Windows 10 Update May Require MS Office Uninstall

Microsoft has warned that a recently released security update may be incompatible with test editions of Windows 10 and MS Office. The advice came from Gabe Aul, who is general manager of engineering for Windows. He posted a series of four messages on his Twitter account, rather than posting it onto Microsoft's official news blog.

The messages read: "We just made a tough call after working through the night that I thought I should share with you. We have a security update going out today, and the installer fails on [Windows 10 build 9879 if Microsoft Office] is installed. Rather than rolling [out] a new fix (losing several days in the process) we're going to publish it as is. The workaround is painful: uninstall Office, install the hotfix, reinstall Office. Sorry. We're working hard to fix." (Source: cio.com)

The Windows 10 build 9879 and all the other test editions, should continue to work until the official launch of the finished version of Windows 10. While unconfirmed, many experts expect a final beta edition of Windows 10 in April 2015, with the full version ready for distribution to the public by this time next year.

Reports Suggest Uninstall May Not Be Necessary

Several users have confirmed that the problematic security update has installed without any problems relating to Microsoft Office. Mr. Aul has since offered updated advice, suggesting users try installing the update without uninstalling Office first; if it doesn't work, it should not cause any problems.

The update in question is part of the regular monthly batch of patches released by Microsoft for all editions of Windows, known as Patch Tuesday. Microsoft is including security updates for Windows 10 as part of the Patch Tuesday process, even though those using the test editions are made well aware that newly released patches may result in unpredictable performance.

Beta Test Audience More Relaxed About Problems

Speaking frankly, Aul later admitted that if a similar situation occurred with already-released editions of Windows (that is, Windows 8 and earlier), Microsoft would have pulled the update from its Patch Tuesday cycle immediately. (Source: computerworld.com)

The incompatibility is a reminder that installing developmental software such as Windows 10 Technical Preview is meant for technically confident users only. Exciting as it is to use the beta software before its official release, there is a high likelihood of compatibility and performance problems; discovering such issues is why Microsoft runs public test programs in the first place.

What's Your Opinion?

Have you tried the test edition of Windows 10, and if so, how do you think it compares to previous editions of Windows? Does the risk of incompatibility hassles put you off from using test editions of Windows 10? Is Microsoft right to adopt different policies for dealing with glitches in test and final public release versions of its software?