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Microsoft published a new blog post on its website sharing details about how PowerShell updates can now be managed via Microsoft Update. The blog post says: For those wondering about how Microsoft Update is different from the Windows Update service, the idea is similar, but Windows Update only deals with operating system updates and related features like Defender while Microsoft Update deals with other Microsoft-related products like Office. In order to control the updates, there are two options, and Microsoft recommends that both checkboxes be ticked.: Additionally, these updates can also be deployed using command line utilities: Microsoft here notes that using ENABLE_MU=0 does not disable the Microsoft Update feature. The tech giant also adds that PowerShell update deployments via Microsoft Update will ensure users using LTS versions will stay on LTS versions, those on Stable remain on Stable, while those using release candidates or preview versions stay on previews. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of February): 874 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Back in July of 2023, which is well over a year ago (Oh how time flies!), Microsoft began testing a neat Windows recovery feature inside the Canary channel, build 25905. The feature was called "Fix problems using Windows Update". Microsoft understands that repair and recovery of Windows is essential as users can run into issues. This is also why the company recently added a handy shortcut link that goes straight to the recovery settings menu in its official guidance about installing Windows 11 on unsupported hardware. Since it is a new feature, Neowin noticed that Microsoft recently published a support article about 'Fix problems using Windows Update' explaining how it works. It writes: Thus, it essentially performs an in-place repair of Windows system files and components by reinstalling the OS via the Windows Update. We have already covered it in a dedicated guide on how to use it. The company too has also shared its own step-by-step guide. It says: Microsoft adds that the "Fix problems using Windows Update" option also comes up when a Windows update fails to install. In this case, a " Reinstall your current version of Windows to repair system files and components" message is displayed alongside Reinstall now option which triggers the Fix problems using Windows Update repair tool. However, while this feature is helpful, it is not for everyone. Microsoft has confirmed that it is only available on Windows 11 and that too on versions 22H2 and newer with the February 2024 optional update or later installed. Besides that, managed PCs, like those for work and school won't have it. You can find more details about it here on the official support article on Microsoft's site. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. 2023: Over 5,800 news posts | 2024 (till end of November): 5,298 news posts RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Last week, a major Server upgrade mishap ensued when Microsoft's Windows 11 KB5044284 update was wrongly pushed out to Windows Server 2019 and Server 2022 systems. One of the third-party AMMs, Heimdal, blamed Microsoft for it. Later that day, the tech giant did confirm that it had indeed offered the latest Server version as an optional update on Windows Server 2022 and 2019. While nothing was stated at that time, we speculated that the miss-classification of the client OS update as a Server update likely happened due to this. Today, Microsoft documented the issue on its Windows health dashboard website and has also explained in detail what exactly happened. Going forward, the company has advised that feature updates like these must be interpreted as "optional" and not "recommended": Additionally, Microsoft has also outlined its efforts to prevent such upgrade-related catastrophes in the future. The tech giant says it is actively working with such third-party AMMs and is also adding a new group policy "hold" setting for "Select the target Feature Update version." The company will also be making changes to how it classifies updates using KB (knowledge base), as there will be separate sites for client and Server updates in the future: You can find the issue here on Microsoft's official Windows health dashboard website. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. 2023: Over 5,800 news posts | 2024 (till end of October): 4,832 news posts RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Windows 10 and 11 receive updates every month, but this time, things are more special. Microsoft just launched the latest Windows 11 feature update, version 24H2, which packs quite a number of new features and changes. However, you will most likely notice that the update took away a massive chunk of disk space. This might become a serious problem on lower-end systems that do not have a lot of space on a system drive. Here is how to fix the situation and clean up the C drive after installing Windows 11 version 24H2 or another big update. In a nutshell, Windows keeps the pre-update version for emergencies to let you roll back in case of issues. That old copy usually takes over 20GB of free space. If you are not there yet, check out our guides detailing how to update to Windows 11 version 24H2 on supported systems and how to do that if your computer is not supported. Clean disk C after installing a Windows update It is worth mentioning right off the bat that cleaning up the system drive after a major Windows update will prevent you from going back. Consider this fact before purging the old Windows installation since you will have no way to roll back the update in case of serious bugs or issues, and the only way to solve the problem would be to clean-install Windows from scratch. Press Win + I to launch Windows Settings. Navigate to System > Storage and wait for the system to scan the contents of the C drive. Click Temporary Files and wait again—Windows will check what can be safely deleted. Place the checkmark next to "Previous Windows Installation(s)" and "Delivery Optimization Files." Note: As of right now, there is an allegedly known issue where Windows 11 won't let you clear 8.6GB of data. If it stays after running a disk cleanup, leave it be and wait for Microsoft to release a fix. You can tick additional options. Just be careful not to delete the content of the Downloads folder accidentally (that option is not selected by default). Click "Remove files" and wait for Windows to complete the process. Free space on disk C after updating Windows—another option Windows 11 still has a lot of legacy components, which means processes can be completed using modern and old interfaces. That is the case with disk cleanup in Windows 11. If you want some nostalgia, here is how to clean disk C using the legacy UI: Press Win + R and type cleanmgr. Alternatively, open the Start menu and type Disk Cleanup. Select Disk C and click Ok. Click "Clean up system files." This command will let Windows find previous installations and delete them. Wait for the scan to complete and place a checkmark next to the "Previous Windows installation(s)" option. Click Ok and wait for the process to complete. That is how you clean disk C after installing a major Windows update. Source RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. 2023: Over 5,800 news posts | 2024 (till end of September): 4,292 news posts

If you are unhappy with how much time Windows Update takes to install the latest update, do not bother cleaning the registry (even though there are now Microsoft-made apps for that) or doing other questionable stuff Windows gurus across the Internet often suggest. Especially if you have an older computer without much horsepower. You can make Windows Update work faster by simply closing the Settings app. You know what they say: a watched pot never boils. Albacore (@thebookisclosed) shared this genius finding on their X account a few weeks ago. Like other people in replies, I was a bit skeptical at first, so I decided to test the claim. To do so, I set up a virtual machine on my laptop (which already has a three-year-old Intel Core i3) to simulate a low-power computer that barely meets Windows 11 hardware requirements with only two CPU cores and 4GB of RAM. I clean-installed the OS (a new installation for each pass), turned on update notifications to know when the system was ready to reboot, and started testing. I measured install time from the moment of pressing the "Check for Update" button to receiving a notification that Windows is ready for restart to install available updates. The laptop was connected to a separate network to prevent other devices from interfering with the process. I did not use Event Log because Windows creates entries about successful update installations during the offline phase, and my goal was to measure the install time during the online phase when you can use your device. I made ten runs overall: five with the Settings app closed and five with it open. To my surprise, the results turned out very consistent. When the Settings app was opened, my virtual machine took 20 minutes and 59 seconds on average to download and install available updates. With the Settings app closed that time decreased to 17 minutes and 30 seconds on average. That is an 18% difference, nothing to scoff at. So, what is the kick? The theory is that the MoUSO Core Worker Process creates extra strain on the CPU if you keep the Settings app open when installing Windows updates. Closing the app reduces the load and lets your computer finish faster. You can check it yourself by launching Task Manager when installing updates. Of course, the exact results and time difference depend on multiple factors, such as what apps are running, how powerful your hardware is, how old the installation is, and more. Some systems might experience negligible improvements, while others will see more substantial results. So, if you want to install the latest cumulative updates as quick as possible, close the Settings app and let your computer do its job without interruptions. Source

Printers live to see a brighter future with less driver stress. What you need to know Microsoft announces an end to servicing legacy v3 and v4 Windows printer drivers via Windows Update, to be completed in 2027. Manufacturers will subsequently need to provide third-party drivers via brand-specific support portals. With a first-party Microsoft IPP Class Driver, printers will function on modern versions of Windows without extra software. In what might seem like the first genuinely helpful step forward for printer usability in years, Microsoft is ending its support for third-party printer drivers (via Tech Radar) delivered through Windows Update. Though it sounds daunting, native support for Mopria-compliant printers (a certification program promoting interoperability between different models and manufacturers) will be available via its first-party IPP Class Driver, first introduced in Windows 10 version 21H2. For developers, this means moving printer customization options from a traditional Win32 environment to Microsoft's UWP (Universal Windows Platform) framework. Still, consumers will generally benefit from a more plug-and-play experience thanks to the cross-compatibility across all editions of Windows. Microsoft's roadmap shows its plans to phase out legacy drivers, with no new drivers to be published via Windows Update from 2025. Will my printer still work? This doesn't put an end to brand-supplied drivers, only to their delivery via Windows Update. If you connect a new printer to your personal computer or network, you'll be free to use basic printing functionality as provided by the Microsoft IPP Class Driver. Otherwise, manufacturers can host third-party drivers with extra features via the web or even a traditional CD-ROM (yes, some printers still come with these.) Regarding security concerns, Microsoft professes it will still address any issues related to legacy drivers even after the service period ends if the edition of Windows is within its support lifecycle. Similarly, Microsoft has no plans to deactivate printer-specific features with the legacy driver platform, and multi-function printer/scanner/fax machines will still work over IPP (Internet Printing Protocol.) By 2027, third-party drivers will have been completely phased out of Windows Update, save for security-related fixes. From then on, you'll be able to connect a printer and send print jobs immediately instead of scouring the Internet for outdated support pages with driver packages built for Windows Vista. Any extended functionality will remain accessible with a manual third-party install, preventing accidental driver overlap via automatic updates. Imagine that. Source

It has been a pretty eventful week for Microsoft and Intel in terms of major news and rumors. First up, we had the "Downfall" GDS vulnerability which affects almost all of Intel's slightly older CPUs. This was followed by a leaked Intel document which suggests upcoming Wi-Fi 7 may only be limited to Windows 11, Windows 12, and newer. Meanwhile, users of the two latest generations of Intel CPUs were affected by a Windows update issue where the system crashes with a blue screen of death (BSOD) displaying a "UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR" error, even though it is supposed to work perfectly. (Microsoft recently updated its support list for both Intel and AMD.) MSI, which seems to be the most commonly affected motherboard vendor out of all, published a workaround yesterday which you can find here. The problem is mainly affecting Intel's Z690 and Z790 boards, which are chipsets accompanying 12th and 13th Gen Alder Lake and Raptor Lake parts respectively. Microsoft has also updated its health dashboard page today with new information and details about the issue. Interestingly, the company says that its latest non-security preview updates, ie, Windows 11 (KB5029351) and Windows 10 (KB5029331), which seemingly triggered this Unsupported CPU BSOD error, is not really what's to blame for the error. It says that this is an issue with a "specific subset of processors": After investigating these reports, we have found that the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” error was not caused by issues in KB5029351 and is limited to a specific subset of processors. We are collaborating with device manufacturers (OEMs) and will temporarily mitigate this issue by not offering KB5029351 to Windows devices that might be affected by this issue. If you still experience this issue, please contact your device’s processor manufacturer. If you are one of those affected, you can still provide feedback to Microsoft The company's guidance on how to properly give feedback on the issue can be found in this article. You should also contact your motherboard maker and CPU maker, which seems to be Intel at the moment. Source

Just like restarting a router fixes network problems (most of the time), reinstalling Windows is considered a universal cure for most software issues and bugs. However, very few users enjoy reinstalling Windows and recovering all their apps, games, files, settings, and more. Even though Microsoft is working on making Windows backup more convenient and easy, reinstalling Windows remains the last-resort option for many. Luckily, future Windows 11 (and whatever comes after it in 2024) updates will make troubleshooting the operating system less stressful and time-consuming. Windows 11 build 25905, currently available for testing in the Canary Channel, has a feature Microsoft did not announce: the ability to repair the installation using Windows Update. The toggle does not require enabling a specific ID, and it is available for all insiders with the latest build. In-place repair using Windows Update works by downloading the latest available build and installing it on top of your current installation while preserving all your apps, games, files, and settings. Once the process is done, you should get a relatively "clean" system with software bugs resolved. To check the new repair system, head to Settings > System > Recovery and click the Reinstall now button. After that, Windows will prompt you to confirm the action (enjoy another Windows 8-era dialog window) and switch to Windows Update to find and download the build matching your current installation (it will have a "repair version" tag). From there, it all feels like your standard build upgrade in the Windows Insider program or a feature update for a stable release. The in-place repair option will be a fantastic troubleshooter for those without a bootable USB drive. That is assuming your installation is not broken beyond being able to download and install a build using Windows Update. Therefore, you better have a spare USB with a Windows ISO for peace of mind. Credit for the finding goes to @XenoPanther Source

Microsoft will make it easier for Windows 10 users to check if their computer is compatible with Windows 11 by alerting people via Windows Update. When Windows 11 was first announced, it came with new system requirements that will likely require many Windows 10 users to purchase new hardware to upgrade to the new operating system. These requirements include a TPM 2.0 security processor and newer CPUs, even if existing hardware runs Windows 10 without a problem. Microsoft recently added new CPUs to the Windows 11 compatibility list - the Intel Core X-series, Xeon W-series, and the Intel Core 7820HQ CPUs. However, they also stated that no AMD Zen 1 processors would be compatible, and we will likely not see further additions in the near future. According to WindowsLatest, Microsoft is testing a new feature in the Windows 10 21H2 preview builds that will tell users if their device is compatible with Windows 11. As shown below, when upgrading to Windows 11, Windows Update will check if a device is compatible and display the results directly in the window. Windows Update to tell if Windows 11 is compatible with a device You can read the full text of this notification below: "Great news—your PC meets the minimum system requirements for Windows 11. Specific timing for when it will be offered can vary as we get it ready for you. Note: Some Windows 10 features aren’t available in Windows 11. Certain apps and features may have additional requirements." – Windows Update Windows Update will likely alert the user to run the PC Health Check tool for more detailed information or, hopefully, directly list the incompatible hardware if a device is not compatible. Unfortunately, when BleepingComputer conducted a similar Windows 11 upgrade test using the latest Windows 10 21H2 build, Windows Update did not show us any information about whether our device was compatible. Likely, this new feature is currently being tested for a wider release at a later date. BleepingComputer has reached out to Microsoft about this new feature but has not heard back. Windows Update will tell if you can upgrade to Windows 11

The Windows 11 2022 Update is now rolling out with lots of new features - and more on the way in October. In light of the arrival of the first major update to Windows 11, Microsoft has now detailed how it is making the Windows Update process a lot better. Microsoft has highlighted two key improvements that apply both to feature updates and monthly updates following the release of the Windows 11 2022 Update. First up, Microsoft has emphasized that it has reduced significantly reduced the size of Windows updates which, in return, has resulted in faster installs. The Redmond tech firm claims that for some users, it reduced update sizes by up to 450MB in feature updates. On the monthly cumulative update side, it says it "reclaimed approximately 3x the update size (100s of MB) given back to the user". Another improvement that Microsoft is making in this space is related to carbon footprints. Moving forward, Windows will attempt to update during times when there are a greater number of clean energy sources such as wind, solar, and hydro available. This should result in reduced carbon emissions as Windows PCs around the globe move away from energy sources based on fossil fuels, at least during the update process. In terms of getting the update itself, the Windows 11 2022 Update will initially be available to those who seek it through Windows Update. Those interested can navigate to Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates. As usual, the update will be rolled out in a staggered manner complete with quality signals and safeguard holds to ensure a smooth upgrade process. However, if you simply can't wait for the update, check out guide on the topic here. Meanwhile, Windows 10 customers should first check if their PC is eligible for Windows 11 through the PC Health Check app. If they do meet the minimum system requirements, they should navigate to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates to see if the update is available for them. Microsoft has once again emphasized that if your existing device is not eligible for Windows 11, you should stay on Windows 10 since it is supported until October 14, 2025. The next feature update to Windows 10 is arriving next month in the form of version 22H2 as well. Finally, IT admins in commercial and education markets are advised to begin targeted deployments of Windows 11. Meanwhile, the Windows 11 2022 Update is available through regular commercial channels such as Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), Windows Update for Business (WUfB), and the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC). Microsoft is making major improvements to the Windows Update process

Did you know that Windows Update is used not only to annoy you deliver regular system updates but also new versions for other Microsoft products, such as Office? Soon, the list of Microsoft apps that can get to newer versions via Windows Update will expand with a new entry: Visual Studio. Mads Kristensen, from the Visual Studio team at Microsoft, posted in his X that Microsoft is looking to make it possible to deliver updates for its main integrated development environment (IDE) via Windows Update to keep users secure and up to date automatically in the background. According to a post on the Developer Community for Visual Studio website, the proposed update mechanism applies to all supported Visual Studio releases and LTSC channels of Visual Studio 2022, 2019, and 2017. However, it does not apply to preview versions. Microsoft understands that it is very easy to upset developers and Windows users in general (the recent Recall scandal proved that one more time), so it does not plan to enforce the new update mechanism. Instead of making it the new default, Microsoft will let developers decide how to receive Visual Studio updates. Moreover, you will be able to separate Visual Studio updates from the "Receive updates for other Microsoft products" toggle in the Settings app so that the IDE remains unaffected by that option if the user or IT admin prefers it. You can already preview the new update experience by configuring a specific registry key: HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\VisualStudio\Setup\PreviewAutomaticUpdates (REG_DWORD) = 1 Opting out requires changing another key: HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\VisualStudio\Setup\VSthroughMUUpdatesOptOut (REG_DWORD) = 1 Microsoft will replace this rather crude method with a much more user-friendly option in August. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every single day for many years. 2023: Over 5,800 news posts | 2024 (till end of May): Nearly 2,400 news posts

Windows 11 has been out for well over a month, but since it's still quite new and is being rolled out in a staggered manner, it's worth it to know what you're getting into before you decide to upgrade. This is why we have been discussing the OS' features in detail in our ongoing Closer Look series. So far, we have taken a look at Search, Widgets, the Start menu, Snap Layouts and Snap Groups, the Taskbar, quick settings and notifications, Virtual Desktops, power and battery settings, default apps configurations, File Explorer, context menus, Teams integration, the updated Clock app in Windows 11, the Microsoft Store, the Snipping Tool, the Paint app refresh, the lock screen, the revamped Photos app, the voice typing experience, the storage settings, the touch keyboard, the Calendar app integration, the Calculator app, and the Settings UI. Today, we'll be taking a look at the Windows Update UI and process at a high level. For the purpose of this piece, we will be talking about generally available builds of Windows 10 and Windows 11. Since there are only minor changes here and there, we'll be discussing them rather than the entire domain. Windows Update in Windows 11 Starting off with a new feature in Windows 11 that is not present at all in Windows 10 is that the OS tells you how much time an update will approximately take. This is shown both in the Windows Update setting. Considering that many users are annoyed when Windows updates are sprung upon them when their machine is restarted and they don't know how long they'll take, this is a very welcome change. Windows 11 Microsoft also added the same information in the Start menu, which I think is really useful since you usually consider updating when you're about to leave your PC. You'll also notice that the icon for Windows Update has been changed in the Taskbar (highlighted with a red arrow in the screenshot above). I prefer this over the icon that is present in Windows 10. Delivery Optimization in Windows 11 In terms of the Windows Update settings, I have found them to be consistent across Windows 10 and Windows 11. That said, configurations have definitely been shuffled around. A notable example of this is that Delivery Optimization where you can configure bandwidth throttle used to be a dedicated setting in Windows 10, but it's now nested under Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimization. I think it's important to highlight that this configuration was still present in the Windows Update > Advanced options on Windows 10, but it opened up a dedicated UI, which I found a bit distracting. Nesting it into Windows Update in Windows 11 makes more sense to me. Other settings have been similarly shuffled around as well, but functionally, the configurations appear to be the same. Windows Update in Windows 10 Windows 10 used to have a massive banner in the center of the Windows Update page, showing you your active hours so updates could be triggered outside of them. A screenshot of this can be seen above, I personally found that it wasted a lot of space without providing a decent amount of information. Windows Update > Advanced options in Windows 11 In contrast, Windows 11 has has removed this and just kept a drop-down UI for it in Windows Update > Advanced options. These are the nifty enhancements that Microsoft has made here and there in the Windows Update page that I really like. It's much better organized. Finally, Microsoft has also claimed that it has reduced the size of Windows 11 updates using a technique called reverse update data generation. You can read more about it in our dedicated piece here and while it does seem to me that Windows 11 updates install relatively quicker on my machine, I haven't performed an empirical examination with the same set of updates being made available on both operating systems. Regardless, Microsoft keeps enhancing this process continuously so expect improvements down the line even if they are not observable to you right now. Overall, I like the changes made to the Windows Update UI in Windows 11. It's much better organized and it's relatively easier to locate the configuration you're looking for. Less space is wasted on the interface and the information about how long an update will take to install is just a godsend. Closer Look: Windows Update in Windows 11

Microsoft released its new Windows 11 operating system earlier this month. Devices that are compatible with Windows 11 may be upgraded to Windows 11 for free via Windows Update. Devices that are not compatible receive the error "This PC doesn't currently meet all the system requirements for Windows 11" on Windows Update instead. When we reported about this on October 5, 2021, the day Windows 11 was released officially, we received reports from several of our readers that they got the incompatibility message in Windows Update even though their devices met all system requirements of the operating system. Microsoft has now acknowledged the issue and stated that it is working on a fix to get it resolved. How did affected users notice that something is not right? Microsoft's PC Health Check application told them. The official application checks if a PC meet all system requirements of Windows 11 and highlights items that are not compatible. It is linked on the Windows Update page, making it easy for users to double-check. It may also reveal details on the incompatibility on devices that don't meet all system requirements of the Windows 11 operating system. Users affected by the incompatibility issue in Windows Update who ran the PC Health Check app told us that the app was not complaining about any items when they ran it. After carefully checking the installed hardware components, some concluded that the checker in Windows Update must have a bug. Microsoft has not revealed the scope of the issue. It is unclear how many devices are affected by the Windows Update compatibility issue. We received several confirmations about the issue after writing about it here on this site. Windows 10 customers who are affected by the issue have no other option but to wait for Microsoft to fix it. Microsoft did not add the issue to the list of known issues of Windows 11. Your PC is compatible with Windows 11, but you get an error in Windows Update? Microsoft is working on a fix!

Microsoft has released security updates to address a Secure Boot zero-day vulnerability exploited by BlackLotus UEFI malware to infect fully patched Windows systems. Secure Boot is a security feature that blocks bootloaders untrusted by the OEM on computers with Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) firmware and a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip to prevent rootkits from loading during the startup process. According to a Microsoft Security Response Center blog post, the security flaw (tracked as CVE-2023-24932) was used to bypass patches released for CVE-2022-21894, another Secure Boot bug abused in BlackLotus attacks last year. "To protect against this attack, a fix for the Windows boot manager (CVE-2023-24932) is included in the May 9, 2023, security update release, but disabled by default and will not provide protections," the company said. "This vulnerability allows an attacker to execute self-signed code at the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) level while Secure Boot is enabled. "This is used by threat actors primarily as a persistence and defense evasion mechanism. Successful exploitation relies on the attacker having physical access or local admin privileges on the targeted device." All Windows systems where Secure Boot protections are enabled are affected by this flaw, including on-premises, virtual machines, and cloud-based devices. However, the CVE-2023-24932 security patches released today are only available for supported versions of Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server. To determine if Secure Boot protections are enabled on your system, you can run the msinfo32 command from a Windows command prompt to open the System Information app. Secure Boot is toggled on if you see a "Secure Boot State ON" message on the left side of the window after selecting "System Summary." Secure Boot status (BleepingComputer) Manual steps required to mitigate CVE-2023-24932 While the security updates released today by Redmond contain a Windows boot manager fix, they are disabled by default and will not remove the attack vector exploited in BlackLotus attacks. To defend their Windows devices, customers must undergo a procedure requiring multiple manual steps "to update bootable media and apply revocations before enabling this update." To manually enable protections for the Secure Boot CVE-2023-24932 bypass bug, you have to go through the following steps in this exact order (otherwise, the system will no longer boot): INSTALL the May 9, 2023, updates on all affected systems. UPDATE your bootable media with Windows updates released on or after May 9, 2023. If you do not create your own media, you will need to get the updated official media from Microsoft or your device manufacturer (OEM). APPLY revocations to protect against the vulnerability in CVE-2023-24932. Microsoft is also taking a phased approach to enforcing the protections addressing this security flaw to reduce customer impact due to enabling CVE-2023-24932 protections. The rollout timeline includes three phases: May 9, 2023: The initial fix for CVE-2023-24932 is released. In this release, this fix requires the May 9, 2023, Windows Security Update and additional customer action to fully implement the protections. July 11, 2023: A second release will provide additional update options to simplify the deployment of the protections. First quarter 2024: This final release will enable the fix for CVE-2023-24932 by default and enforce bootmanager revocations on all Windows devices. Microsoft also warned customers there is no way to revert the changes once CVE-2023-24932 mitigations are fully deployed. "Once the mitigation for this issue is enabled on a device, meaning the revocations have been applied, it cannot be reverted if you continue to use Secure Boot on that device," Microsoft said. "Even reformatting of the disk will not remove the revocations if they have already been applied." Update: Revised title to explain that this is an optional fix. Microsoft issues optional fix for Secure Boot zero-day used by malware