failure indication in Windows Update, but this will be resolved after the next daily scan and restart. Microsoft is working on a resolution for this issue, which follows a similar situation from August 2024. Additionally, fraudulent IT support websites have been identified promoting malicious PowerShell "fixes" for these errors.
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