Windows 11-24H2 installations with certain update statuses can no longer install further updates. Only a manual correction will help.
Last Christmas, a problem with Windows 11 24H2 installations became known that they cannot install further updates if they were installed from an installation medium with certain update statuses. Microsoft has now given up looking for an automated solution to this problem or developing a fix-it tool – The only option available to those affected is manual correction.
Microsoft has confirmed this decision by setting the entry in the Windows Release Health announcements to "resolved". Specifically, the problem description is that a Windows 11 installation on version 24H2, which was installed from a CD (sic) or USB drive with integrated October or November updates from 2024, can no longer install any further security updates. This also includes media created with the Windows Media Creation Tool at those times. However, installations that have downloaded the updates via Windows Update and applied them do not have this problem.
Windows update dropouts: only manual solution available
The entry on the problem from Microsoft has had the status "resolved" since the end of last week. However, it still only contains the previous workaround as a solution: The problem can be solved by overinstalling with an installation medium that contains at least the security updates from December 2024 – i.e. was created from December 10, 2024 –. Microsoft does not mention a fix-it tool, script or other options, such as registry changes.
Such an updated medium can be created with the Windows Media Creation Tool, which is available on Microsoft's Windows 11 download website. This either downloads an ISO file that can be transferred to DVD or creates a bootable USB stick with the Windows installation; this should have at least 8 GB of space.
cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/55122353
https://www.heise.de/en/news/Windows-11-24H2-update-problems-Microsoft-gives-up-on-finding-a-solution-10275962.html
I've been on Win10 for years, never had a single problem with any update whatsoever.
Still not subjecting myself to W11 though. As soon as Win10 support ends, I'll make the switch.
I recommend setting up whatever your alternative is a little before committing to ease the transition a bit. It's different, and it's good to fall back to something else for a bit if you get frustrated.
Windows 10 had an update that notoriously broke a lot of games a while back and the only solution was to manually roll it back.
It's been the same on win 11. The only experience i have had was at work. I work closely with the updating team, and there have been a few times where things would break like printers, and we would revert the updates to stop it from going to everyone and uninstall. Sometimes, that meant a help desk guy had to go to the pc or remote in to do it manually. I've been there 19 years now, and it's happened twice?
I've had my enterprise-distro linux machines updating by cron for 22 years. I had two glitches in those 20 years, too, just like you. But in addition to my two glitches - I had to bring in one unlisted dep for cobbler and also correct the smb.conf's old format on another box - in 20 years, I also got
And while I know your numbers are excellent, I simply haven't had to DO ANYTHING since deploying some boxes. They patch, they bounce later on a weekend if they need it ('needs-rebooting' is centralized because ALL software installs are) and I can patch while under load because linux write-locks instead of read-locking. My effort is to check 'some time later' and ensure things are working in ways nagios doesn't catch.
Printer issues? Nah. Supply thing. App not working because java/perl/python/DLLs rug-pulled a dependency? Proper packages list hard dependencies, so that cobbler thing is a bug not an expectation. Network offline? nah. Reboots? timed at 3 minute downtime (1 min before systemd), or 7 minutes if I just updated 1gb of gitlab install because it starts like a manatee.
It's really a different world; and while I've teased the heck out of my windows peers, it's a true statement.
Absolutely, I don't disagree with your statement at all. I work heavily in systems administration and recently transitioned to networking. I deal with Linux systems, servers, vm's, Azure daily, and for stability nothing beats Linux. I just tend to agree with the statement above commenting on how you always see these Windows articles, yet almost none actually affect you in the end.
Same boat here.
The only issues I’ve ever personally run into with Windows are a missing driver for a software I was installing, like twice, and compatibility for gaming which was solved with admin mode and selecting a different compatibility. I’ve used Windows since 3.1