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Windows Confusion: Deadline to Update, Then Blocked for Some

By Laura Tucker
Windows 11 Blocked Update Featured

If you’re a Windows user, you may be wondering what you’re supposed to do with the latest update. It seems like a damned if you do, damned if you don’t scenario. First, the U.S. government warned Windows users to update for security reasons by October 29, then the Windows 11 24H2 update was blocked for some users because of incompatibilities with some hardware.

Third Warning to Update

You have to know it’s serious when the government orders its employees to update or stop using their PCs – not once, but three times. With the most recent vulnerability, cyberattackers have exploited old code that still exists in Windows 11, causing a blue screen of death on many devices that are left fully exposed and vulnerable.

Windows Update Installed
Image source: Unsplash

The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency identified the issue as Microsoft Windows MSHTML Platform Spoofing Vulnerability. Just the two words of “spoofing” and “vulnerability” should tell you it’s not good and that you should follow this advice. CISA further explained that it can lead to a loss of confidentiality.

The MSHTML vulnerability concerns a Windows Internet Shortcut file. It opens Internet Explorer, the browser long ago retired and no longer receiving security updates, and visits a URL controlled by cyberattackers, who are then able to take control of the Windows device being used.

With the third MSHTML warning, it means the security patches so far employed were not completely successful. This has to make you leery of updating to something you are told is more secure.

Tip: not seeing the option to update Windows? Learn how to find it.

Some Users Blocked From Updating

Yet, your Windows machine may have been blocked by Microsoft from installing the Windows 11 24H2 update because of incompatibilities. This leaves those users in a pickle. They are staring at a vulnerability, yet they can’t update their device and are also told if they don’t update, they should stop using it.

The update is known to fail to install on some Asus PCs, including the X415KA and X515KA models. Owners have received error messages and the BSOD due to an incompatibility with the hardware.

Windows Upate Blocked Asus
Image credit: Asus

Microsoft responded to these reports by blocking the affected devices from receiving the latest update. They have not reported when they will be able to update, which means it could very well be after the October 29th date that the government set for its employees.

Additionally, the update is causing issues with the cameras on some Windows devices that use face or object recognition. This affects not just the Camera app, but also Windows Hello and other applications. If this could happen to you, you’ll also find that the Windows update is blocked.

If you use the Voicemeter app and happen to run into a BSOD and “MEMORY MANAGEMENT” error, you are also blocked from updating. That’s three groups of users who are blocked from updating to Windows 11 24H2. And Windows recommends that those users should not manually install the update until a patch is released. Follow this advice to roll back a problematic update.

That’s bound to make Windows users leery of updating. Not that Windows update issues are an anomaly, as there always seems to be one issue or another. But if you fall into one of those three blocked groups, you could fall victim to a cyber attack, while knowing that the government doesn’t recommend you even use your machine if you don’t – or can’t – install the latest Windows update.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

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Laura Tucker Avatar
Laura Tucker
Laura has spent more than 20 years writing news, reviews, and op-eds, with the majority of those years as an editor as well. She has exclusively used Apple products for the past 35 years. In addition to writing and editing at MTE, she also runs the site’s sponsored review program.

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