If you’re planning to upgrade a device to the latest version of Windows 10 using the Media Creation Tool, Update Assistant, or ISO file, you may want to postpone the process to a later date. According to the Microsoft health dashboard website (via BleepingComputer), the company has acknowledged an issue that causes the loss of system and user certificates when upgrading a device from Windows 10 version 1809 or higher (including version 20H2) to a later version.
The company explains that devices will be affected if they have installed the September 16, 2020 or later cumulative update, and then they are updated using the media or an installation source that doesn’t include an update released on October 13, 2020 or later integrated.
If you have a device connected to Windows Update or Windows Update for Business, then this problem shouldn’t be an issue, since they always receive the latest version of a new feature update.
In the case that the system and user certificates are lost on your installation, Microsoft recommends to mitigate the problem by rolling back to the previous version of Windows 10, which you can do with these instructions.
Microsoft is currently working on a permanent solution, and it’s planning to release updated bundles and new media tools in the coming weeks.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].