April updates for Windows 10 and 11 break some VPN software, Microsoft says:
Microsoft is currently investigating a bug in its most recent batch of Windows 10 and Windows 11 updates that is preventing some VPN software from working properly. The company updated its list of known Windows issues to say that it has recreated the issue on its end and that it's currently working on a fix.
The VPN issue affects all currently supported versions of Windows: Windows 10 21H2 and 22H2; Windows 11 versions 21H2, 22H2, and 23H2; and Windows Server 2008, 2008 R2, 2012, 2012 R2, 2016, 2019, and 2022.
Microsoft says the problem was caused by update KB5036893, which was initially released on April 9, 2024. The update makes "miscellaneous security improvements to internal OS functionality," among a few other minor changes. The company hasn't provided specific information on what's been broken or what needs fixing, noting only that PCs "might face VPN connection failures" after installing the update.
Routine updates have caused several headaches for VPN-using Windows 10 and 11 users in the last couple of years; updates in early 2022 broke some L2TP and IPSEC VPNs, and another update about a year ago slowed down speeds over VPN connections. Of course, Microsoft isn't always to blame for VPN problems in Windows—earlier this month, we wrote about issues with the Google One VPN software totally resetting DNS settings for all network adapters.
Latest Windows update has borked VPN use on all versions
The April 2024 Windows security patch appears to be the culprit for broken Virtual Private Network functionality. The bug prevents users from connecting to a VPN to conceal their home Wi-Fi network's IP address when browsing the web or accessing content from abroad.
Microsoft has acknowledged the issue, with the KB5036893 that dropped almost a month ago, which it says affects all current versions of Windows 11, Windows 10 and Windows Server. It promises a fix is incoming.
On a support page (via The Verge), the company says: "VPN connections might fail after installing the April 2024 security update.
"Windows devices might face VPN connection failures after installing the April 2024 security update (KB5036893) or the April 2024 non-security preview update. We are working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release."
While Windows users wait for the resolution, the only known workaround is to roll back the operating system update, and uninstall the update.
(Score: 5, Informative) by Gaaark on Saturday May 04, @09:46PM
you will soon ONLY be able to use MS-VPN, or the 'fix' will be a reporting back to MS of all your traffic.
Wise grasshopper: time to leave the MS-nest.
THIS would piss me off to NO END; so glad i told MS to shove it's shit somewhere else.
ORrrrrrr.... tell MS to f*ck itself and switch operating systems: GO NUCLEAR...IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO BE SURE!
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 05, @02:57AM
a) Doesn't use Windows VPNs that much?
b) Tests updates on the World before using them in Production aka Microsoft?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Rosco P. Coltrane on Sunday May 05, @12:28PM (2 children)
Mindlessly letting a machine update itself is a bad habit.
I don't use Windows, so I don't know if you can disable auto-updates in Windows. But on the machines I do use - Linux Mint or Android - updates don't get applied without my consent.
That way, I can choose to upgrade something piecemeal in a hurry because I know there's a critical fix that I should apply asap, or wait until other people have played guinea pig and no broken features have been reported.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by SomeGuy on Sunday May 05, @03:25PM
That is exactly the problem here. It is NOT possible to disable updates in Microsoft Windows any more. At best, you can only temporarily delay some updates.
A Windows 11 machines I have to use at work started randomly BSODing after an update last year. I could only revert and delay the update so long. After that time period expired it went back to BSODing, the problem had not been fixed. These days, Microsoft seems to go to a lot of trouble to block software they don't like from running. But in this case it was a device driver issue, but they had done zilch to warn about any compatibility problem.
Had I not been able to resolve the driver issue, I would have had to get an entirely new machine. Hardware or software can NOT be used any more the moment Microsoft pushes out an update that makes it incompatible.
Even simple shit like Windows 11 Notepad, they keep changing around and breaking. For a while there using undo after a paste operation was totally fucked up, DELETING the replaced text rather than restoring it. I have a whole pile of other issues with it too. They can't keep a simple text editor working any more, there is no way they can keep an entire OS working.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Freeman on Tuesday May 07, @02:39PM
Windows 11 is a forced update and Windows 10 is very whiny about it (assuming it's not also forced, I forget exactly). Anyway, Windows 10 won't matter for much longer. Good luck on Microsoft releasing a Non-Stupid OS, before the EOL of Windows 10! Windows Vista had Windows 7 to save it, Windows 8 had Windows 10 to save it (of course microsoft has been pushing the enveolope here with SAAS stupidness too), Windows 11 has ?!? profit!? Admittedly, I wouldn't hate on Windows 11 so much, if it wasn't so invasive. Microsoft is saying "Focus on Security!" while also saying "Give us All of your information!" those are contradictory statements.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"