Disastrous new Windows 10 update is causing serious issues for some people
Blue Screen of Deaths, audio issues, search problems – the lot
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Over the past few months,Microsofthas managed to releasea series of problematic updates for Windows 10that have caused serious issues for some people, and while we’d have hoped the situation would have improved, it seems like the company has just released its most disastrous Windows 10 update yet.
WhileWindows 10KB4556799 was supposed to be an important update for people running the two most recent versions of theoperating system(May 2019 UpdateandNovember 2019 Update), it seems like it has in fact introduced a large number of problems instead.
The list of reported problems reads a bit like a ‘greatest hits’ of previous Windows 10 update errors, with almost everything accounted for. So,some users on the Microsoft forumare reporting the dreaded Blue Screen of Death, which appears when your PC encounters a severe problem and has to restart.
There have also beenreports of a flickering white screenappearing after installing the update,system fonts being replacedand Windows 10reverting back to the more limited S-Mode.
As if they weren’t annoying enough, one user found thatOutlook searches are now broken, whileWindows Latest is reportingthat Windows 10 KB4556799 is causing audio issues for some people, where the default audio output is changed, as well as the re-emergence of the Temporary user profile bug.
This bug has affected previous Windows 10 updates, and it’s pretty nasty, as it creates and loads a default user profile when Windows 10 loads up, apparently deleting user files and changing any settings (such as desktop wallpaper and themes) back to the default settings.
This makes Windows 10 KB4556799 one of the worst Windows 10 updates we’ve seen so far.
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How to fix it
We don’t know how many people are affected by the update issues, and we’ve contacted Microsoft for comment.
If you’ve downloaded the Windows 10 KB4556799 update and are encountering any issues, the best way to fix the problem is to uninstall the update.
Open up the Settings app (the cog icon in the Start menu, or by pressing Windows + I on the keyboard), then click ‘Update & Security’.
From the window that appears, click ‘Windows Update’ on the left-hand menu, then ‘View update history’.
Click ‘Uninstall updates’ then select KB4556799 to uninstall it. The problems should now be fixed.
You could also use theSystem Restorefeature in Windows 10 to roll back your PC to a time when it was working correctly.
Microsoft has yet to comment on these new problems, and as we stated so far it seems like the issues aren’t too widespread. If you installed the update and you’ve not experienced any problems, then you’ll be fine to continue with it installed.
Matt is TechRadar’s Managing Editor for Core Tech, looking after computing and mobile technology. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there’s no aspect of technology that Matt isn’t passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. He’s personally reviewed and used most of the laptops in our best laptops guide - and since joining TechRadar in 2014, he’s reviewed over 250 laptops and computing accessories personally.
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