Win10 Update Breaks Start Menu, Causes Orange Screen

It's becoming something of a pattern that Microsoft issues a Windows 10 Update that causes a problem, then issues a follow-up that fixes it, but then introduces new problems. And it's happened again.

Just last week Microsoft issued an update (KB4512941) that fixed problems in the Windows 10 May 2019 Update (version 1903), but introduced new bugs with some users finding the Windows search tool didn't work at all, or their processors were under constant strain.

Microsoft has since release a new bug fix (KB4515384) for the previous bug fix, but users are reporting new problems. At the time of writing, Microsoft has not acknowledged the problems.

One reported problem is with the Start menu, with users saying that typing in the box at the bottom of the menu - which should get quickly to a menu item - is instead producing strange results. Some are getting no response, some can't open the menu at all, and some are seeing a message reading "Critical Error, Your Start menu isn't working. We'll try to fix it the next time you sign in." (Source: windowscentral.com)

Windows 10 Users See Orange and Red

The other problem is plain bizarre: users have shared screenshots in which only the white mouse cursor and black text or other elements remain the correct color. Everything else displays either in orange or red, with the most extreme cases making the display effectively unusable.

In both cases it seems likely to be a compatibility issue, with Lenovo PCs most vulnerable to the color problems. (Source: pcmag.com)

So far it seems the only effective solution is to uninstall the new update and roll back to a previous one. While it's a workaround, it's far from ideal, and any users unfortunate enough to suffer problems from two consecutive updates may have to decide which problem is most annoying.

80 Security Fixes In One Update

One positive note for Windows Updates is that keeping security and feature patches separate is paying off. The latest security update fixes a whopping 80 security holes, so it's definitely a smart idea to have it in place even when holding off the feature updates.

Of the 80, 17 are listed as critical, a rating based on the potential damage if the bug is exploited. Of these, nine are vulnerable to a "drive by download" browser attack, meaning that simply visiting a compromised website would be enough to make a computer vulnerable.

Two of the flaws are zero day bugs, meaning hackers were taking advantage before Microsoft released a fix. It's a great reminder that even for users who don't have feature updates set to install automatically, doing so for security updates is usually a smart idea.

What's Your Opinion?

Have you experienced any of these problems? Do you suspect something is fundamentally wrong with Microsoft's update testing program? Or is it simply impossible to avoid compatibility issues given how many hardware and software combinations exist among Windows 10 users?