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3 Windows 10 known issues and how to fix them

There are a few issues that accompanied the Windows 10 1903 update. Before deploying the latest update, IT admins should familiarize themselves with the most common problems.

Windows 10 update 1903 brought a variety of changes to the OS, but not all are positive. IT admins should be aware of the Windows 10 known issues surrounding the 1903 update.

Two Microsoft documents are useful for Windows 10 troubleshooting: Known Issues and Resolved Issues. The Known Issues document summarizes open issues for Windows 10, including issues that Microsoft resolved in the last 30 days. After 30 days, issues with fixes move to the Resolved Issues document.

The Known Issues document doesn't encompass every issue that an organization may face when it comes to Windows 10 management, but it is a good place to look for potential stumbling blocks. The Windows 10 known issues list will help to quickly qualify or disqualify specific Windows 10 releases.

Organizations should still test proprietary code and any applications they may have developed in-house or had custom-built, however.

Three Windows 10 known issues

Three major issues that could affect Windows 10 deployments appear in the Known Issues document under the following headings, all of which come in the wake of the Quality Update KB4505057:

  1. Windows Sandbox may fail to start with error code "0x80070002."
  2. Display brightness may not respond to adjustments.
  3. Error attempting to update with external USB device or memory card attached.
Known issues document
The Known Issues document

IT can dig into the details section of each issue to better understand its potential workarounds. IT should focus on issues that affect at least some of the organization's Windows PCs for which workarounds are not available or overly onerous. These issues can -- and probably should -- stymie deployment until IT addresses them.

Let's look at the three known Windows 10 issues and their respective fixes.

Windows Sandbox may fail to start with error code "0x80070002"

IT can dig into the details section of each issue to better understand its potential workarounds.

IT staff, software developers or information security professionals are typically the only ones who use the built-in Windows Sandbox feature, so this issue will only affect them until IT resolves it. The issue will also only affect desktops for which Sysprep changes the OS language during the installation or reference image creation process.

IT can easily work around the issue, but can fix it using the third-party Sandboxie software package. However, organizations must purchase licensing and fees for business use.

Windows Sandbox issue
The details section of the Windows Sandbox issues

Display brightness may not respond to adjustments

This issue affects some Intel graphics chipsets for desktops, such as laptops that use graphics circuitry integrated with Intel CPUs. Microsoft is blocking KB4505057 from these desktops until it resolves the issue.

Many affected desktops will respond properly, however, to display brightness controls and their alteration if IT pros reboot after they apply the update. Some systems will work properly after IT applies the workaround; others will not. Only experimentation in the lab can resolve this issue and help IT make a decision to deploy the update to Windows desktops.

USB issue
The details section of the external USB or memory card issue

Error attempting to update with external USB device or memory card attached

With this issue, the fix is obvious and simple: IT pros should disconnect USB devices and remove SD cards before they attempt the upgrade again. Some desktops will not be responsive to this workaround, so Microsoft recommends that IT hold off on the upgrade until it resolves the issue. For most upgrades, however, the workaround will work and admins can simply restore USB connections or reinsert the SD cards once they complete the process.

More issues will emerge as IT admins implement the Windows 10 1903 update to more desktops. Microsoft is doing a good job of keeping up with them and making constant updates to the Known Issues and Resolved Issues documents. These documents will be invaluable tools for IT admins that plan and deploy Windows 10 maintenance and upgrades.

Display brightness issue
The details section of the display brightness adjustment issue

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