Microsoft rushes out fix for catastrophic Windows 10 update

Microsoft has fixed a major flaw caused by a Windows 10 update that prevented many computers from connecting to the internet.

The problematic update, which it’s thought was released in early December, left some machines unable to get an IP address from routers, which they need to go online.

Microsoft released a fix on 13 December to “automatically install and resolve connectivity difficulties reported by some customers”.

It added that people may need to restart their PC by “selecting Start on the taskbar, clicking the Power button, and choosing Restart, not Shut down”. The same advice was being shown in a banner on Microsoft’s website (see screenshot). You’ll find more help on Microsoft’s website: www.snipca.com/22899.

The problem seemed to particularly affect Virgin Media and Plusnet customers, hundreds of whom vented their frustration on social media. Many people in Europe also reported trouble getting online. Before Microsoft’s fix, Virgin published advice on how to get online ( www. snipca.com/22900).

It is not clear which specific update caused the problem, but it may have been KB3201845, released on 9 December. Microsoft said this update was replaced by the fix, which is called KB3206632. However, some experts said that the problem existed before KB3201845 was released.

Windows updates have caused several problems in the past few months. In August the substantial Anniversary Update (AU) caused many computers to freeze. Microsoft admitted that the AU was disrupting PCS that had Windows 10 stored on an SSD, and apps and data stored on another drive.

The company’s advice was to boot into Safe Mode, then move your apps and data to the same drive as Windows 10.