Microsoft recently released update KB4056892 for Windows 10 to mitigate the Meltdown and Spectre security flaws in modern microprocessors, but the fix appears to be causing some unexpected problems on PCs using AMD processors.
Although up until now AMD processors remained unaffected by the two bugs, a number of users are now reporting that the Microsoft emergency patch is bricking some machines using AMD’s Athlon processors.
At the Microsoft forums, users note that after applying the KB4056892 update, their PCs will simply stop working with error 0x800f0845. In addition, it appears that the patch doesn’t create a system restore point, making really hard to undo the changes. Other people say that even reinstalling Windows 10 will not fix the problem.
Jaroslav Škarvada at the forums describes the problem in more detail:
I have older AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+, Asus MB, after installation of KB4056892 the system doesn’t boot, it only shows the Windows logo without animation and nothing more. After several failed boots it do roll-back then it shows error 0x800f0845. Unfortunately, it seems it’s not easy to disable the automatic updates without gpedit tweaks, so it tries installing and rolling-back the update over and over. The sfc /scannow shows no problem, in-place upgrade also doesn’t seem to help. I can try full reinstall, but I doubt it will change anything. It seems like the update is binary incompatible with my old CPU.
While no everyone is experiencing this problem, the number seems to be small but significant, and Microsoft has yet to acknowledge the issue and response to affected users.
A workaround that appears to work involves making a clean installation of Windows 10 and quickly disabling Windows Update using Group Policy or simply disconnecting the machine from the network.
Local Group Policy Editor > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update, and on the Configure Automatic Updates policy enable the “2 – Notify for download and auto install” option.
Did you already install the latest update on Windows 10 to mitigate these issues? Did you run into any problems? Tell us in the comments.
Update January 9, 2018: After a number of users complains Microsoft has officially acknowledge the issue, and it has now halted the rollout of its Meltdown and Spectre mitigation updates for machines featuring AMD processors. According to the company, the problem with the update due to an error in AMD’s documentation.
In order to fix this unexpected issue, Microsoft is not only stopping the distribution of the update, but it’s also working with AMD to repair the original update, and it’s planning to resume the rollout soon.
In the meantime, if you’re experiencing a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) as result of this update, Microsoft is offering the following guides for Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and Windows 7 users:
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].