Microsoft Halts Windows 8.1 Update for WSUS 3.2 Users -- Redmondmag.com

Microsoft Halts Windows 8.1 Update for WSUS 3.2 Users

By Kurt Mackie
04/08/2014

Microsoft has temporarily suspended the release of the new Windows 8.1 Update as delivered through some versions of Windows Server Update Services (WSUS).

The problem has to do with Windows Server configurations that use the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) security protocol but not the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol version 1.2, according to a Tuesday Microsoft blog post. In such a situation, a PC updated with the Windows 8.1 Update will "stop scanning against Windows Server Update Services 3.0 Service Pack 2," Microsoft explained.

The problem can occur with instances of "WSUS 3.2" used with various Windows Server 2003 versions or Windows Server 2008 versions, according to the announcement.

The company issued the following statement regarding the WSUS 3.2 problem in the announcement:

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 scanning against all supported WSUS configurations. Until that time, we are temporarily suspending the distribution of the Windows 8.1 Update to WSUS servers.

The announcement includes a couple of possible workarounds. Organizations can either enable TLS 1.2 or disable HTTPS on WSUS 3.2 for Windows Server 2008 R2 systems. For other affected servers, Microsoft suggests disabling HTTPS on WSUS as the workaround.

For now, Microsoft recommends holding off on deploying the new Windows 8.1 Update for those affected WSUS 3.2 users until a solution becomes available. No time estimate was provided on when it might appear.

About the Author

Kurt Mackie is senior news producer for 1105 Media's Converge360 group.

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