Windows Update Woes Amid Microsoft’s Developer Conference
As the Build developer conference unfolds, a familiar challenge has resurfaced for many users: malfunctioning Windows systems. The current culprits are Windows 10 versions 22H2 and Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021, leaving those who sought refuge from the impending end of Windows 10 support with limited options.
For customers utilizing devices equipped with Intel Trusted Execution Technology (TXT) on tenth-generation or later Intel processors with vPro support, the situation is particularly precarious. If these users have BitLocker enabled and have installed the KB5058379 patch released on May 13, they may find themselves scrambling for their BitLocker recovery keys.
Microsoft has acknowledged that the patch “might cause lsass.exe to terminate unexpectedly, triggering an Automatic Repair.” This could lead to a frustrating cycle where affected systems attempt to install the update multiple times before reverting to the previous version, or worse, entering a reboot loop that continuously returns users to the BitLocker recovery screen.
While Microsoft reassured that consumer devices typically do not feature Intel vPro processors, thus reducing the likelihood of widespread impact, this offers little solace to administrators who now face the daunting task of retrieving BitLocker recovery keys due to what some perceive as insufficient testing by the tech giant.
In conjunction with the release of this problematic patch, Microsoft also announced significant layoffs affecting thousands of employees. The hope remains that enough personnel will be available to address these emerging issues. The company stated, “We are urgently working on a resolution for this issue, with plans to release an Out-of-band update to the Microsoft Update Catalog in the coming days.”
In the interim, various workarounds have surfaced on social media, one of which involves disabling TXT on affected machines. However, this approach comes with its own set of risks, potentially exposing hardware to vulnerabilities. Intel has emphasized the importance of TXT, stating that it “provides mechanisms by enabling an environment where applications can run within their own space – protected from all other software on the system.” Disabling this feature could therefore compromise security.
Administrators now find themselves in a challenging predicament. Delaying the update, which includes valuable fixes, is far from ideal, yet the prospect of leaving users with malfunctioning devices due to Microsoft’s latest oversight is equally concerning.
The Register has reached out to Microsoft for a timeline regarding a resolution and will provide updates as they become available.
