Microsoft's Windows 10 1809 Update Officially A Total Train Wreck Of Bugs

Now we're learning of yet another issue plaguing the Windows 10 October 2018 Update. In this case, it's a cumulative update (KB4467708) that is causing problems with the already troublesome Windows Update (also known as Version 1809). The cumulative update was supposed to fix high CPU usage with specific AMD processors following a previous July 2018 update aimed at providing mitigations for Spectre Variant 2.

However, Microsoft is also now warning that those using Windows Media Player will be in for a rude awakening if they install the update:

After installing this update, users may not be able to use the Seek Bar in Windows Media Player when playing specific files.         

The company goes on to state that it is working on a resolution and will provide a fix for the problem in an upcoming release. What's perhaps most troublesome is that Microsoft's approach to continually update Windows 10 seems to be hitting more than a few potholes along the way. With the Windows 10 October 2018 Update alone, we've had a file deletion issue (which prompted pulling the update), a non-functioning iCloud app for some users, broken mapped drives, AMD and Intel driver woes, a zip file bug and other niggling concerns. Here’s a running list of issues being tracked by Microsoft.

In a separate issue, some users found that their Windows 10 Pro licenses were suddenly and mysteriously being deactivated or downgraded. Microsoft later said that it would automatically resolve this issue with no intervention needed from the user. 

Windows 10 As A Service: that is Microsoft's mantra with regards to its current consumer operating system. However, when that "service" is constantly hobbled by self-inflected wounds, how can users consider it reliable? To that end, Microsoft fought to quell any concerns that it may be losing its touch and penned a blog earlier this month about its commitment to quality control with Windows 10.

"Even a multi-element detection process will miss issues in an ecosystem as large, diverse and complex as Windows," wrote Michael Fortin, Microsoft Corporate VP for Windows. "While we will always work diligently to eliminate issues before rollout, there is always a chance an issue may occur.  When this happens, we strive to minimize the impact and respond quickly and transparently to inform and protect our customers."

Perhaps Microsoft should pay more attention to its Windows Insiders before releasing major updates to Windows 10. In fact, both the file deletion and zip file bugs were identified by Windows Insiders during the testing phase of the October 2018 Update (and even earlier versions of Windows 10) but these reported issues were never acted upon by Microsoft until it was too late.