Microsoft has begun pushing Patch Tuesday updates out to supported Windows 8.1 (KB5007255) and Windows 7 (KB5007236) computers today. Windows 8.1 is currently in extended support until the start of 2023 while Windows 7 users who are subscribed to Extended Security Updates will still receive updates for a couple of years.
Windows 8.1
In terms of improvements and fixes introduced for Windows 8.1, Microsoft has fixed an issue that might prevent devices from downloading and installing printer drivers when devices attempt to connect to a network printer for the first time. It said the issue was noted when devices access printers using print servers that use HTTP connections.
The other main fix that Microsoft outlines is that it has fixed an issue that prevents an Internet print server from properly packaging modified printer properties before sending the package to the client.
The firm outlined two known issues that still exist in this update, they are as follows:
| Symptom | Workaround |
|---|---|
| Certain operations, such as rename, that you perform on files or folders that are on a Cluster Shared Volume (CSV) may fail with the error, “STATUS_BAD_IMPERSONATION_LEVEL (0xC00000A5)”. This occurs when you perform the operation on a CSV owner node from a process that doesn’t have administrator privilege. | Do one of the following:
Microsoft is working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release. |
| After installing this update, Windows print clients might encounter the following errors when connecting to a remote printer shared on a Windows print server:
Note The printer connection issues described in this issue are specific to print servers and are not commonly observed in devices designed for home use. Printing environments affected by this issue are more commonly found in enterprises and organizations. | For workarounds and the latest status for this issue, please see Windows release health. We are presently investigating and will provide an update in an upcoming release. |
Windows 7
The update that has gone out for Windows 7 also includes improvements that went out with KB5006743 on October 12. Today’s update specifically addresses the printer issues mentioned above in the Windows 8.1 notes. As part of this update, Microsoft has also fixed an issue where a zero width Pen will render one pixel regardless of the transformation.
There are three known issues in this update that Microsoft is aware of, here they are with their respective workarounds:
| Symptom | Workaround |
|---|---|
| After installing this update and restarting your device, you might receive the error, "Failure to configure Windows updates. Reverting Changes. Do not turn off your computer", and the update might show as Failed in Update History. | This is expected in the following circumstances:
If you have purchased an ESU key and have encountered this issue, please verify you have applied all prerequisites and that your key is activated. For information on activation, please see this blog post. For information on the prerequisites, see the How to get this update section of this article. |
| Certain operations, such as rename, that you perform on files or folders that are on a Cluster Shared Volume (CSV) may fail with the error, "STATUS_BAD_IMPERSONATION_LEVEL (0xC00000A5)". This occurs when you perform the operation on a CSV owner node from a process that doesn’t have administrator privilege. | Do one of the following:
Microsoft is working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release. |
| After installing this update, Windows print clients might encounter the following errors when connecting to a remote printer shared on a Windows print server:
Note The printer connection issues described in this issue are specific to print servers and are not commonly observed in devices designed for home use. Printing environments affected by this issue are more commonly found in enterprises and organizations. | For workarounds and the latest status for this issue, please see Windows release health. We are presently investigating and will provide an update in an upcoming release. |
If you have purchased an Extended Security Updates subscription, Microsoft says you need to follow the procedures in KB4522133 to continue receiving security updates.
As always, ensure you are keeping your computers up-to-date to ensure they stay protected when going online and to ensure they continue to operate properly. If your computer no longer gets updates, you should make sure you update to a newer version of Windows or in the case of those with unsupported hardware, alternatives like Ubuntu are recommended over running an insecure system.