For Microsoft, the hits associated with the October November 1809 update just keep coming. After issues with file deletion caused the update to be pulled, more evidence of additional file bugs surfaced, including problems with how file archives were handled by the default extractor (third-party utilities were not impacted by this issue). Microsoft eventually pushed the update out anyway, but the company has acknowledged some significant flaws in the final version.
According to Microsoft’s support documentation (via Paul Thurrott), installing the update will break Windows Media Player and prevent users from using the Seek Bar when playing specific files. No details are provided on which file types are broken or what the specific types are that trigger the behavior, or when a fix will be available.
Users who install the 1809 update may also find themselves unable to set file associations properly when using Win32 apps. Some users have reported that Notepad, for example, cannot be set to be the default file handler. It’s not clear how widespread either issue is, but again, it’s not clear why this is happening or what low-level code Microsoft even touched to make such basic functionality fail. Setting a default application to handle a particular file type is not a new feature; it’s been part of core Windows behavior for decades.
There are a few other problems to be aware of as well, though in some cases these are not the result of changes Microsoft specifically made to Windows 10 with 1809. Intel pushed display drivers to its OEM partners (24.20.100.6344, 24.20.100.6345) that don’t handle audio playback properly over HDMI, USB-C, or DisplayPort. Microsoft is blocking Windows 10 1809 installations for anyone with iCloud 7.7.0.27 installed, due to unspecified incompatibilities between Apple’s software and 1809. There are issues with network drives failing to reconnect after logging on to a Windows device, and Edge in 1809 may stop working if you’re using either an AMD HD 2000 or HD 4000 GPU. AMD has dropped support for both of these devices already. Microsoft is blocking updates for these users as well and exploring how to work around the issue.
It’s understandable that Windows could hit problems when a third-party company pushes improper driver updates or unsupported GPUs encounter unexpected difficulties. Problems with audio playback due to improperly configured drivers are a headache, but they aren’t Microsoft’s fault. But how on Earth did Microsoft manage to break video seeking in WMP or, more troublingly, default file association protocols?
The continued persistence of problems like this — specifically, low-level bugs that should have been caught during the testing process — is why self-congratulatory articles like the blog post Microsoft published earlier this month lauding its own testing process sound so tone deaf and fall so flat. We recognize and acknowledge that in many cases, these bugs impact only small numbers of people. Nevertheless, Microsoft has constructed the very conditions that cause these bug reports to receive such prominent coverage. Its continued insistence on a model in which both content and security updates are mandatory and delivered in very tight timelines with only a limited ability to defer them, combined with changes to its software testing model, means problems like this are going to continue to slip through.
Microsoft Windows 1809 Update Breaks Windows Media Player, File Associations - ExtremeTech
Microsoft broke Windows Media Player in all versions of Windows 10 today with patches, though I do have to wonder the same thing ExtremeTech is wondering, these things that are getting broken shouldn't have anything to do with anything they're doing...
https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-patches-several-versions-of-windows-10/
At least 1809 will do something positive: weed out the idiots from the IT departments.
Intel Adds Support for Universal Windows Drivers With Latest Graphics Release
Intel Adds Support for Universal Windows Drivers With Latest Graphics Release - ExtremeTech
Intel has released a new version of its Windows 10 Graphics Driver, but there are some things to be aware of before you download and install the software. This new driver — 25.20.100.6444 — is the first Intel driver written to support Microsoft’s Windows Modern Drivers, also known as Universal Windows drivers. According to Microsoft, the benefit of using this style of driver is that they “enable developers to create a single driver package that runs across multiple different device types, from embedded systems to tablets and desktop PCs.” Unlike previous editions of Windows, Windows 10 1809 (the much-maligned October Update) requires UWDs.
According to Microsoft, adopting this style of driver simplifies the entire driver-writing process in multiple ways. The device manufacturer/integrated hardware vendor (IHV) is responsible for writing the base driver, while the OEM shipping the final product (Dell, HP, etc) is responsible for the integration of any optional component packages. Microsoft writes:
After IHV has certified the base driver, it can be deployed on all OEM systems. Because a base driver can be used across all systems that share a hardware part, Microsoft can test the base driver broadly via Windows Insider flighting, rather than limiting distribution to specific machines. The OEM validates only the optional customizations that it provides for the OEM device. Universal drivers are distributed through Windows Update, and hardware support apps are distributed through the Store.
Intel is evidently referring to these as both Modern Windows Drivers (MWD) and Universal Windows Drivers (UWD). The download file for 25.20.100.6444 has UWD in the file name, for example. These new drivers also support auto-tuning for a wider range of games; this feature is similar to the automatic optimization capabilities Nvidia provides through its GeForce Experience utility.
Intel does, however, warn users to be careful when making the shift from standard drivers to the new UWD format. If you wish to uninstall this driver and return to the older driver style, the company warns that you must uninstall the UWD driver via the Windows Apps and Features menu. “Failure to do so,” it writes, “may result in minor to catastrophic issues on your system as well as system instability.”
Users are also warned not (original emphasis) to use the INF/Have Disk method of installing the driver, as this can also result in major to minor system instability. Intel will not be distributing a ZIP file for the next several driver releases in order to make it clear that users need to install the driver through the executable rather than via manual process.
The net impact on end users should be small, though the new Intel drivers do include some nice features. In addition to supporting a larger number of games, the system can now scan for new titles without requiring a reboot, supports Valve’s new Artifact, reduces memory consumption when running OpenGL titles, and improves battery life when Display Refresh Rate Switching is enabled on supported monitors. Vulkan stability is also reportedly improved.
Any clues if you run,
No such utility service here but same problem
