Windows Won't Update to May 2019 on your PC? Check USB devices & Anti-cheat!

[EarthDog]

Well, I will give it to MS that they don't want a 10/2018 debacle... but this is interesting. Does this mean a USB stick/storage device or external drive? I have an SD card reader too, though its only connected via USB when I need to send the files to the PC.

I'm not too clear on the last one.

Microsoft is likely just days away from publicly launching the next major release for Windows 10: Version 1903, aka, the Windows 10 May 2019 Update. Although Microsoft has been testing the May 2019 Update for months internally and externally – via the Windows Insider program – the company doesn’t want a repeat of what happened with the disastrous Windows 10 October 2018 Update.
......

........With this in mind, Microsoft has posted the following list of upgrade blocks that will be in place when the Windows 10 May 2019 hits the public next month:

*If you have an external USB device or SD memory card is attached to your PC, you will be blocked from updating to the May 2019 Update. If you remove any external USB devices and/or SD memory cards, the update should proceed normally. This issue will be resolved in a future servicing update for Windows 10.

**If you have older versions of anti-cheat software used with games installed on your PC, you will be blocked from updating to the May 2019 Update. Some older versions of anti-cheat software may cause PCs to experience crashes after updating to the May 2019 Update. This block is specific to older versions of anti-cheat software. We are working with partners on getting their software updated with a fix, and most games have released patches to prevent PCs from experiencing this issue. To minimize the chance of hitting this block, please make sure you are running the latest version of your games before attempting to update the operating system.

***If you have redirected any Known Folders (for example: Desktop, Documents, Pictures), an empty folder with that same name is created in your %userprofile% directory when you update. Your Known Folders are redirected if you chose to back up your content to OneDrive using the OneDrive wizard, or if you chose to keep your content backed up during the Windows Out-of-box-Experience (OOBE). You may have also redirected your Known Folders manually through the Properties Dialog in File Explorer. ​This issue does not cause any user files to be deleted and a fix is in progress.

https://hothardware.com/news/microsoft-posts-windows-10-may-2019-update-blocks

 

[Janus67]

I imagine it doesn't understand what the primary/active partition is and freaks out with other storage attached?

 

[EarthDog]

That is a good question.. I was thinking along the same lines. I wonder what makes it so different than the last one..

 

[Janus67]

maybe they mess with the boot.ini or whatever the word for the overall boot partition is in this version and if other storage is attached or could cause the machine to boot up in the wrong order it could freak it out?

Also interesting about the anti-cheat pieces, I imagine the way it hooks into the OS via some API or something changes and causes issues as well.

 

[Robert17]

So I guess my printer needs to be routed via WiFi instead of the USB cable for the update to work? Or just unplug it for a while, replug when all is updated? Thanks MS.

 

[Janus67]

I don't think printers count, I believe it is just usb storage devices (flash drive/external drive/sd card/etc)

 

[Zuzzz]

Actually I think this is more to do with computers with small, limited or flash based SSD as primary storage. i.e. A laptop with a 32 SSD(soldered in place and cannot be easily replaced.) and a 128 SD card reader. Some in this case install on the 128GB card as opposed to the 32GB internal storage. I have had some personal experience with said type of device. For whatever reason MS is going to change this making most of these devices now unable to be updated forcing customers to upgrade their hardware.

Z

 

[EarthDog]

That makes a lot of sense if they are connected via USB internally. It seems like it covers removables (as well?) as it mentions 'taking it out' will allow the update to proceed.

whatever reason MS is going to change this making most of these devices now unable to be updated forcing customers to upgrade their hardware.

Maybe... but a while down the road.

MS also mentioned there will be a hotfix anyway so unless it's an immediate need, it looks like that can be avoided.

 

[WhitehawkEQ]

maybe they mess with the boot.ini

Win XP was the last OS to use boot.ini, OS's after XP use BCD. What could throw the update off is if it finds more than 1 active partition on the system, and usb flash drives are active.

 

[trents]

I don't think printers count, I believe it is just usb storage devices (flash drive/external drive/sd card/etc)

Many printers have USB ports and flash card slots for direct printing. I'm not sure if this applies or not.


So the long and short of this is that Microsoft is about to release a feature update that, like the last one, is half-baked.

 

[WhitehawkEQ]

Many printers have USB ports and flash card slots for direct printing. I'm not sure if this applies or not.


So the long and short of this is that Microsoft is about to release a feature update that, like the last one, is half-baked.

 

[Robert17]

Although the copy/paste of the release notes in the OP didn't specify whether or not USB mass storage was the problem vs. any USB device, I checked the specs on my printer, found it has 128MB of print cache onboard, but don't know if it's addressable from a boot priority standpoint (highly doubt it), but may be simply 'there' enough to confuse the update process. Even the release notes are half-baked.

 

[wagex]

dont half of you guys want to keep windows 10 from updating? in that case just leave a usb drive plugged in, problem solved

really though i can hardly believe a printer would stop the update.

common sense would dictate it means usb storage devices, but then again they should have specified for those without. lol.

 

[Janus67]

Although the copy/paste of the release notes in the OP didn't specify whether or not USB mass storage was the problem vs. any USB device, I checked the specs on my printer, found it has 128MB of print cache onboard, but don't know if it's addressable from a boot priority standpoint (highly doubt it), but may be simply 'there' enough to confuse the update process. Even the release notes are half-baked.

I can't possibly imagine the cache on a printer to count for that. All printers have some amount of cache to store print jobs and queues etc. If it isn't accessible from the OS I can't believe it could be affected.

 

[Robert17]

A weird thing happened on my way to shut down the system tonight.

As described in another thread my update for WinTen 1809 -> 1903 downloaded, but stalled at installation, several attempts, very frustrating. A few days ago right after I'd pretty much decided to just sit on the problem, decompress, figure another angle on solving it, was in the midst of printing a document with part specs for a customer when the HP printer decided it was transitioning from a printer to a lump of plastic and metal, still dressed the same, but became a heartless junkyard decoration. So I unplugged it, worked the customer's needs up manually (uncool in the digital age) and moved on to other tasks. Was out of town for a day, busy another, off and on the internet not really worrying about WinTen 1903, planning for a family visit to our place.

And apparently in the background whilst I've been surfing, emailing, etc., in the background MS was doing their thang, downloading some balance of code or modified instructions, sans USB device, needed to initialize the install of the 1903 update that had apparently downloaded and been cached away on my HD. I now am rocking the 1903 update. The only change has been the lack of a USB printer attached and active within my environment.

Sooooo, just maybe, the USB issue will affect updates even unto the printer. Thoughts? Questions?

 

[trents]

The latest ISO on Microsoft's website has the fix for the issue with not being able to install Windows 10 1903 from a flash drive which was an offshoot of the 1809 problem of wiping data on some people's computers. The initial release back in May would not install from a flash drive so I had to create a DVD installer.

I find that Windows 10 updates frequently bork printing, Robert 17 in my customer base. Sometimes it just changes the default to a virtual printer, however, so check in Devices and Printers if you haven't. Otherwise, uninstall and reinstall the drivers.

 

[Robert17]

Yeah, Trents, that was over-done by me. When the printer crashed I un-installed it, deleted all the programs/files pertaining to it, several times. As in 4 times; I would uninstall, unplug, reboot, re-install from scratch each time using the DVD media that came with the printer. Got a 'Fatal Exception' each time. This was after the 1903 update had downloaded but hadn't installed.

After a 17 hour initial download I'm pretty sure that over the past few days since the printer issue I haven't been 'hot spotting' for the amount of time it would take to re-download the entire 1903 update, so I think I answered one of my own questions regarding the caching of the download update files as opposed to having to start over again if there's a hiccup in the download process.

 

[EarthDog]

Sooooo, just maybe, the USB issue will affect updates even unto the printer. Thoughts? Questions?

Still spent imagine so, no

 

[Robert17]

Still spent imagine so, no

Trying to decipher this. Still confused. What does this translate to in English?

My event synopsis: downloaded 1903, failed to install; printer took a vacation, uninstalled it both physically and softwarily (is that from the same language?), then 1903 installed when USB printer (device) not present. Seems to be a connection of events to me.

 

[EarthDog]

Holy autocorrect, batman!

Seems to be a connection of events to me.

Correlation is not causation.

A printer with cache should not be affecting an install. I have a printer (that has cache) installed and it went fine (though it is connected via bluetooth). Maybe it was something with that printer, but cache doesn't seem to be the issue. If so, we would see tens of thousands of these issues I'd imagine.

each time using the DVD media that came with the printer.

Moving forward... get the latest driver from the website instead of the static, old driver on the disk. Not sure that would help your installation issue, but is a best practice.