More Windows October Update woes
Fresh problems have surfaced with the Windows 10 October Update (version 1809), including a major bug relating to how Windows handles compressed files that can lead to irreversible data loss. These new bugs follow Microsoft’s
WHAT WE THINK
Of all the Windows updates we’ve seen, this has to be one of the worst. It’s also an embarrassing mess for Microsoft who have for some time been hyping the October Update’s new features, only to pull the plug on the whole thing shortly after releasing it. Microsoft then rushed out fixes, but has now gone quiet about when the update will be re-released. Perhaps this will convince Microsoft that Windows 10 Home should let users delay updates as with the Pro edition. decision last month to pull the October Update.
The bug affects the built-in ZIP- compression tool in File Explorer. Previous to the October Update, if you tried to re-extract files from a ZIP file to the same destination folder (to work on from scratch, for example), a message box would appear, prompting you either to skip the extraction process or overwrite the existing files (see screenshot).
The October Update bug prevents this box from displaying and instead – unbeknown to the user – simply skips the extraction, leaving the files you previously extracted in place.
In a post on its Community website ( www.snipca.com/ 29554), Microsoft advises users running the October Update to “fully extract the zip folder before you copy files to a new destination folder”.
The post goes on to list other potential problems, including a warning that cutting (Ctrl+x) and pasting (Ctrl+p) from ZIP files “may result in unintentionally deleting items that may not be recoverable”. In other words, when you try to paste the files, they simply disappear. A fix for this is promised in “early November”.
Another reported glitch involves unreadable text displayed in programs, browsers and settings menus. The problem was first spotted by users of the Foobar 2000 media player ( www.foobar2000.org).
This is thought to be a font fallback problem, where Windows switches to different fonts when it cannot display a certain character. If you’re affected, downloading the latest drivers for your graphics card may resolve the problem.
At the time of writing, there was no official word when the October Update would be re-released. Barring any new bugs being uncovered, we suspect it will be made available via Windows Update some time in November.
A new system to check the name of people you’re sending money to will begin next summer, in a bid to reduce fraud. Currently, when you make a payment online, only the account number and sort code are verified, not the recipient’s name. Under the new ‘Confirmation of Payee’ service, devised by regulator PAY.UK, banks will have to check that the name you enter matches that on the account.