Microsoft halts Windows 8.1 update for businesses due to bug

Microsoft has suspended the Windows 8.1 update for business users because of a bug.

Microsoft has suspended the Windows 8.1 update for business users through its Windows Server Update Server (WSUS) because of a bug.

The flaw interferes with WSUS, preventing Windows 8.1 from scanning the corporate update service for new updates.

The issue affects only machines running WSUS 3.2 on Windows Server 2003 (SP2 and R2 SP2) and Windows Server 2008 (SP2 and R2 SP1) when HTTPS and SSL are enabled but TLS 1.2 was not  turned on.

"Microsoft plans to issue an update as soon as possible that will correct the issue and restore the proper behavior for Windows 8.1 Update KB 2919355 scanning against all supported WSUS configurations," the company said in a blog post.

Microsoft said it is still possible to get Windows 8.1 Update by going directly to the Windows Update Catalog or MSDN.

"However, we recommend that you suspend deployment of this update in your organisation until we release the update that resolves this issue," the company said.

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For companies that have already installed Windows 8.1 Update, Microsoft said they could use a workaround to get machines scanning WSUS again.

The workaround entails either disabling HTTPS on WSUS or enabling TLS 1.2. Users can then re-enable HTTPS after an update is released to fix the flaw.

Industry commentators expect a fix to arrive soon because Microsoft has warned all Windows 8.1 users that they must install the update to get next month's Patch Tuesday security updates.

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