Home windows 11 simply bought its newest replace, however Microsoft has put it on maintain following the invention of a bug that’s critically dangerous information.
That is the KB5039302 replace, which is an optionally available obtain for Home windows 11 22H2 and 23H2, so it’s nonetheless in preview, forward of its launch because the cumulative replace for July 2024 subsequent month.
The showstopper of a bug places affected PCs into what’s generally known as ‘reboot hell’ whereby the PC retains failing to start out, rebooting, failing once more, then rebooting, and so forth advert infinitum – effectively, till the consumer intervenes and tries to initiative a restoration. (Or in some circumstances, unplugs their PC out of frustration, little question – by no means do that if you happen to can in any respect keep away from it, we should always add, as reducing energy on the improper time might be dangerous information on your system drive, because it might corrupt recordsdata doubtlessly).
What’s the foundation trigger right here? Properly, it seems to have one thing to do with PCs utilizing digital machines (working one other OS inside the present working system, basically).
Neowin observed that in its launch well being dashboard, the place this gremlin has been flagged up, Microsoft tells us: “This challenge is extra more likely to have an effect on gadgets using digital machines instruments and nested virtualization options, corresponding to CloudPC, DevBox, Azure Digital Desktop. We’re investigating to find out the exact situations beneath which this challenge can set off.”
Whereas that investigation is going down, Microsoft has paused this replace, so it gained’t be provided to Home windows 11 house customers or companies.
Evaluation: Room for doubt
Clearly, on condition that having a PC trapped in a reboot loop is a dire state of affairs, it’s a good suggestion that Microsoft has pulled this replace till the agency can work out what’s actually occurring right here. That is an optionally available replace anyway, so it’s not like KB5039302 is essential, and even completed – which is why this flaw is current, little question.
Though you’d actually have hoped Microsoft would have picked up on such a calamitous bug earlier than the ultimate preview launch of the replace – however at the very least it’s being mounted now. This additionally goes for example why it’s at all times a threat to obtain an optionally available replace for Home windows 11 – we’d suggest steering clear of those in case there’s a last-minute showstopper, similar to this glitch.
Granted, as Microsoft observes: “Customers of Home windows Dwelling version are much less more likely to expertise this challenge, as virtualization is much less frequent in house environments.”
Even so, some Home windows 11 Dwelling customers will use virtualization options, little question, and Microsoft isn’t 100% clear concerning the bug not affecting different PCs both. The language used is that the issue is “extra seemingly” to hit PCs utilizing digital machines not directly, leaving room for doubt that it might have an effect on different methods too. That is seemingly why the replace has been retracted, for now, we’d wager.
The essential factor is that Microsoft fixes this one up, or at the very least pushes the characteristic or code that’s induced the issue apart, earlier than the complete launch of the July 2024 cumulative replace, clearly sufficient.
