Microsoft’s cumulative updates for Windows 10 are a sort of love them or hate them deal. In principal they are good, patching performance fixes, new features, and security improvements into one single rollout.
However, the idea that one problem within a cumulative update could cause issues for all the fixes within the patch, could mean Microsoft will need to release the fix as another cumulative patch.
That has yet to happen through the nearly dozen cumulative updates Microsoft has issued for Windows 10 so far, but the latest is causing big problems for some users.
Previous updates have had installation quirks and the recently released KB3140768 is certainly bringing its fair share, simply refusing to install itself on some machines.
At first there were a few isolated incidents, but since then a wave of complaints have flooded Microsoft’s boards, including from Windows 10 user Sergey A. He said this problem has plagued previous builds and has struck again with KB3140768:
With KB3140743 [previous cumulative update], I followed all the steps discussed at Windows support forums, then chatted with MS support specialist – but ended up with restoring Windows 10 from the image, that killed nearly a full day for me in total.
I hoped it was a one-time problem – but now I’ve got stuck with KB3140768 with absolutely identical symptoms.
No Fix Yet
Those with software knowhow are saying they have tried multiple avenues to find a fix, but so far no workaround has been discovered, while Microsoft has not yet responded. It is arguably more frustrating that the update seems to install to some machines, but mysteriously not others, although it does not appear to be a hardware/software compatibility issue.
Cumulative updates have been criticized by some Windows 10 users because they often come with no particular changelog, just an undocumented patch. Redmond has always used targeted cumulative upgrades in the past, but never the sweeping ones like those released for Windows 10.
It is very much a modern approach modelled off mobile platform updates, but many desktop users think Windows needs more nuanced patches. Of course, Microsoft does issue targeted updates too, with visible and explainable changes, but cumulative updates seem to be increasing in Microsoft’s plans.
While Windows 10 has certainly represented a step forward for Microsoft compared to Windows 8/8.1, errors like these leave users wishing for older popular builds. On Reddit the consensus so far is that update KB3140743 is a miss, with some experience users angry at the fact Microsoft is not releasing patches that work on all machines.
“They need to get their shit together full stop,” said one poster (daveuk).
I’m a software developer with 20 years’ experience and I am more than capable of solving my own problems and know my way around computers. If this stuff makes me tear my hair out what hope does the average consumer have? They are putting out builds which just do not meet the necessary standards of quality for an operating system that people have to rely on.
We reached out to Microsoft and will see if the company responds to the complaints.
SOURCE: Microsoft Answers, Softpedia, Reddit
