A brief information for administrators in enterprise environments. How to monitor the crash history of a large number of devices running Windows 10? Microsoft has an answer: Windows Analytics.

I came across this information via Twitter reading a post in Microsoft’s  Windows IT Pro channel.

#WindowsAnalytics Wednesday: How to quickly identify frequently crashing devices in your ecosystem with Device Health https://t.co/Ngj6xhLzs3 pic.twitter.com/fVEzelrZ93

— Windows IT Pro (@MSWindowsITPro) 29. August 2018

The keyword here is Device Healt (i.e. the device reliability), which can be displayed and evaluated with Windows Analytics. Device Health offers the following benefits:

• Identification of devices that frequently crash and may therefore need to be rebuilt or replaced.
• Identify device drivers that cause device crashes, with suggestions for alternative versions of these drivers that could reduce the number of crashes.
• Notification of Windows Information Protection misconfigurations that send notifications to end users.

Details may be found on the relevant Microsoft pages.

[German]Short question to Windows 10 owners: Have the Windows 10 August 2018 updates appeared twice and with the text ‘Internal – Corpnet required’ within the list of upcoming updates?

The error description

Susan Bradley, who is engaged as moderator at patchmanagement.org, has recognized frequent reports of duplicate August 2018 updates on Windows 10. The duplicate updates are displayed on affected systems with the addition ‘Internal – Corpnet required’. If you search for the term ‘internal – corpnet required 2018-08 cumulative update’, there are many hits (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

The above screenshot is from a Chinese version of Windows 10 V1803 and was posted in the Microsoft Answers forum. On superuser.com you can find the following screenshot of an English Windows with the same entry:

The affected person tried a fresh installation there, and the error was gone. According to what I saw during a web search, the problem has been occurring since August 2018 Patchday – first hits are from August 15, 2018.

In tensforum.com there is this entry, in which the whole thing is discussed. Internal – Corpnet Required] indicates that this update is intended as a test version for internal use at Microsoft.

Microsoft seems to have some problems with shipping updates to the right machines. Over the weekend, I reported in the German blog post Ups: Insider Build regulären Windows 10-Nutzern angeboten that Windows Insider Previews were offered to regular Windows 10 users. 

Is Microsoft aware of this issues?

I guess, Microsoft might be aware of this issue, because this article was published in the Microsoft Answers forum on August 17, 2018: 

internal corpnet required

Windows 10 1803 update 8 says [Internal – Corpnet Required] 2018-08 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1803 for x64-based Systems (KB4343909)

Volunteer Zackary Vanosdol writes that the error is known and gives hints for solving the problem. 

Hello! Sorry you are having this issue. Hopefully we can fix it.
Go to PC settings > update & Security > troubleshoot > windows update

Run the update troubleshooter here
Run a SFC scan

The affected user confirms that a multiple execution (3 – 4 times) of the update problem handling has eliminated the duplicate entry. Later on I found that this hint has also been given in local Microsoft Answers forums (spanish for instance) by Microsoft moderators.

Note: I like to mention, that the sfc command has been broken in Windows Server 2016 for months (see my old blog post Windows Server 2016: May 2018 Update bricks sfc).

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Microsoft had released the Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17744 for testers in the Slow Ring at the end of August (see Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17744 in Slow Ring). Now Redmond has released an ISO installation file of this build. The download is possible for Windows Insiders after registering on this website.

Microsoft has released insider preview build 17754 for Windows 10 V1809 in Fast Ring. There has also been an update for build 17751.

he announcement was made on the Windows Blog, where you learn that this build no longer contains a watermark (and there is no expiration date). Microsoft says however, that it is not the final version of V1803 yet, as they have just started to check the final code for the release of Windows 10 V1803. The build seems to have been created last Friday, but may have been postponed in release to this week due to the Labor Day. Details about fixed bugs and known issues may be found within the blog post linked above.

German blog reader Christian also informed me yesterday afternoon by mail about an update for build 17751 (thanks for that).

Die Windows 10 Insider Preview 177

[German]In addition to extended (paid) support for Windows 7 until January 2023 (see Wow! Windows 7 get extended support until January 2023), Microsoft announced a change in the Windows 10 support model. There is now 30 months of support for new Windows 10 Autumn builds. For all other new Windows 10 builds there is 18 months support – except for the old builds (and a few other limitations). 

Old: Windows as a service with 18 months support

Till now, Microsoft has granted 18 months of support for Windows 10 builds. Exceptions are the LTSC variants of Windows 10 with 10 years support. Exceptions were also granted to various builds of Windows 10, whose support cycle had to be extended by Microsoft. I would like to remind you here of the article Windows 10 support for Clover Trail machines till 2023  – and my blog post Windows EOL dates differs for clients and servers.

Already in February 2018 Microsoft announced the extension of the support for Windows 10. The Windows 10 builds should get 24 months support (see the German article by Martin Geuß).

New: Windows as a service with 30 month support

In the blog post Helping customers shift to a modern desktop Microsoft announced its new support model for Windows 10:

• All currently supported feature updates of Windows 10 Enterprise and Education editions (versions 1607, 1703, 1709, and 1803) will be supported for 30 months from their original release date. This will give customers on those versions more time for change management as they move to a faster update cycle.
• All future feature updates of Windows 10 Enterprise and Education editions with a targeted release month of September (starting with 1809) will be supported for 30 months from their release date. This will give customers with longer deployment cycles the time they need to plan, test, and deploy.
• All future feature updates of Windows 10 Enterprise and Education editions with a targeted release month of March (starting with 1903) will continue to be supported for 18 months from their release date. This maintains the semi-annual update cadence as our north star and retains the option for customers that want to update twice a year.
• All feature releases of Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Pro, and Office 365 ProPlus will continue to be supported for 18 months (this applies to feature updates targeting both March and September).

Future spring feature updates fall back from 24 months support (announced in February 2018) to 18 months. The following picture with the support table shows an overview of this support model.

(Source: Microsoft)

German blogger Martin Geuß from Dr. Windows assumes that Microsoft will integrate the new features into new builds in the spring, while stability will be improved in the autumn builds. Addition: Meanwhile Microsoft has also updated the Life Cycle Fact Sheet.

The new ‘simplified’ model does not meet with enthusiasm everywhere. Susan Bradley expressed some thoughts at askwoody.com. And the following tweet says it all:

this is them trying to force everyone to a fall update pattern…it is dumb

— Brad Sams (@bdsams) 6. September 2018

Let’s see what else Microsoft comes up with and how the practice, i.e. the customers, will handle that. 

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Microsoft has just released a new Windows 10 Insider Preview. The build 18234 has appeared in the skip ahead ring, so it is only offered to insiders who are in this ring. This is the development branch, which will lead to Windows 10 19H1 in spring 2019. Details about the new build can be found within the Windows Blog.

[German]Two more brief informations about Windows 10 and WSUS. Apparently Microsoft has released a flash update for the Windows 10 Insider Preview [RS5]. And the WSUS synchronizes these updates, but seems to have more issues.

Windows 10 1809 KB4460093 Flash Player uUpdate

I noticed at German site deskmodder.de a report about Microsoft delivered the update KB4460093 for Windows 10 Insider Previews. This is a Flash Player security update for all Windows 10 V1803 machines in Fast Ring [Redstone 5 branch].

WSUS also sync Flash updates

German blog reader Markus K. points out – in the context of the WSUS synchronization issues (see Office 2016 September 3, 2018 updates breaks WSUS sync) – that his WSUS is synchronizing ‘strange updates’ and sent me the following screenshot.

So the security updates from August 2018 for the Adobe Flash Player for the upcoming Windows 10 version 1809 (October 2018 update) are already offered there. Other WSUS users has confirmed this behavior within my German blog.

More WSUS issues

Another German blog reader commented here, that his WSUS has synchronization issues since this night. He got confirmation from another consultant, that observed this behavior on 2 randomly selected custom machines with WSUS.

WSUS error messages:
WebException: Timeout für Vorgang überschritten
bei System.Web.Services.Protocols.WebClientProtocol.GetWebResponse
(WebRequest request) bei Microsoft.UpdateServices.ServerSync.ServerSyncCompressionProxy.
GetWebResponse(WebRequest webRequest)
bei System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapHttpClientProtocol.Invoke
(String methodName, Object[] parameters) bei Microsoft.UpdateServices.ServerSyncWebServices.ServerSync.ServerSyncProxy.
GetRevisionIdList(Cookie cookie, ServerSyncFilter filter)
bei Microsoft.UpdateServices.ServerSync.CatalogSyncAgentCore.
WebserviceGetRevisionIdList(ServerSyncFilter filter, Boolean isConfigData)
bei Microsoft.UpdateServices.ServerSync.CatalogSyncAgentCore.
ExecuteSyncProtocol(Boolean allowRedirect)

So it’s not a SOAP exception as described here, instead it’s WebExeption error.

Microsoft has just released a new Windows 10 Insider Preview. Build 17755 has appeared in the fast ring. This is the Redstone 5 development branch, which will lead to Windows 10 V1809 (October 2018 Update). Details about the new build can be found within the Windows Blog.

[German]A short tip for Windows insiders who have Windows 10 Build 17744 installed. A few hours ago, Microsoft released the KB4462775 update for this version of Windows to fix issues.

The announcement has been made within the Windows Blog on September 7, 2018. Cumulative update KB4462775 for Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17744 raises the build number to 17744.1004. This update includes the following fixes:

• A reliability issue that does not display restart warnings for restarting a custom update.
• The MMC Security Configuration and Analysis snap-in does not list system services.

The update is delivered out via Windows Update for Windows Insiders whose machines are joining the Slow Ring.

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[German]Microsoft has released on September 6, 2018 update KB4023057 again to (almost) all Windows 10 builds. The aim of this update is, to prepare the machine for upcoming feature upgrade to Windows 10 V1809.

I read about this update at askwoody.com, where the update for Windows 10 Version 1703 (an older Windows 10 build) has been offered. It is an update that Microsoft periodically releases (see link list at end of article). The last version was released on August 9, 2018 on Windows 10 machines.

Update KB4023057 has the title ‘Update to Windows 10, versions 1507, 1511, 1607, 1703, and 1709 for update reliability’. This update is available from the RTM version of Windows 10 version 1507 to version 1709 (but not for the current version 1803). Microsoft writes in the KB article about the update that it improves the reliability of the Windows Update service:

This update includes reliability improvements to Windows update service components in Windows 10, versions 1507, 1511, 1607, 1703, and 1709. It may also take steps to free up disk space on your device if you do not have enough disk space to install Windows updates.

This update includes files and resources that address issues that affect the update processes in Windows 10 that may prevent important Windows updates from being installed. These improvements help make sure that updates are installed seamlessly on your device, and they help improve the reliability and security of devices that are running Windows 10.

By the way, this is the identical text that Microsoft has already published for August 2018. Also the following items has been mentioned within the August 2018 version of this update.

• This update may request your device to stay awake longer to enable installation of updates.

  Microsoft promises: The installation will respect any user-configured sleep configurations and also your “active hours” when you use your device the most.

• This update may try to reset network settings if problems are detected, and it will clean up registry keys that may be preventing updates from being installed successfully.
• This update may repair disabled or corrupted Windows operating system components that determine the applicability of updates to your version of Windows 10.
• This update may compress files in your user profile directory to help free up enough disk space to install important updates.
• This update may reset the Windows Update database to repair the problems that could prevent updates from installing successfully. Therefore, you may see that your Windows Update history was cleared.

In August I wrote: It seems that more serious issues have been found in the Windows update process, which prevented the installation of important updates. But now it seems, that Microsoft re-released this updates to fix blocked update components, a user intentional has been established in Windows 10 (for instance using tools like Windows Update MiniTool (WUMT)).

It is also interesting to note that the update may start compressing files in the user profile directory when space becomes limited. This is especially true for upcoming feature updates and is a tribute (imho) to the large footprint of Windows 10 on cheap machines with 64 GB eMMC. These interventions also explain why the update installation can take an exceptionally long time.

The KB article contains hints to systems where the memory on the system drive becomes low and compression of files is also mentioned. If files are compressed, it looks like this in the Explorer folder display:

(Source: Microsoft)

The update is only offered exclusive via Windows Update on machines that require it. It is also applied to machines that have not installed the latest updates. The following files will be replaced from this update:

• Luadgmgt.dll: To my knowledge part of a Windows Compatibility DLL – the ‘Lua’ could stand for “least-privileged user account” (see also). The purpose of this dll is unknown to me.
• Sedlauncher.exe: Located at C:\Program Files\rempl\sedlauncher.exe, it belongs to REMSH (see Windows 10: What is REMSH.exe for?). The file repaces the old Rempl.exe (see) and is responsible for improved update reliability (‘Windows Remedation).
• Sedplugins.dll: A plugins DLL for Sedlauncher, I guess.
• Sedsvc.exe: Stands for ‘Windows Remedation Service’ (see image below). For further details see also my blog post Windows 10: What is REMSH.exe for? and this reddit thread.

(Source)

The replaced files are responsible for ensuring that a user-blocked feature update to the next Windows 10 build (currently V1809) is still performed. See the KB article for more information.

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[German]Some users of Windows 10 suddenly receiving the error 0x800706F7 when starting programs and/or the message ‘The stub received bad data’ is shown.

The error description

I confess, I ‘ve never seen error 0x800706F7 on my systems. But I stumbled upon this error a few day ago within the following tweet.

The stub received bad data. pic.twitter.com/xagrWgZvvZ

— Tero Alhonen (@teroalhonen) September 1, 2018

The error message ‘The stub received bad data’ was caused by Windows explorer. But this error may occur with other programs. Searching the internet using the error message, reveal a lot hits. The MS Answers forum thread here has been published in 2015 and has now 10 pages and received nearly 700 user marks ‘I have the same question’.

Some background

The error code 0x800706F7 (RPC_X_BAD_STUB_DATA) and the text ‘The stub received bad data.’ isn’t that helpful. The error says, that a remote procedure call failed, due to wrong data. An explanation may be found here.

Microsoft has already published kb article 975415 Error message when you pass a variant between a COM client and a COM server in Windows: “0x800706F7 (The stub received bad data)” for Windows 7. The kb article refers specifically to an error in the file Oleaut32.dll that has been fixed with a hotfix. However, this does not help with Windows 10. In the Microsoft Answers fortum thread here from 2015, a user reported that some updates would have fixed the issue. Also in October 2016 such an error was fixed with update KB3193494.

Steps you can try to repair

At tenforums.com, this article locates the whole thing as an upgrade error from Windows 7 to Windows 10 and provides for a new installation. However, this case is unlikely to occur any more, so it can be neglected.

Check Windows for corrupted files

One reason for the error message could be corrupted Windows 10 system files or a corrupted Component Store. It is therefore recommended to check the system using the commands scf /scannow and dism as a precaution. I described the procedure within the blog post Check and repair Windows system files and component store.

The commands also attempt to repair damaged components. If this fails, you need to re-install Windows. After a successful repair attempt check, whether the error has disappeared.

Test under a newly created user account

Broken registry entries could be the cause for the error message. If the error is user-specific, the error should not occur under another user account. I am sceptical whether this will help, but there are indications of this cause. So I would try to create a new user account and test if the error is gone.

If the error is fixed, you can save the user files from the broken user account. Then the broken user account could be deleted under another administrator account and re-created again. This resets the user profile with all registration settings. The profile is then created again the next time the user logs on.

Cause: Too many or stopped services

Via a post in this thread I found an interesting cause for the error. Microsoft describes in KB article 2028588 Error 1783: The stub received bad data a possible cause:

When you open Services.msc you may get the following error:
The system encountered the following error while reading the list of services on:

Error 1783: The stub received bad data

Accessing Services remotely may yield the same error. You may be able to Start and Stop the services using sc start and sc stop commands.

The error only applies in a scenario, if Services.msc is used. In this case too many running services are the cause. The service buffer is limited to 256 KByte for data. The proposal from Microsoft is:

• Uninstall unnecessary software,
• and uninstall unnecessary services.

The goal is to reduce the number of services – because I see this as a problem with Windows 10. Microsoft is introducing more and more services there, and every software package also means that it has to set up some services.

I find this feedback on Tom’s hardware interesting. There, a user reports that he receive the message if they have manually stopped or deactivated services such as BITS.

Other things you can try

If the steps above don’t help, see, if an update of the NVidia graphics driver is successful. But this seems to have only been a problem in 2016 (see). Also the hotfix mentioned above is not available for Windows 10.

Make sure that updates are installed

It already mentioned in the above text: Microsoft may have released updates in the past to correct this error. Therefore you should make sure that all updates (also for graphics cards etc.) are installed. If necessary, download the updates and install them offline.

Reinstall Windows 10

If all attempts to repair fail, I think only the reinstallation of Windows 10 is left. If necessary, you can try a repair installation via inplace upgrade. To do this, run setup.exe from an installation medium while Windows 10 is running. Then upgrade to the Windows 10 version. This keeps the installed app and programs as well as existing files.

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[German]Since the beginning of September 2018, users of store apps on Windows 10 have been running into the problem that the error 0x800B0100 is displayed during the app installation during the update. Microsoft has now admitted a problem and wants to correct the apps in the store.

The error code 0x800B0100 stands for TRUST_E_NOSIGNATURE, i.e. the program has no or no valid signature. The error seems to have occured during the installation of Store Apps under Windows 10 last week more often. This thread can be found at reddit.com.

I have two laptop and on one of them I got an error message that I couldn’t update the HP Smart app. My other laptop didn’t have this problem and was able to update the app without problems. The error code I got when the update problem started is: 0x800B0100

I tried to:

-log in and out of the Windows store

-wsreset

-use the windows update and windows store troubleshooter

-DISM tool

-SFC scan

-renamed SoftwareDistribution folder

I’m really lost and would be very grateful if anyone could give me any hints on how to solve this.

On a notebook, the app from the store returns error 0x800B0100 when updating (or installing) the notebook, while the other device does not return the error. Another user confirms a problem with the App Penbook. Here is a screenshot of this error dialog posted within a Microsoft developers forum).

(Source: MS developers forum)

Also on Twitter a search for this error code returns a lot of hits.

@donasarkar I PAID MONEY IN THIS APP AND WILL NOT INSTALL ERROR CODE 0x800B0100 pic.twitter.com/NJQGgOwYgb

— Darren Berube (@DARRENRBERUBE) 4. September 2018

In the above tweet, for example, a user complains to Dona Sarkar that an app he purchased is not installable. Last Thursday, developer Rudy Huyn (see following tweet) confirmed that Microsoft Store actually displays error 0x800B0100 when downloading certain applications.

A lot of apps have been having this issue since Friday. If you can’t download an app in the Store and receive the 0x800B0100 error code, it’s a bug related to the #MicrosoftStore app, close it and run WSRESET.exe, it will clean the Store local cache and fix your issue.

— Rudy Huyn (@RudyHuyn) 6. September 2018

He stated that a bug in the Windows Store was responsible for this. A short time later, he added that Microsoft had fixed the bug and automatically regenerated the store apps.

UWP developers, if your application was not downloadable (0x800b0100), good news, first, you did nothing wrong, it was a bug related to the Store. Microsoft fixed the issue and automatically generated a new package of your app (ending with .1000 or .1070). pic.twitter.com/qFnYRYNiHo

— Rudy Huyn (@RudyHuyn) 8. September 2018

Rafael Rivera write at Thurrott.com, dass that Microsoft has now admitted a general problem.

Microsoft’s Reprocessing Store Apps to Fix Error 0x800B0100 – https://t.co/YBwkdbtIr7 (via @WithinRafael) pic.twitter.com/j29awsHsHI

— Paul Thurrott (@thurrott) 9. September 2018

Palani Sundaramurthy, Principal Program Manager Lead on Developer & Partner Services at Microsoft wrote:

We are sorry about this failure and are actively working on mitigating it. We have tracked this issue to our submission workflow incorrectly signing certain apps. [We need] to re-process the impacted apps in order to alleviate the problem. While we have already re-processed a few apps, […] we’re working to ensure that every impacted app is fixed.

Microsoft has determined after investigation that certain apps were not signed correctly. Therefore, the company wants to re-sign the affected apps and post them in the store. This should fix the problem with the app installation.

Addendum: If you still get this error, maybe the tip for the tweet below will help: Close the store app and run wsreset.exe in console window.

Since Friday, apps have been having issues. If you can’t download an app in the Windows Store and receive the 0x800B0100 error code, it’s a bug related to the #MicrosoftStore app. Close it and run WSRESET.exe, and it will clean the Store local cache and fix your issue #TechTips

— Callum Smith (@callum311201) 7. September 2018

This will clear the store cache and the app downloaded again should contain a valid certificate. Were any of you affected?

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Microsoft has now released the Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17754 in the Slow Ring. It is a Redstone 5 build, which should end in Windows 10 V1809. Details about this build can be found in the Windows Blog.

Microsoft has also released the Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17758 from the Redstone 5 branch in Fast Ring. The Storage Sense function should now be able to free up storage space on the hard disk by swapping out older, unused files online. This build contains several fixes. The details of this build can be found in Windows Blog.

[German]As of September 11, 2018 (second Tuesday of the month, Patchday at Microsoft), several cumulative updates have been released for the supported Windows 10 builds. Here are some details about each update.

A list of the updates can be found on this Microsoft Web page. In August 2018, Microsoft revised the display format to make it easier to get the information. I’ve pulled out the details below.

Updates for Windows 10 Version 1803

The following updates are available for Windows 10 April Update (version 1803).

Update KB4457128 for Windows 10 Version 1803

Cumulative update KB4457128 contains quality improvements but no new operating system functions and raises the OS build to 17134.285. The update also includes updates for Microsoft HoloLens (OS Build 17134.285). Here is the list of fixes:

• Provides protection against a Spectre Variant 2 vulnerability (CVE-2017-5715) for ARM64 devices.
• Addresses an issue that causes the Program Compatibility Assistant (PCA) service to have excessive CPU usage. This occurs when the concurrency of two simultaneous add and remove programs (ARP) monitoring threads is not handled correctly.
• Security updates to Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft scripting engine, Microsoft Graphics Component, Windows media, Windows Shell, Windows Hyper-V, Windows datacenter networking, Windows virtualization and kernel, Windows Linux, Windows kernel, Microsoft JET Database Engine, Windows MSXML, and Windows Server.

The update is distributed via Windows Update, but should also be available via WSUS or the Microsoft Update Catalog. Microsoft is (currently) not aware of any issues with the update.

Update KB4456655 (SSU) for Windows 10 Version 1803

Update KB4456655 is a Servicing Stack Update for Windows 10 Version 1803. This must be installed before updating KB4457128.

Updates for Windows 10 Version 1709

The following updates are available for Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (version 1709).

Update KB4457142 for Windows 10 Version 1709

Cumulative update KB4457142 for Windows 10 Version 1709 (Fall Creators Update) raises the OS build to 16299.665 and includes quality improvements and the following fixes:

Security updates to Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft scripting engine, Windows graphics, Windows media, Windows Shell, Windows cryptography, Windows virtualization and kernel, Windows datacenter networking, Windows hyper-V, Windows Linux, Windows kernel, Microsoft JET Database Engine, Windows MSXML, and Windows Server.

The update is distributed via Windows Update, but can also be downloaded via Microsoft Update Catalog. Microsoft is (currently) not aware of any issues with the update.

For Windows 10 Mobile V1709 there is also the update KB4459082, which raises the build to 15254.530.

Updates for Windows 10 Version 1703

The following updates are available for Windows 10 Creators Update (version 1703).

Update KB4457138 for Windows 10 Version 1703

Cumulative Update KB4457138 for Windows 10 Version 1703 (Creators Update) raises the OS build to 15063.1324 and includes quality improvements. The update is also available for Windows 10 Mobile (OS Build 15063.1324). It addresses the following security vulnerabilities and issues:

Security updates to Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft scripting engine, Microsoft Graphics Component, Windows media, Windows Shell, Device Guard, Windows datacenter networking, Windows kernel, Windows hyper-V, Windows virtualization and kernel, Microsoft JET Database Engine, Windows MSXM, and Windows Server.

The update is distributed via Windows Update, but is also available via Microsoft Update Catalog. Currently there are no known issues.

Windows Update Improvements

Microsoft has released an update directly to the Windows Update Client to increase its reliability. Any Windows 10 device that is configured to automatically update with Windows Update will receive the feature update (to V1803). Windows 10 Enterprise and the Pro Edition also receive the feature update (on V1803) based on device compatibility and the update delay (defer) set in Windows Update for Business Deferral Policy. This does not apply to LTSC versions.

Updates for Windows 10 Version 1507 bis 1607

Various updates are available for Windows 10 RTM to Windows 10 Anniversary Update (Version 1607). Here is a short overview.

• Windows 10 Version 1607: Update KB4457131 is only available for Enterprise and Education and Windows Server 2016. This update raises the OS build to 14393.2485 and includes the fixes mentioned above for other updates. This update is automatically downloaded and installed by Windows Update, but can be downloaded from the Microsoft Update Catalog. Before manual installation, the Servicing Stack Update (SSU) (KB4132216) need to be installed. Details can be found in the KB article.
• Windows 10 Version 1507: Update KB4457132 is available for the RTM version (LTSC). The update raises the OS build to 10240.17976, including the fixes mentioned above for other updates. This update is automatically downloaded and installed by Windows Update, but can be downloaded from the Microsoft Update Catalog. Similar to Windows 10 Version 1703 there are also improvements to Windows Update (see note above). Details can be found in the KB article.

For Windows 10 V1511 there was no update, that this version fell on the support. Details about the above updates can be found in the respective Microsoft KB articles in case of doubt.

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Microsoft has published the Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 18237 in the Skip Ahead branch. This is the next but one Windows 10 development branch, which is supposed to lead into Windows 10 19H1 in spring 2019.

The announcement of the new build, which will only be distributed to insiders who have opted for the Skip Ahead ring, was made on the Windows Blog. The Windows login screen in a blurry acrylic design is celebrated as a ‘big innovation’.

(Source: Microsoft)

Within the Windows Blog you can inform yourself about new features and known bugs.

Install error 0x8007000e

Shortly after the release of the new Insider Preview, users reported on Twitter that this build stalls with error 0x8007000e during installation.

Windows 10 #19H1 #WIP Build 18237 Install Error 0x8007000e: RAM useage-> https://t.co/QfKy5fMOiY
If you are seeing high RAM usage please let us know FBH: https://t.co/P6UTRXYcef
If your update failed with the 0x800700e error please upvote FBH: https://t.co/QOYHoKeDL4 pic.twitter.com/uRXn1dfhKn

— WZor (@WZorNET) 12. September 2018

(Source: Microsoft)

Error 0x8007000e stands for ERROR_OUTOFMEMORY ‘There is not enough memory available for this operation’, which may mean anything and nothing. MSPowerUser points to the MS Answers forum thread 18237 Error 0x8007000e: RAM useage, in which Microsoft confirms the issue. There is also a note on Twitter.

Skip Ahead 19H1 Insiders, if you are getting error 0x8007000e or seeing excessively high memory usage, please go here https://t.co/s2Rn9xbuMM to find more information and FBH links to upvote. Thanks!
^WH

— Windows Insider (@windowsinsider) 12. September 2018

Next bad behavior from Microsoft. Users of Windows 10 version 1809 Insider Builds experience a surprise when trying to install Firefox or Google Chrome. Windows 10 intercepts this install and shows a ‘Please use Edge box’.

Martin Brinkmann has pointed out the newest issue with Windows 10 version 1809 Insider Preview via Twitter.

Microsoft intercepting Firefox and Chrome installation on Windows 10 #windows10 #firefox #chrome #edgehttps://t.co/Xvzf7ACUO3 pic.twitter.com/QtKWue1kix

— ghacksnews (@ghacksnews) 12. September 2018

If you try to install Firefox or Chrome browser on a recent Windows 10 version 1809 Insider build, this install gets intercepted. The user will see the message shown within the above tweet with a note to use Edge. So it’s the next Mega fail from Microsoft, as several Tweets indicates:

@MicrosoftEdge What kind of slimy marketing cesspool crap is this Microsoft? I proceed to launch the Firefox installer and Windows 10 pops this up? If I wanted to use your browser, I would. pic.twitter.com/f7jk9sGvYA

— Sean Hoffman (@SeanKHoffman) 11. September 2018

The tweet below expresses exactly my thoughts – what do you think about such actions from Microsoft? The decline of the company – and time for the EU Competition Commission to take the next step against Microsoft=

This is some ol’ bullshit, Microsoft. I thought you’d gotten cool. https://t.co/bYCvwjNWiF

— Mike Conley @mconley@mastodon.social (@mike_conley) 11. September 2018

[German]Does Windows 10 throw error code 0x80246010 during update installation and aborts this step? This article tries to give hints on how to fix the update error 0x80246010.

The error 0x80246010

Under Windows 10, when trying to install one of the cumulative updates or feature updates, the installation is aborted with error code 0x80246010. A typical description can be found in this Microsoft Answers forum post.

updating windows 10 v.1709 fails – error 0x80246010

Hi,

I have the version 1607, my PC tries and tries to download the new version 1709 for weeks and fails every time to install it. The last error code I received is  0x80246010 but I had a few others.

I tried several things:

– emptying downloads

– windows troubleshooter (who fixed an update issue but no difference so far)

…

Has it sth to do with the fact that the version 1703 isn’t installed on my PC?

The user has already unsuccessfully cleaned the Update Store download folder and has performed the update troubleshooting. The answer of the Microsoft Forum moderator (Microsoft Agent) marked as a solution isn’t helpful at all. Also here the error as well as some (unsuccessful) repair attempts are brought up for discussion. In this thread, MVP colleague Andre da Costa recommends blocking the incorrect update.

What error code 0x80246010 stands for?

I did not find the error code 0x80246010 in the lists of error codes that are available to me. Within my blog post Windows 10: Update errors 0x8024xxxx detailed errors with the pattern 0x80246xxx are listed in the ‘Download Manager Errors’ group. So something went wrong with the communication between the download manager and the Microsoft update servers.

Plausible causes for this error

Within this German heise.de forum thread somebody wrote, that a root cause might be: Microsoft’s servers are simply overloaded and at some point the Download Manager does not get any data or incomplete data. In this case the error should be fixed if you try the update again after a few hours.

Also 3rd party software (VPN, antivirus etc.) maybe disturb the Windows Update Download Manager. Within this Technet forum thread there is a reference to Dell Data Protection Enterprise Edition Shield/Dell Encryption Enterprise Shield or Personal Edition/Encryption Personal that can cause problems. However, Dell has now deleted the KB articles in question.

What else you can do

To avoid an overloaded Microsoft update server, you can download the non-installable update from the Microsoft Update Catalog and have it installed manually.

A feature update to a new Windows 10 build, which fails with error 0x80246010, can be installed via an ISO installation medium via an in-place upgrade. To do this, download the ISO installation file of the function update from Microsoft. This can be done e.g. via the Media Creation Tool. Then mount the ISO file while Windows 10 is running and start the Setup.exe. Then the feature update should be installed over the running Windows 10.

Similar article:
Windows 10 Wiki
Trick: How to upgrade to Windows 10 using a clean install
Microsoft Windows and Office ISO download tool
Microsoft Update Catalog finally supports different browsers

Uninstalling ‘uninstallable’ Windows Updates
How to block Windows 10 updates
Stop Windows from installing updates over and over again
Windows 10: Update errors 0x8024xxxx detailed

Microsoft has released Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17758 from the Redstone 5 branch now also in the Slow Ring. Details about this build can be found within this Windows blog post. For example, there is trouble with applications that depend on .NET Framework 4.7.1. Even the text-to-speech function has its flaws.

[German]Microsoft has released a set of microcode updates for various Windows 10 builds. These updates are intended to protect various processors against the Spectre V2 vulnerability. Here is some information about the updates, as well as chaos in the KB descriptions. There is also an addendum about WSUS and (revised) microcode updates, which should not have been delivered, but which are now available again.

Microcode updates for Windows 10

I received notifcations from my German blog readers as comments and also e-mails (thanks for that). There are several microcode updates for Intel processors, released from Microsoft. Below are links pointing to Microsoft Update Catalog.

• KB4100347: Windows 10 V1803/ Server 2016 (1803)
• KB4090007: Windows 10 V1709/ Server 2016 (1709)
• KB4091663: Windows 10 V1703
• KB4091664: Windows 10 V1607/ Server 2016
• KB4091666: Windows 10 V1507 (RTM)

Windows 10 V1511 is missing, because it’s out of support. According to this kb article microcode updates has been released for the following Intel processors.

• Broadwell Server E, EP, EP4S
• Broadwell Server EX
• Skylake Server SP (H0, M0, U0)
• Skylake D (Bakerville)
• Skylake X (Basin Falls)

Details on the individual processor variants can be found in the KB articles (hoped that the information is accurate). The microcode updates are intended to mitigate the Spectre Variant 2 (CVE 2017-5715 [“Branch Target Injection”]) vulnerability.

According to the KB article, the standalone update is provided via Windows Update and WSUS, but can also be downloaded from the Microsoft Update Catalog and then installed manually. 

Conflicting statements in KB articles

While browsing the Microsoft KB articles I had read the hint at KB4090007 that the microcode updates were ‘standalone’ and only available via Microsoft Update Catalog.

A few lines below the same kb article states, that the update is also available via WSUS and Windows Update. KB4091664, for example, has the same information, but KB4100347 lacks this information – tha’s all confusing in my opinion.

Important: And another very important piece of information for Windows Server. While the microcode updates for the clients become active immediately, Microsoft states in the KB articles that certain registry keys must be set on Windows servers. Blog reader Karl pointed out some time ago in this German comment that the Microsoft information was wrong. I had taken up this on Twitter – here and here are corresponding tweets. 

Note: After the installation of the microcode update KB4100347 my Windows 10 V1803 test machine appears to be much slower. It took 10 – 20 seconds after selecting Settings – Update & Security – Update until the right column of the settings page was filled with content. It improved after some time, but the machine feels slower. Also this update for Intel CPU flaws seems to be delivered again also to AMD systems (see this German post). 

Microsoft’s Bot (virtual agent)

At this point something funny – Microsoft does AI and rushes bots and agents at all places on the people. Visiting Microsoft’s kb article, I ‘ve had an accounter with thit bot. Here the chat conversion.

The conversion has signs like talking with a talking doll. The thumb bot didn’t even understand my problem. I was able to select yes or no, but bot’s the questions and answers was really senseless – nothing recognizable from ‘intelligence’. That’s customer service 4.0.

Updates against Spectre V2 for Windows Server 2008 SP2

On this Microsoft page you learn that Microsoft released the update KB4458010 (Windows Server 2008 SP2 Monthly Rollup) or (KB4457984, Security-only) on September 11, 2018 with protection against L1TF (VE-2018-3620 and CVE-2018-3646). I had mentioned the updates in the article Microsoft Patchday: More Updates September 11, 2018. Updates for ARM devices against CVE-2017-5715 – Branch target injection (Spectre, Variant 2) were also released.

Addendum to WSUS and Microcode Updates

At the end of August 2018 I had outlined several issues with microcode updates within my blog post Will Microsoft pull July/August 2018 Microcode updates? Two blog readers, among them Markus B., had pointed out some peculiarities to me. And in the above text I had pointed out the discrepancies in the KB articles regarding the update distribution via WSUS. From blog-reader Markus B. I received today an interesting (supplementary) information:

Last Wednesday was a Microsoft Webcast for the Patchday. It was again mentioned that no microcode updates should come via the WSUS. I then asked MS again and the answer in the chat and on the webcast was that it was a mistake for this [August 2018 Microcode] update to be distributed over the WSUS.

This night these microcode updates were again offered on WSUS – but there was no new revision:

(Click to zoom)

The following picture shows details of one of the last updates, without revision.

(Click to zoom)

According to the change log (which I’ve seen), the update (in the example KB4090007) cannot be removed after the installation. So there it seems to be a lot of confusion at Microsoft. Markus asks: Have others also received messages again? I saw it on 2 WSUS.

Windows 10 users as guinea pigs?

While writing the blog post, I was thinking about whether the Windows 10 users on the clients should serve as guinea pigs. Why?

• According to Microsoft, the microcode updates should not be offered via WSUS, but they are still distributed and installed via Windows Update.
• However, Windows 7/8.1 usually does not get these microcode updates, only Windows 10 is getting updates.
• And on Windows server systems, the administrator must explicitly activate the microcode updates (due to performance problems) via the registry entry.

This makes me wonder about the relevance and importance of these microcode updates against Spectre and Meltdown. I don’t know a attack scenario used ‘in the wild’, which exploits the vulnerabilities. Moreover, the microcode updates makes machines extremely slow – and comes often with trouble on top (some updates are then withdrawn). Also my impression ist, that Apple’s macOS don’t receive patch in that frequency. Or how do you see it?

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