Microsoft’s latest update is causing significant issues for users, particularly those with older deployment images of Windows 10. The update is designed to patch the recovery partition, but due to changes in Microsoft’s guidelines over the years, older deployment images may not be compatible with the update.
One of the main issues is the size and location of the recovery partition, which has changed over time. If no recovery partition exists, the system is not at risk from the vulnerability the update is meant to address, but the update will still fail. Similarly, if the recovery partition does not have a minimum of 250 MB of free space, the update will also fail. Microsoft has acknowledged this issue and is working on a fix for a future release.
Furthermore, the location of the recovery partition in relation to the C drive can also impact the success of the update. If the recovery partition is to the left of the C drive, resizing the partition may require extensive redeployment planning. However, if the recovery partition is to the right of the C drive, it is possible to use scripts to shrink the main C drive and allocate the space to the recovery partition, allowing the update to be installed successfully.
A test of several drive configurations revealed that some systems had no recovery partitions, making them potentially vulnerable to failure, while others had multiple recovery partitions, including some in front of the C drive and others behind it. A further complication was that, despite reports that the recovery partition was 100% free, the actual free space in the partition was found to be significantly less than the recommended 250 MB.
To avoid these issues, configuration specialists are now recommending starting deployments with at least a 1 GB recovery partition to ensure there is enough space for future updates.
In conclusion, the latest update from Microsoft has highlighted the importance of managing vulnerable disk partitions, and users should take proactive steps to ensure their systems are compatible with future updates. Microsoft’s acknowledgement of the issue and commitment to fixing it in a future release is a positive step, but in the meantime, users should consider the recommendations of configuration specialists to avoid potential issues with their recovery partitions.