Windows 10 22H2 Patch Tuesday security update released on March 11 is causing problems for many users, resulting in broken machines in some cases. Set to address 15 vulnerabilities, two of which involve critical remote code execution, the KB5053606 does unfortunately bring new bugs with it.
To begin with, some users are simply unable to install the update, receiving error code 0x80070020 during installation. There are ways to force the update through command lines and batch files, but your mileage may vary and by the sounds of things, you might want to hang fire. If your machine is affected by the installation bug, you may try downloading the KB5053606 via Microsoft’s update catalogue and install it manually.
Unfortunately, the lucky few who managed to install it were faced with even more problematic bugs such as blue screens, black screens after reboot, and random crashes resulting in system restarts. Some have complained about app icons disappearing from their taskbar, whereas others were surprised to see all their desktop customisation reverted to factory settings. On the professional side, users have noticed programs crashing, issues with Citrix, and slow Print Spooler operation. While some of these may not be linked to this update, the timing is questionable, to say the least.
For my part, I suspended the Windows 10 updates for 7 days via the control panel to avoid having any issues. That said, since this is considered an important update, Microsoft may force it anyway.
The list of changes included with KB5053606 goes as follows:
- Add support for DST (Daylight Saving Time) changes in Paraguay.
- Updates Country and Operator Settings profiles.
- Fixes Desktop Window Manager not responding.
- Fixes Open Secure Shell (OpenSSH) service failing to start, which causes SSH connections to stop.
- Fixes a bunch of Chinese IME-related issues such as contrast and front.
Note that some of these were also included in the previous KB5052077 update. After installation, your system will be under Build 19045.5608.
With Windows 10 approaching its scheduled end of life on October 14, 2025, Microsoft better hold off releasing updates unless they are thoroughly tested. If such a problem appears on this last update, some users could end up stuck with a buggy system, or worse, be forced to move to Windows 11. Jokes aside, security is important, but having a working machine is better. So, fingers crossed for the final October update.
