Microsoft thaws Windows 10 Anniversary Update freezing issues at last

Windows 10

Microsoft has finally pushed out a fix for those who found their PCs were freezing up in one way or another after they had installed the recent Anniversary Update for Windows 10.

While there have been a number of problems caused by the Anniversary Update, this was the most severe because it affected the overall operation of the system – and didn't just break a single element such as webcams or plugging in Kindles.

The freezing issue meant that some PCs were locking up entirely, or elements of the interface such as the taskbar or task manager were getting frozen, and Microsoft had previously acknowledged the flaw, saying that it affected those with the OS installed on an SSD, and apps/data stored on another drive.

The company also said it was working on a fix, and that fix has now been deployed in the form of Windows 10 cumulative update KB3176938, which was released yesterday.

Safe to reinstall

A Microsoft representative posted on the Answers.com forum to announce the release of the patch, and also to clarify that this update will automatically be applied when installing the Anniversary Update going forward.

In other words, those updating from now on won't experience the freezing issue (in theory – unless there are any gremlins remaining in the works that Microsoft didn't spot, of course).

So those who rolled back their installation of the Anniversary Update because of this problem can now go ahead and reinstall.

For those still running the Anniversary Update and experiencing this bugbear, check for the update and apply it – but if you're stuck, and perhaps hit by the freezing problem when trying to update, Microsoft provides instructions on how to proceed in the Answers.com post.

As for the other bugs which have hit the Anniversary Update, we're also expecting a fix for the webcam issue to land at some point this month. Fingers crossed that come October, all major problems will have been ironed out.

Via: Softpedia

Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).