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

  • Xanza@lemm.ee
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    1 day ago

    That’s just what I like to see from an OS developer. “We fucked it up, but dunno how to fix it…”

    IMO, to keep Windows competitive with Linux they need a complete rewrite from absolute scratch. It’s realistically the only way that’s going to keep Microsoft on top in the long term. And they’ll never do it because of how expensive it’ll be.

    • rtxn@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      the only way that’s going to keep Microsoft on top in the long term.

      You underestimate the complacency of the masses.

      • Xanza@lemm.ee
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        1 day ago

        I rather think you do.

        There will come a point where working around Windows quirks takes up more time than it does to simply seek and learn something else. This is organically how most people seek to find alternatives to software and begin to jump ship.

        This is why PHP, as a programming language was replaced. Despite its popularity it became increasingly inconvenient to use. As such, they created other languages to replace it. They took the time to create an entirely new development language to sidestep the inconvenience of using PHP…

        The same will eventually happen to Windows. Unquestionably.

        • rtxn@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          There’s a massive difference between the average Windows user and the average PHP developer. It’s a false equivalence.

          The regular computer user who just needs their apps to run won’t likely make the effort to enter an entirely new ecosystem as long as those apps run. Even with the most user-friendly distros, the barrier of entry is still high. And when their apps break? They’ll reinstall Windows or pay someone else to fix it.

          I love shitting on Microsoft as much as the next penguin, but they’re not idiots. Even if some of their decisions are questionable, Windows is still a major part of their business, and they won’t just let it degrade to a point where Linux converts are a significant threat to their profit.

          (I did not downvote you, by the way, that was someone else)

          • Xanza@lemm.ee
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            1 day ago

            There’s a massive difference between the average Windows user and the average PHP developer. It’s a false equivalence.

            Yeah, except I’m not equating developers to end-users. I’m equating the two situations at hand. Because they’re equivalent situations…

    • ryper
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      1 day ago

      They rewrote the taskbar and Start menu for Windows 11, and left out stuff like being able to move the taskbar or even have separate taskbar items for each instance of an application. Rewriting the whole OS would be a disaster.

      • Xanza@lemm.ee
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        1 day ago

        It’s the only possible solution. The issue with Windows version to version is they merge shit into the base without worrying about how it affects the codebase as a whole. That’s why we have 2-3 different ways to access different menus.

    • JuxtaposedJaguar@lemmy.ml
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      1 day ago

      My guess is that they’ll keep adding to WSL until Windows is just a legally ambiguous closed-source wrapper around Linux. They’ll make the GPL’d part so convoluted that they’re the only organization able to maintain it, which will force people to continue using their proprietary wrapper. Basically Android but for PCs.

      • Xanza@lemm.ee
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        1 day ago

        I’ve been developing software for likely longer than you’ve been alive.

        That article you posted makes a supposition; that the developer is just misreading existing code to be poor when it’s actually really good–which is absolutely not the case with Windows…

        • Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          I’m approaching 60.

          How old are you? I’m guessing you are like 40. You don’t even know who Joel is.

          It’s bad form to attack me personally instead of the argument.

          Joel addressed your argument that the code is misread throughout the entire essay. Code is easier to write than read.

          • Xanza@lemm.ee
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            1 day ago

            Stating the fact that I’ve been in development for longer than most people I converse with have been alive isn’t attacking anyone. If you feel attacked by someone because they have a difference of opinion, then you need to go outside.

            You don’t even know who Joel is.

            I know who Spolsky is. I just don’t have an overabundant need to blow smoke up his ass like his word is that of Gods.

            Joel addressed your argument that the code is misread throughout the entire essay.

            Go get your reading glasses and go back to reread my previous post. It’s not my argument that code is misread. I was literally directly quoting him. So if Joel says it, it’s the word of God to you, but you misinterpret something I’m saying (which he’s actually saying) and now all of a sudden you have an issue with it?

            That’s pretty telling that maybe your reverence for Joel is getting in the way of your brains thinky-thinky party.

            • Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world
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              23 hours ago

              My age isn’t important to the argument. That’s not an opinion.

              I noticed now that I posted my age you didn’t respond with yours.

              Go get your reading glasses

              You can’t get past personal attacks. First it was I’m too young. When that attack didn’t work, it’s now I’m too old.

              Unless you work at Microsoft on the code, you have absolutely no basis for your claim that the entire code base should be thrown out. I use Linux. There are frequent bugs that require me to type in a command manually to work around. It would be insane to claim that all of Linux (I’m also referring to all the gnu tools, window managers etc) should be thrown out and start fresh.

              • Xanza@lemm.ee
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                22 hours ago

                My age isn’t important to the argument.

                I didn’t bring up your age to make an argument about it. I simply pointed out that I’ve likely been developing software longer than you’ve been alive and to my credit this statement is almost always true, especially given that very few in their 60s would use a federated social platform, it’s a reasonable assumption. You’re the one who made it about age–and you keep doing so in your replies.

                I noticed now that I posted my age you didn’t respond with yours.

                Why do you feel entitled to know my age?

                You can’t get past personal attacks.

                You’re the one fixating on age, and you clearly misread my initial post. You’re counter-arguing against the source you provided, misrepresenting and misunderstanding what your own source said. You’re only arguing against those points because you mistakenly thought I had made them. So, I responded in kind. In typical boomer fashion, you entered this thread dismissive of others, framed everything around your age as if it automatically makes you right, and now blame others for your misunderstandings. Truly a sight to see.

                It’s objectively true that building on a poor foundation is a bad idea and it’s also objectively true that sometimes if the foundation is bad enough it’s easier to simply rebuild the whole damn thing from scratch than to attempt to patch bad code. As I said, I’ve been a developer for decades. I’m a subject matter expert here. Just because I don’t work for Microsoft doesn’t mean my critique of their monolithic software is invalid.

                Unless you work at Microsoft on the code, you have absolutely no basis for your claim that the entire code base should be thrown out.

                It’s an opinion backed by decades of expertise with the product. I’ve not only used every single version of Windows extensively, but I also write software for Windows. That’s not experience you can casually dismiss. I don’t need to work at Microsoft to recognize that its poorly designed from the ground up and that each new version builds on a flawed foundation.

                I use Linux. There are frequent bugs that require me to type in a command manually to work around. It would be insane to claim that all of Linux (I’m also referring to all the gnu tools, window managers etc) should be thrown out and start fresh.

                Calling your operating system “Linux”–when Linux is just the kernel and not the OS–doesn’t really help your argument here.

                Moreover, the various Linux distributions have a strong foundation around the linux kernel. Windows does not. I don’t understand how anyone could seriously argue otherwise.

                • Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world
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                  22 hours ago

                  There was absolutely no reason to bring up that you were coding longer than I was alive other than to imply that your age is a reason why the argument is invalid.

                  Funny how you use your age as an argument but see it as entitled when I point out the reverse.

                  Calling your operating system “Linux”–when Linux is just the kernel and not the OS–doesn’t really help your argument here.

                  I specifically referenced Gnu tools, window managers, etc. What is wrong with you?

                  • Xanza@lemm.ee
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                    21 hours ago

                    There was absolutely no reason to bring up that you were coding longer than I was alive

                    So since you’ve clearly forgotten, let’s go back in time.

                    1. I said Windows should be rewritten from scratch because it has a poor foundation.
                    2. You said you should never rewrite large software!
                    3. I tell you that I’ve been a developer for decades, and that’s not really true, it’s just the authors opinion, and is entirely predicated on a mistaken supposition.
                    4. You get defensive and slap your age down on the table like it’s a big ol’ dick as if you could never be wrong because you’re 60 years old.
                    5. I said that I didn’t say that I was older than you. In fact I didn’t mention age at all. I said that the likelyhood of me having been a professional developer for longer than you have been alive is high and you took that to mean as me saying “haha, I’m older so I’m right!”
                    6. You misrepresented something your own source said, as something I said, and said it was wrong–which is fucking hilarious to me.
                    7. You continue to take everything as a personal attack against you.
                    8. Now all of a sudden unless you work for Microsoft you don’t have the ability to have a professional opinion about the subject matter–you posting Spolsky’s word as the word of God despite him having worked for Microsoft for like 4 years over 2 decades ago. lol

                    I specifically referenced Gnu tools, window managers, etc. What is wrong with you?

                    This is exactly what you wrote;

                    I use Linux. There are frequent bugs that require me to type in a command manually to work around.

                    I mean Jesus Christ my guy.

    • Zorsith@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      1 day ago

      I think they’re more likely to just ditch consumer OS’ entirely. Its not their moneymaker anymore, that’d be cloud service subscriptions (O365 and Azure) and enterprise licensing. Hell, they’d probably have huge success with VDIs if they could market it right (until an internet outage hits the wrong person)