[German]On Sunday, May 19, 2019, Microsoft released several cumulative (special) updates for the supported Windows 10 builds. These fix a bug in Internet Explorer and Edge browser that prevented access to various British government sites. Here are some details about the respective updates.
Preliminary remarks on the updates
For a list of updates, visit this Microsoft Web page. I have extracted the details below. The update installation requires an existing current Servicing Stack Updates (SSUs). Microsoft now publishes an overview of current Servicing Stack Updates (SSUs) under ADV990001.
What are the updates about?
As of May 14, 2019, Microsoft had released cumulative security updates for various versions of Windows. In all support articles there was a hint to the following change:
Adds “uk.gov” into the HTTP Strict Transport Security Top Level Domains (HSTS TLD) for Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge.
The uk.gov domain has been added to the list of HTTP Strict Transport Security Top Level Domains (HSTS TLD). I mentioned the updates for Windows 10 in the article Patchday Microsoft Office Updates (May 14, 2019).
However, the updates in all versions of Windows meant that British websites could suddenly no longer be accessed using Internet Explorer or Microsoft. Microsoft has added the following text to the Know-Issues of the relevant KB articles:
After installing the May 14, 2019 update, some gov.uk websites that don’t support HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) may not be accessible through Internet Explorer 11 or Microsoft Edge.
The problem was that some gov.uk websites simply did not support HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS). The workaround was to use alternative browsers like Google Chrome or Firefox.
Out-of-ban updates fixed the gov.uk bug
Already on Saturday a cumulative update for Internet Explorer 11 for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 as well as the corresponding server counterparts was released. I had reported about it (see Win 7/8.1: Internet Explorer Update KB4505050 (05/18/2019)). However, the cumulative IE patch was not available for Windows 10, because in this operating system version, all patches are rolled out as a cumulative Windows 10 update. When I wrote this article, I didn’t see anything about a solution for Windows 10. On May 19, 2019 (yesterday, Sunday), the cumulative updates for Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge for Windows 10 were submitted. Microsoft writes about it:
This update includes quality improvements. Key changes include:
Addresses an issue that may prevent access to some gov.uk websites that don’t support HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) when using Internet Explorer 11 or Microsoft Edge.
This is exactly the fix that is available as a separate IE update for older Windows versions (there is no Edge browser there). Please note the following:
- Users in the UK will automatically receive this update via Windows Update and may need to restart the machine to complete the installation. Whoever is affected by the bug should check the settings for updates.
- Users outside the UK will not be offered this update automatically. If you need access to British government websites and are affected by the bug, you should check the settings for updates.
You can search for updates under Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates. The update can also be downloaded from the Microsoft Update Catalog. The update installation requires that the current Servicing Stack Update has already been installed. Here is the list of available updates for the different Windows 10 versions of May 19, 2019:
- KB4505056 for Windows 10 V1809, raises the os build to 17763.504
- KB4505064 for Windows 10 V1803, raises the os build to 17134.766
- KB4505062 for Windows 10 V1709, raises the os build to 16299.1150
- KB4505055 for Windows 10 V1703, raises the os build to 15063.1808
- KB4505052 for Windows 10 V1703, raises the os build to 14393.2972
- KB4505051 for Windows 10 V1703, raises the os build to 10240.18218
Windows 10 V1511 does not get any more updates. Please note that Windows 10 Home and Pro only receive updates from version 1709. The updates listed above for older Windows 10 builds are only available for the Enterprise versions.
Note the Known Issues sections in the linked KB articles. I also got some feedback that the updates didn’t arrive on the devices via Windows Update yet.
Update KB4505057 for Windows 10 V1903
Also the not yet officially released update for Windows 10 May 2019 (V1903) has got a cumulative update KB4505057. This is officially distributed to testers only in the Windows Insider program. But I’m not sure if this will be distributed to all Windows 10 V1903 installations (see also my older article Windows 10 (V1903): Update KB4497936; global rollout).
he update requires an installed build 18356.30 and fixes the gov.uk access problem in Internet Explorer 11 and Microsoft Edge. In addition, the update installation error 0x800f081f – CBS_E_SOURCE_MISSING is fixed. After the installation the OS build is on 18362.116. But note the Known Issues with the Sandbox (Error 0x800705b4) in the support article KB4505057.
Windows Update Client patched
Microsoft also states that the Windows Update Client has been updated for KB4505056 and KB4505051.
Windows Update Improvements
Microsoft has released an update directly to the Windows Update client to improve reliability. Any device running Windows 10 configured to receive updates automatically from Windows Update, including Enterprise and Pro editions, will be offered the latest Windows 10 feature update based on device compatibility and Windows Update for Business deferral policy. This doesn’t apply to long-term servicing editions.
Microsoft has not provided any further information. However, I suspect that this might solve the issue with the broken Update Agent described in my German article Windows 10 V1809: Probleme mit Update KB4494441.
Similar articles:
Win 7/8.1: Internet Explorer Update KB4505050 (05/18/2019)
Windows 10 V1809: Issues with Update KB4494441
Patchday Windows 10 Updates (May 14, 2019)
Patchday: Updates for Windows 7/8.1/Server (May 14, 2019)