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Windows 10 Could Automatically Uninstall Buggy Windows Updates (windowslatest.com)

Microsoft is reportedly working on a new functionality that will automatically remove botched updates from Windows 10 to fix startup issues and other bugs preventing the PC from booting. "The support document was quietly published a couple of hours ago and for some reasons, Microsoft has also blocked the search engines from crawling or indexing the page," reports Windows Latest. "In the document, Microsoft explains that Windows may automatically install updates in order to keep your device secure and smooth." From the report: Due to various reasons, including software and driver compatibility issues, Windows Updates are vulnerable to mistakes and hardware errors. In some cases, Windows Update may fail to install. After installing a recent update, if your PC experience startup failures and automatic recovery attempts are unsuccessful, Windows may try to resolve the failure by uninstalling recently installed updates. In this case, users may receive a notification with the following message: "We removed some recently installed updates to recover your device from a startup failure."

Microsoft says that Windows will also automatically block the problematic updates from installing automatically for the next 30 days. During these 30 days, Microsoft and its partners will investigate the failure and attempt to fix the issues. When the issues are fixed, Windows will again try to install the updates. Users still have the freedom to reinstall the updates. If you believe that the update should not be removed, you can manually reinstall the driver or quality updates which were uninstalled earlier.

3 of 64 comments (clear)

  1. enh, maybe not by roc97007 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Windows 10 (Windows in general, actually) has had a bad record on automatic installs. I don't think I want it automatically uninstalling anything.

    I understand what they're trying to do, but as someone else said, the hot setup is not to push out buggy installs in the first place.

    --
    Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
  2. It'll work this time?? by Voyager529 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So, MS has had this since Windows 7...but every time it tried pulling out a failed update, it would either fail to remove (leaving the machine in an unbootable state), or pull it out, then reinstall it on the next reboot, then fail, then revert, and so on...also leaving a machine basically unusable.

    This isn't what Windows 10 needs.

    What Windows 10 needs is simple: security-only updates with a 10MB maximum per update, references to actual KB articles that explicitly state the exploit they mitigate, and a return to 'service packs', released annually. Want to call them 'feature updates'? fine. Support security updates on service packs N, N-1, and N-2, and allow users to permanently opt out of service packs and have manual installers available for those service packs, so users can do the major updates on their own terms.

    Even the handful of people who actually care about the new features being added to Win10 are either in the Insider program (where they opt into this-might-break-stuff updates), or else they consider those new features secondary to existing functionality.

    It's really that simple.

  3. Re:FFS, Microsoft by DigitAl56K · · Score: 3, Insightful

    People can't be trusted to be responsible. This has been clearly demonstrated with widespread harm caused by previously patched security bugs being none the less exploited.

    Microsoft can't be trusted to be responsible. This has been clearly demonstrated with tricky/forced migration from older OS versions, data loss, and dead PCs.