Microsoft kicked off the re-release of the Windows 10 October 2018 update earlier this week, announcing that the global rollout would be slower this time around “to “more carefully study device health data.” Despite extended testing with Windows Insiders, every major Windows 10 release has had issues, and this has to be expected considering the complexity of the Windows 10 ecosystem.
Well, it’s just been two days since Microsoft resumed the rollout the October 2018 update, but the company has already acknowledged three known issues affecting the Windows 10 October 2018 update, as well as Windows Server 2019 and Windows Server 1809 (via ZDNet). The first one has been reported by several IT Pros, and it can cause mapped drives to fail to reconnect after starting and logging onto a Windows device. Microsoft has already provided a workaround and committed to provide a fix “in the 2019 timeframe,” but that’s quite a long time to wait for IT Pros. In the meantime, many of them will likely prefer to block the updates until Microsoft provides a fix.
The second issue that Microsoft acknowledged yesterday is a compatibility issue with Trend Micro’s OfficeScan and Worry-Free Business Security software. As of today, there is an upgrade block in place for devices running these security products, and Microsoft will wait for Trend Micro to provide a patch before resuming the rollout of the October 2018 update for devices running the security software.
Lastly, Microsoft has acknowledged that PCs with AMD Radeon HD2000 or HD4000 GPUs may have some issues with tabs stopping to work in Microsoft Edge, or experience performance issues with the Windows 10 lock screen. There is also an upgrade block in place for these devices while Microsoft takes some time to investigate the issue.
Rolling out a new major update every six months to 700 million devices is an incredibly complex process, and there will certainly be some unexpected bumps on the “Windows as a service” road. The whole October 2018 update fiasco seems to have been a big learning moment for Microsoft, but there are also some lessons for consumers and IT Pros as well: It’s ok to wait a bit before installing a fresh new OS update, and you should always back up your data before proceeding.
